What’s new?

So did anyone pay attention when I said I wanted to read new blogs?  I meant it.  At the time.  Then my phone died, and The Husband left his computer at a friend’s house.  And then we decided “What the hell?  We don’t like our family drama so let’s go on a vacation since we have two nickles to jingle together.”  Which leads me to typing this little random post on the floor of a hotel in California, freezing my feet and ruining my eyes.  So we’ll see how well I can touch base with everyone. 

Hey, it can happen.  I have my phone back.

Technical Difficulties

Status on main computer: Enlisted for a work horse to bring in the paycheck.  (Well, duh)

Status on laptop: At friend’s house. (Well, now that sucks.)

Status on Blackberry: Flatline (New one is in the mail, God willing.)

Status on blog: (Yeah, I miss you all.  Hope to be back soon.  Before I lose my mind.)

What song?

About once a week I get to pick up Evan at school without boys.  (It’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders/arms for fifteen minutes.)  On this day, I can talk and ask questions without interrupting myself to say “Don’t hit your brother,” “Keep your hands off your brother,” “Don’t give the baby that toy,” and “Don’t practice laughing because it makes the baby laugh because it’s too loud.” 

Evan: Today, at school, we learned about, Heaven and Hell.

Ok.  I knew there would be a backlash to sending my child to a Christian school.  But I was sure the Heaven-vs-Hell talk didn’t happen until the child was old enough to understand sin.  I thought I had a few years.  Crap.

Evan: And I raised my hand and told the teacher, that Uncle M, had a really COOL Hell song.

I guess I forgot about The Friendly Giant’s music taste and the fact he has taken it upon himself to educate my boys in the finer things of live.  Alternative rock.  Which I was fine with because that’s what I blasted around the boys, though tempered with The Beatles, Jewel, some country, and of course, classic protest songs of te ’60′s.  And all this was tied into one little word.  Crap.

Me: So what did the teacher say?

Evan: (in a disappointed and sullen voice) Nothing.

Me: Please tell Uncle M this story when you get to your grandma’s house.

And my ever-obedient son (I know, that was tongue in cheek) ran to The Friendly Giant’s room the minute he got into the house.  After a moment, I heard the loud and pure laughter of my brother ringing through the house.

I related the story to my parents later.

Papi: Evan could you sing us the song?

Evan: Ok.  (pause)  Where do bad people go when they die?  They don’t go to heaven where the angels fly.  The go to a lake of fire and fry.

And it was perfect pitch, tune, and tone.

Thank God, he didn’t sing it at school.

Musical taste

I love to sing.  Ever since I was a kid, I would sing everywhere.  Ev-ry-where.  And I’m known to make up songs.  My dad fondly remembers when I was six with blonde pigtails, swinging for hours, singing songs that came into my head.  The problem is . . . I kind of suck at it.  The Husband would remove “kind of.”  Not that I care, I still sing.

So how cool is it that Evan started making up songs when he was three.

And then Sean.

Like at dinner the other night.

He sang an ode about sour cream to his sour cream.

And that, folks, means my kid rocks.

Feeding

We are finally getting to some of my favorite times of mommyhood with Aidan.  He’s eating real food.  Pureed to mush, something-I-would-never-touch food, but real food, none the less.  And he LOVES it.  I know; no surprises there. 

Every food is a new surprise, a new taste, a new experience.  They are the building blocks to all his eating experiences for the rest of his life.  Sure, he may not like squash a year from now, but he tasted it and even liked.  It’s an exciting adventure I get to share in as a pulverize cooked fruits in the blender.  Soon I’ll come up with tasty little meals, then with finger foods.

When we start on meals, I’ll be able to pull out the baby food dish.  The dish that my grandma fed her children from and then her grandchildren.  A ceramic hallow dish that has to be filled with hot water to keep the food warm.  My grandma gave it to me when Evan was a baby and I was explaining how The Husband was concerned with heating food in the microwave.  I love that dish.  It connects me with my past and my future. 

I love sitting down and spooning food into a waiting mouth, making “Ahhhh” and “Mmmm” sounds.  I love the happy smile.  I love the exciting need, the impulsive want, the hungry mouth moving towards the food.  I love the grubby hand who reaches out and grabs the spoon, trying to feed himself.  Aidan death-grips the spoon, keeping it in his mouth so that he can suck every drop of food off the spoon, hoping it will replenish itself without leaving his mouth.  I love that little messy face.

Aidan’s had rice, bananas, squash, apples, and plums.  (Does anyone know why they call plums, prunes?)  Today will be another adventure, another mystery food.  Onwards, to experience life.

Picking a favorite relative

Evan: Mommy, when you were a little girl, you didn’t have me.  You had to get older and become a grown up first.  Then you had Sean and me and Aidan. 

Me: That’s right.

Evan: And Grandma is older than you?

Me: Yes.

Evan: Is Grandma Sue older than Grandma?

Me: Yes, she is.

Evan: Is Grandma Sue older than Papi?

Me: Yes, she is.

Evan: Is Grandma Sue older than Papa?

Me: Um, I don’t think so.

Evan: Is Papa older than Grandma?

Me: Yes.

Evan: Is Papa older than Papi?

Me: Yes.

Evan: Is Papa older than Grandma-Great?

Me: No.

Evan: Oh.  Grandma-Great is older than Papi and Grandma?

Me: Yes, she is.

Evan: Is Grandma-Great older than Grandma Sue?

Me: Yes.

Evan: Ok.  Grandma-Great is my favorite!  Do you know why?

Me: No.

Evan: Because she’s the oldest!

Well, I guess that’s one way to pick your favorite relative.  Grandma-Great, please come by and pick up your prize; you get to enjoy the company of your great-grandchildren at no extra charge. Don’t you want to spend time with the people who dubbed you the favorite?

Recap 11/5

1. I’ve got to get better at making budgets.  No matter how depressing they are.

2. Evan is working hard to receive the title of “Class Clown.”  It’s not if he’ll get to red, it’s when.

3. Sean’s first growing pain turned him into a little gimp, who I had to carry most places.

4. Aidan has had rice, bananas, apple juice, and squash.  We’re on our way, baby!

5. Sean is convinced he’s a vampire.

6. I’m enrolling Evan in Candy-olics Anonymous.  “But, Mommy!  It’s so hard not to eat it!”

7. Turns out I’m still really good at screwing around to waste time.  It’s a valuable life skill.

8. Ok, so our crib was recalled AND they don’t have the parts to fix it until mid-December.  What BS is that?

9. Any one know of any good blogs?  I’m trying to read more.

10. Is it too early to start freaking out over what you’re going to get people for Christmas?

Best Friends and Playdates

Sean has a best friend, G.  And they A-dore each other.  Evan goes to school with G’s older sister.  So while we drop of our kids, Sean and G run off and play together.

Yesterday I decided it wa a great day to buck the system and have a playdate instead of putting away the Halloween decorations, packing up Aidan’s 6 month clothes, doing my laundry, or anything else on the list.

Me: So do you want to come over today and let the kid’s play?

K (G’s mom): No, we can’t.  I have to go to the chiropractor.  And I thought I would bring the DVD player with me and hopefully G will sit quietly and watch it.

Me: Why don’t you just drop G off?

K: Really?  You’re a Godsend.

So Sean, Aidan, and I ran home.  Sean and I picked up and cleaned to make sure everything looked sanitary for someone to drop off her kid.  Wouldn’t want CPS to be called, would we?

K dropped of G.  The boys dove into playing trucks.  I smiled as I watched over the kitchen sink.  Sean looked up with a huge grin on his face.  He pointed to G as if to say, “Look, Mommy!  He’s here!  He’s actually here!  In my house!  Playing with my toys!”

Sean: G, you’re my bestest friend in the whole world!

G: You’re my best friend too, Sean!

They were inseparable.  I even grew bored because I didn’t have to manage them.  Or keep them from enter the Thunderdome.

Well, until G’s mom came to pick G up, and we started talking.  Sean decided it would be fun to take the truck G was playing with, and G started to get upset.  I told Sean to return the truck, and Sean decided to throw it in G’s general direction.  Then G had to retaliate and hit Sean in the back.  I’m not sure who was more horrified over her boy’s behavior: K or me.  So I scolded Sean; K scolded G.

G: Sorry, Sean.

Sean: I’m sorry G for taking your toy.

Then they were best friends again.

Adult plans

Evan: Mommy!  When I’m a grown up, I’m going to get whatever I want.

Me: Only if you have the money.

Evan: Mommy!  When I’m a grown up, I’m going to say, “Mommy! Give me money . . . for the grocery store . . . so I can buy . . . a yo-yo.”  And I’ll be so surprised that I’m good with a yo-yo now that I’m a grown-up.  Won’t that be cool?  The yo-yo will go down, and then I’ll be able to pull it up.  Won’t that be a great idea, Mommy?

Maybe now is the time to explain to him about after college, I’m demanding pay for room and board.

Sharing

It’s hard to teach sharing and being nice to people.  I sometimes wonder if as humans, we are naturally selfish, egotistical beings and that it is against our very natures to think beyond ourselves.  I struggle to teach the boys to get along, to share their toys with each other, or, at the very least, stop f-ing antagonizing each other.  Jesus.  Is it so hard to just not make your brother scream in aggravation because you said something or took away the toy or hit him?  Leave him alone! 

Channelling.

So imagine my surprise when ever was upset that Sean had an eyeball balloon and he didn’t.  While Evan was at school, we were at the grocery store, where they were giving away their Halloween balloons.  When a store clerk asked Sean if he wanted one, he asked for the eye-ball balloon with a please.  All day, Sean was talking to his Eye-Ball Friend.  Naturally, Evan had to destroy this special bond.

After the third time of Evan taking the balloon and the second time of him putting the ribbon in his mouth to irritate Sean, I sent Evan to time out.  After the five minutes, we had a nice little discussion over when something belongs to someone else, we leave it alone.  We play with other people’s things when we ask and they say yes.

Evan: But I like the eye-ball balloon!

Me: I know.  But it’s Sean’s.

Evan: But Mommmmmmyyyyyyy!

Me: It’s still Sean’s.  Play with the other balloon.

Sean: Here, brother!  You want to play with it?!  You can!

And then I realize my boy is the sweetest, kindest, most adorable boy on the planet.  And maybe I had a hand in it.