Supporting you in motherhood, one little blog post at a time
kids
The boys and I were discussing family trips past, present and future. Full Speed shared that he would like to go to Hawaii someday. I explained that this is a very big trip and a lot of planning and saving would have to go into to it.
“Mom, I know what we can do! You can use all the money I have in my piggy bank! It’s a lot so we should have plenty. I don’t mind letting you use it. I know how you and Dad use all your money for the games at Chicago Pizza.”
Looks like I better pack some bags.
I love to watch design shows. So when Full Speed pipes up that we need new furniture my mind flashes to some interesting possibilities. When my beach-cottage daydream is over I closely evaluate his intention. Is he wondering out loud when Extreme Home Makeover is coming to give him a Jurassic-themed bedroom? Or is he feeling bored and on the lookout for the ‘next best thing’?
Surprisingly, a third option revealed itself.
“Mom, I’m thinking we need to put a big welcome rug right here,” he shares as he points to the empty floor space in front of our lanai doors. “Then, maybe here in the middle of the room we could get a trampoline so when T.Puzzle chair dives he won’t have to worry about getting hurt.”
Brilliant!
Then, it gets even more interesting as T.Puzzle shares his design insight. “Maybe we could put four beds in front of the TV so we can all lay down like we are sleeping when we watch a movie. Dad could have football sheets, I could have Star Wars sheets, because I LOVE Star Wars, and Mom could have Barbie sheets. What kind of sheets do you want, Full Speed? Transformers?”
Look out HGTV I have two designers headed your way.
I know I allow for sword play in my home. Let me clarify NERF sword play. Okay, the nerf doesn’t really do much to counteract injury and damage. I am always trying to balance letting my boys ‘be boys’ and keeping my world safe and sane.
At breakfast I was not in the mood for sword shenanigans of any sort. There was something about the way T.Puzzle precariously started swinging his sword about that my breakfast wasn’t sitting right in my stomach. Maybe it was the cool breeze I felt as the sword sliced the air near my face. Or maybe it was the way the fancy wine glasses hanging on display off our kitchen trembled with fear.
I do not know.
I do know that I was having none of it.
“Okay, that’s it, put the sword away,” I commanded.
“Aaaawwww, man,” a clearly disgruntled T.Puzzle retorted.
He dropped his sword in defeat and slouched down.
“I guess I’ll just have to play with a gun instead.”
Really, how lucky can one Mom get?
What’s a Mom to do to entertain her youngest while her older child attends a soccer camp?
Books?
Puzzles?
Art projects?
Been there, done that.
T.Puzzle has since moved on to chair diving.
On the bright side, no furniture, glasses or limbs were broken during the filming of this video:
[wpvideo XzMt97eC]
While Full Speed is doing his thing at a morning soccer camp this week, T.Puzzle and I checked out storytime at the library.
We have a spotty past with storytimes. In theory they seem like a wonderful thing. In practice they tend to take nightmarish turns. Essentially quiet sitting+crowded room=disaster.
I figured with T.Puzzle being older and since I was playing him man to man, I had a decent shot at some actual enjoyment of the experience.
As we filed in the soon-to-be overcrowded room, I still felt confident. I believe the line between confident and crazy is paper thin.
Then, the backslide into silliness began.
T.Puzzle couldn’t keep up with all the steps of the African dance that accompanied the safari story. He folded his arms, pouted and defiantly declined to participate. He plopped to floor and I could see a tantrum starting to brew under his frowny face.
I refused to let him win.
I grabbed him close and positioned his ear so that I could speak directly in it.
“If you want to go to the park after this, you better adjust your attitude and participate the best you can. If you continue with this stinky face I’m taking you home and putting you to bed.”
From that point on a finer African dancer I have yet to meet.
