children, mommyhood

The Beach House

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Full Speed begin to illuminate me on his plans for higher education. He absolutely will complete K thru 12 and thinks that should be more than sufficient. Here’s what he said in his own words:

“Mom, I will go to school until the 12th grade and then I will let you know if I need to go to college. I will only go to college if there is more for me to learn.”

“Do you think you will need to learn more?” I ask.

“No, as long as they teach me how to read at school, there won’t be anything left for me to learn in college.”

Thank goodness. Here I thought Mad Dog and I were starting to save for his college education. Looks like we will be saving for that beach house we always wanted instead.

Score!

children, happiness, humor, mommyhood

Bubbly

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My boys love to play attack bubble. Up to this point I have been designated the official bubble maker and distributor of the family. These roles were demanding and draining. I received lots of ‘coaching’ from the boys on how I could increase my bubble production rate and my bubble creativity. I have to say, all the critiques were beginning to burst my bubble.

Then Mad Dog suggested I get an automatic bubble machine.

Life is good.

Let me know what invention or coping mechanism has been a life-saving tool for you. I would like to add fast-food drive thrus, portable DVD players, babysitters and my personal favorite, mango mojitos to my own list.

Long live the bubble machine!
children, life in pictures, mommyhood, self-discovery

The Little T.Puzzle That Could

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When we were at the beach and precariously attempting to navigate the two blocks to the restrooms, I had a strange moment of observational clarity. I was feeling frustrated with little T.Puzzle because he was lollygagging behind and then to slow matters even more, one of his crocs slipped from his foot.

nine month old T.Puzzle

“My croc!” he yelled, and then proceeded to take an eternity to retrieve it and place it back on his foot. Once the croc was correctly placed he determinedly rose red-faced from the sand and swiftly marched (and I mean MARCHED) to catch up with me. As I watched his arms and legs pump forward I felt admiration and a pause of understanding. If I were three years old in this big, big world I bet that I would hit a few bumps and meltdowns as I made my way, too.

In this moment I saw little T.Puzzle’s stubborn streak as a gift because I know that once we channel it for good, he will make his own way. Then I will have an even harder parenting task than anything I have faced thus far.

I will have to let him.

me and little T.Puzzle, took this pic myself
gratitude, happiness, mommyhood

The Real ‘Secret’

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If you have two ‘spirited’ children and you want to have a leisurely lunch, the kind of lunch where you sit outside, have an actual conversation with your in-laws, eat tons of salsa and chips and slowly sip a mango mojito here’s what you do:

Take your kids to the beach for three and a half hours, no more no less, before you go and you are golden and delicious. Just like your mojitos.

children, gratitude, mommyhood

The T.Puzzle Connection

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We may be turning a corner here. There certainly are no guarantees when raising a family but I’m sensing a slight shift in little T.Puzzle. He actually made the connection that bad behavior equals the loss of privileges. When I picked him up from school the first thing he said to me was, “Do I get to watch a show and have a treat?” I told him that he could but only if he was a good listener and was respectful. He seemed satisfied with that and went on to be mostly well-behaved for the rest of the evening.

I remember when Full Speed was in the heart of the terrible threes and he would have moments and phases of clarity just like Little T.Puzzle is showing. It would bolster me up for the next inevitable slide back to tantrum-filled defiance. I guess that’s what I need to do now. Soak up Little T.Puzzle’s slice of sanity and put the memory of it in my reserve tank of parenting energy.

You all know I’m gonna need it.