Category: kids

kids

family, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

Imagination Run Amok

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When I picked up T.Puzzle after his first day back from spring break, his teacher immediately approached me as I entered the classroom.  I had to resist my fight or flight response.  Oh, how I wanted to run away.

She said, “We asked T.Puzzle what he did over break.  He told us he went to Africa.  Of course we didn’t think that was true.  We thought you would have certainly mentioned if you were traveling to Africa.  Then, he kept going with it.  When we asked him how he got there he said by plane.  What did you see there?  Giraffes and zebras.  Where did you stay?  He said he stayed at a hotel.”

Seems little mister had a whole array of imaginary African details.  He had his teachers and even the director of his school convinced for most of the day that we had gone to Africa.

For the record, we did not.

I am amused and frightened by this all at once.  Part of me is impressed a five year old could come up with such a believable, detailed story.  Part of me is very, very concerned.  Mostly I’m curious as to where we will ‘travel’ next.

T.Puzzle dressed as a lion for Halloween when he was a baby. Maybe his African dreams started then?
children, family, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

Did I Say Loud? I Meant Awesome

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Have you ever had a perfect day?  The weather is amazing, your kids are well-behaved and things in general run smoothly.  Our day started off with a lovely brunch near the open air.  There was an abundance of good food and sunshine.  The next stop was a park where the boys ran obstacle courses with their invited friend.  The trio was all heart as Mad Dog timed each of them.  It was fun to watch them try to out perform each other and their best times.  The added bonus is they were completely tired by the time we headed home.  No wait, actually only Mad Dog and I were completely tired.

Once home the boys helped me walk their neighbor friend across the street.  Her appreciative Mom said that she would love to have the boys over in the future.  Full Speed happily offered that he could come over right that instant.

“You can have us over anytime.  Our Mom needs a vacation from us because we are really, really loud,” he shared.

Not exactly a winning endorsement.  Any takers?

What they lack in peaceful tranquility, they make up for with an extremely high adorable quotient.
children, humor, kids, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

Faux Pas Hawks

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My beloved did his best to prove to me that he is perfectly capable of combing/styling the boys’ hair.  Mad Dog had already cleaned up the kitchen and fed the boys breakfast so I dared not dream he would calm their unruly hair into submission. 

But he did.

And, it was highly entertaining.

At one point he ended up rather forcefully saying to T.Puzzle, “Man up and quit being so dramatic!”  Of course this was done has T.Puzzle’s head was yanked back and forth while a comb raked over his apparently highly sensitive scalp.

Best Faux-Hawks Ever!
children, humor, kids, marriage, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

No and Yes

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One of the goals of parenthood is to teach your children to be independent.  In theory, the more they are able to do on their own, the more freedom it will give you.  However, sometimes in the process of teaching your two boys who don’t pay attention to details the art of loading the dishwasher, it can turn slightly calamitous.  Somehow water ends up everywhere but the sink and they will attempt to start a load for only two plates when I’m not looking.  This load is done without detergent of course.  In their defense, those two, lonely plates really did shine.

I try to be patient, I try to let some things slide…especially my feet in the watery abyss surrounding my dishwasher, and yet there are still daily tasks for the boys I haven’t allowed them to do.  

Over the weekend I went for a morning run leaving Mad Dog in charge.  When I came home, I asked if he had followed up on the parentally supervised tasks of the boys’ morning.

Did they get their vitamins?

No.

Did they get their glasses cleaned?

No.

Is their hair combed?

No.

Did T.Puzzle get his nasal spray?

No.

Finally in exasperation Full Speed declared, “Everything you are going to ask Daddy the answer is going to be no!”

Mad Dog didn’t miss a beat.  “That’s not true.  You have to ask the right questions.”  Then he went on to list all the questions he would easily be able to reply yes to.

Are the boys protected?

Do they have a roof over their head?

and, this one’s my favorite…

Do they have love?

Yes, yes and yes.

So, let’s ponder this for a moment.  To quote Full Speed (he gleaned this little gem from a movie), “Happy wife, happy life.  Unhappy wife, stone-cold misery.”

children, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

Et Tu, T.Puzzle?

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I’ve dedicated previous posts to the personality dilemma of little T.Puzzle.  When he was in utero I prayed, pleaded and begged him to be less strong-willed than Full Speed before him.  Unfortunately, the kid has held his own in the stubborn arena and it seems to be getting worse.

As a whole, T.Puzzle has been more of an enigma to me.  Full Speed and his personality traits were easier to identify because he is almost a complete carbon copy of Mad Dog.  So, all I had to do was look to Mad Dog to help me understand what was making Full Speed tick.  Over time this has helped me tremendously.

T.Puzzle on the other hand has shown more signs of my personality.  He is more expressive, affectionate and can be extremely empathic.  He can even be downright adorable with his expressions of loving devotion. I thought maybe this would mean that some of my previous pleas to the cosmos had been answered.  While he certainly has his share of assertive independence, I hoped his sensitive side would balance it out or at least soften the edges a bit.

I am so, so very wrong.  T.Puzzle lately has been giving me and especially his teachers at school, a run for our money.   He is so much like Full Speed and Mad Dog it makes me want to cry just a little bit.  Granted, being assertive, confident and strong-willed will get you far in your adult life.  The downside is that your Mom may completely lose her mind in the process of getting you there.