Thankful For Mom & Dad?

Life has been busy.

I've posted very little since Chance was born.

I used to post first thing in the morning, before the chaos started. Now, I sleep every moment I can squeeze in. These middle-of-the-night-feedings will kick a mama's butt!

So, until I find great wads of spare time - we know that won't be happening - I'll keep posting just a tidbit here and there.

Today's tidbit is about Kobe's Sunday School lesson:

Kobe came home from Sunday School with a sheet of paper that said...

"I am thankful for my mom because...she makes baby brothers and lets me play Mario.

I am thankful for my dad because...he works real hard and takes care of me and gives me cake."

Now we know what's important to a three-year-old!

Siblings Fight...It's Common But Unacceptable

My boys are great friends...mostly.

There are those times of constant bickering, teasing, taunting that makes me sad (and angry).

Today was different. Today Dylan was mean. He said mean things to Kobe and Kobe ended up saying similarly mean things back in retaliation.

We were in the truck when it happened. I talked to the boys about how that might feel, but Dylan was flippant about it. When we got home, I sent Kobe to his room to think and Dylan to Zane's room - it's been cleared of all toys and 'stuff' because of Zane can't be trusted to stay out of trouble - to think.

Dylan's assignment while in there was to think of something he could do that was honouring to Kobe and would make Kobe feel loved.

While thinking, Dylan decided to make Kobe a book to teach him his letters. I liked the idea of a book, but told him he could do a book on how to treat people and a few nice things about Kobe. He wasn't allowed to play until the book was finished.

Here's what he came up with completely on his own...

Translation: Crossed out 'I'll break that' and wrote 'We should not break.'

Translation: 'Kobe, you're a nice brother.'

Translation: 'Kobe, I like how you play cars.'

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I was most impressed with what he came up with, especially when he did it all by himself.

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When Dylan presented the book to Kobe, Kobe just beamed. He said thank you to Dylan and then Dylan said thank you to Kobe for listening while he read the book to him. (All unprompted.)

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I told the boys that my heart felt better about the whole situation.

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What was Dylan's response?

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"My heart feels better about it, too, Mom. Something strange is going on. When I do something nice for Kobe it makes me want to do more nice things for him."

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Wow! Small victories feel so very precious!

Who's Responsible For This One?

Zane (21 months) has learned how to crawl out of his crib.

This is bad news.

Bad, bad news.

He is a busy, busy, busy little guy. I mean, he never stops moving. Never. It’s been so hard during this pregnancy because I just don’t have the energy or the same physical ability to keep up with him.

His nap time and night-time were truly my only times of rest. And now…gone.

At 1:30 in the morning, Zane got out of bed. He went to Dylan’s room and started jumping on Dylan’s head. Dylan (7) came into our room with Zane, went over to Dwayne and said, “Who’s responsible for this one?” Then he turned around and went back to bed.

I hear ya, Dylan…and at 1:30am, I’m not sure I even want to claim him!

Dwayne put Zane back to bed and put up the baby gate, which he swiftly climbed over in the morning.

Tonight I’m putting a child-lock on his door handle – on the inside.

Put on your thinking caps ‘cuz when he figures out the child-lock, I’m coming back for suggestions.

Cry Baby

Zane's very best feel-sorry-for-me-face.

Almost made me.

Almost.

What Are Fruit Loops?

This post from Mrs. Nurse Boy reminded me of a cereal story in our home...

In our home it's considered a nearly criminal activity to feed the boys sugar for breakfast.

We do not eat sugary cereals or sugar on our cereal.

No, it's not because I'm a health nut.

It's because my boys are active enough and I ain't no fool!

Shortly after the children stayed with Mrs. W, this conversation ensued:

Dylan (6:) "Mom, when we stayed with Mrs. W she let us pick our own cereal."

Me: "I let you pick your own cereal."

Dylan (6): "No, not Cheerios or Raisin Bran. She let us pick from the grocery store!"

Kobe (3): "I had circle ones that were all different colours!"

Dylan (6): "Yeah, those circle ones were good!"

Note to self: Pat yourself on the back because your 3-year-old and 6-year-old don't know what Fruit Loops are. *wink*

Bum Burp?

Kobe (3): "Mom, Zane just had a bum burp!"

Me: "A bum burp? Do you mean a fart?"

Kobe (3): "Yeah, a fart."

Put That Fire Out Already!

When I am pregnant, I have heartburn constantly. I always have a pack of Tums somewhere close to help me out a little.

Kobe (3) saw some next to my bed and started asking questions:

K: What's this?
Me: Those are Tums. They are for mommies, not little boys.
K: Why?
Me: They are for Mommy's heartburn.
K: Why?
Me: Sometimes it hurts right here and they make it feel better.
K: Oh.

A few minutes later...

K: These make you feel better when you have a big fire in you?

Enjoying It While Waiting For Spring

I'm not a 'winter person'. I tolerate winter, while waiting for summer. With activities like these, though, it's much easier to tolerate!

This is an example of letting Dad parent. My 6-year-old driving this monster (even on a flat open field) is enough to put my heart up into my throat. Dwayne assures me that it'll be okay. Dylan is excited to show Mom how 'responsible' he can be.

Kobe (3): "Hey Mom, look what I found! What are they?"
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Me: "Cat tails."
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Kobe: "Is there a cat under the snow?"

My Favourite Thing

We went to the city on Sunday.

It was a fun day filled with meeting my brother's new baby, the McDonald's Playplace and swimming!

The next morning, I asked the children what the best thing about the day before was.

Dylan: "My favourite thing was jumping off the diving board!"

Kobe: "My favourite thing was not jumping off the diving board!"

Away In A Manger - Kobe Style

Kobe (2) is performing a little Christmas cheer.

I apologize for the bad lighting...you take what you can get when you're catching the little ones in the act. *wink*

Shadows

Each of the boys have a fishtank in their rooms. It was my (successful) attempt at creating some white noise for them to sleep better. Dylan has Twinkle, Kobe has Cleo and Zane has Bubbles.

Kobe and I were feeding Cleo, when he started freaking out.

Kobe: "The other fish ate Cleo's food! The other fish ate Cleo's food!"

Me: "We don't have another fish, Kobe. Cleo at it."

Kobe: "No, that fish ate it! (Pointing)

I looked. It was Cleo's shadow he was seeing. I tried to explain it to him. How in the world do you explain shadows to a 2 year old?

I said that his shadow follows him wherever he goes. I also showed him his own shadow. He waved and the shadow waved.

I thought he understood.

He didn't.

He started saying, "Cleo's shadow ate his food!"

Good thing he hasn't watched Peter Pan. You know, where he comes back to the Nursery to find his shadow, chase it down and sew it back on. Then he would be confused!

You Know, Those Skin-Coloured Things With The Cracks

Dylan (6) has found a new love for math worksheets. With him being a boy, loving to move, I had spent a great deal of effort to do math in 'real' ways with him. I didn't want pages and pages of laborious writing to bog him down.

We played games, we used 30-sided dice, we used counting bears, coloured tiles, an abacus, dominoes, measurements, a math scale...you know, the fun stuff.

One day he saw a math worksheet somewhere. I didn't think anything of it - I mean, how exciting could that be after all the 'real-life' math we'd been doing. Very, apparently. He's hooked. Can't get enough math worksheets! So much for me rescuing him from the drudgery.

With the math worksheets, I gave Dylan his abacus and his counting bears. At first he used them but then he decided that it was much easier to do it in his head.

I watched him do 8 + 9. He had a look of concentration on his face and then wrote down 17.

Me: "How did you do that in your head?"

Dylan: "Well, there are these skin-coloured balls with cracks in them and red-hot lava coming out. I see them in my brain and then count them."

Me: "Why are they skin-coloured balls?"

Dylan: "I don't know. That's just how they are." Duh.

A couple of equations later...

Dylan: "And you know what else?"

Me: "What?"

Dylan: "I noticed something strange. When you add 10 plus another number all you have to do is write a 1 and then the other number. That's strange. Those are the easiest ones in the world, except for 0 + 0."

Oh, I want to just crawl right into his brain so I can see exactly what he sees. It fascinates me.

First Day Of Sunday School

Kobe (2) started preschool Sunday School.

I was all cool with it. I had explained it all to Kobe and he was excited. It was decided that Dwayne would go with Kobe. The baby and I would go with Dylan. (It's always nice to have a few extra hands to help the teacher.) What I wasn't expecting was Kobe's reaction when he came out. He was ecstatic! He was so proud to show me his little sheep that he had made and his memory verse 'The Lord is my shepherd.' It tugged at my heart a little. He is getting ever-closer to the 'big-boy' stage. *sniff*

Dylan (6) moved up into a 'big-boy' class this year. When they got to class, they were asked to fill out a paper of 'favourites' and something they were thankful to God for. Dylan said that he was thankful that God gave us bones so we weren't squishy.

Later, they were taking turns saying something great that God had done for them.

Dylan: "God gave us plants. That's great."

SS teacher: "Why is that great?"

Dylan: "We can breathe because they make oxygen."

SS teacher: (A small look of surprise.) I think maybe she was expecting, "So that we can eat them!" or something like that.

He'll keep her hoppin'! *wink*