Tag: Frack

children, gratitude, mommyhood

Stick With You

WFAM

An eerie silence has fallen over my house. We’ve had such a bustle of visitors and activity that now it almost seems like we are living in a library. I’m having a hard time cleaning up all the baby toys and baby stuff. I’m missing my family terribly.

Full Speed was in caretaker mode this morning (it helps because he got about 13 hours of sleep). He takes his role seriously as ‘man of the house’ when Mad Dog is out of town. He noticed Baby D’s high chair was still at the table this morning (I didn’t have the heart to fold it away yet). I told him I sure felt sad that his cousins had left and that I would miss them.

“Mom,” he said, “T.Puzzle and I are still here and you can see us everyday so you won’t ever miss us.”

“Thanks, Full Speed, that makes me feel better. I’m glad I get to see you both every day,” I responded. I love when threads of empathy come through Full Speed’s words. It makes me feel like maybe I’m doing my job right.

Another life skill we are working on in our house is ‘sticking with it’. That means whatever Mommy gives you, you say “thank you, ma’am, it’s exactly what I wanted.” For instance, I’ll give the boys a couple choices for snack and if they can’t decide, they have to be happy with whatever Mom puts in front of them. Same goes for toys, clothes, tv shows, etc.

As I was preparing breakfast (frozen pancakes gourmet delight), Full Speed asked his little brother if he could remember what Full Speed told Santa he wanted for Christmas. A dutiful T.Puzzle shouts, “Guns and swords!”

Full Speed was impressed he remembered. “Give me a double high T.Puzzle.” T.Puzzle jumps from his chair and slaps his brother’s hands.

Now, as a mother, you can sense that Santa actually giving Full Speed guns and swords for Christmas would be an accident or a gravely endangered T.Puzzle waiting to happen. I tried my best to offset the weaponry violence.

“Hey, Full Speed, what if Santa isn’t able to bring you guns and swords for Christmas? What if he brings you something else but is certain you would really like it?”

“I’d stick with whatever Santa gave me, Mom,” is his automatic reply.

“I’m sticking with you, kid,” is mine.

children, health, life in pictures, marital blissishness, parenting

Sit Back

WFAM

I decided T.Puzzle needed to be seen by the pediatrician. He sounded terrible and still was a walking, dripping science experiment. His fever was gone, I just wanted to make sure whatever he had wasn’t in his lungs or ears.

Mad Dog picked up Full Speed from school, took him to lunch and than met me and T.Puzzle at the doctor’s. As they pulled up I noticed that Mad Dog had a freshly shaved head. That could only mean one thing. So did Full Speed.

Mad Dog and I don’t see eye to eye when it comes to the length of our boys’ hair. Since we have moved to Florida and our boys are incredibly active, I understand that it makes sense to have little hair in the summer months. However, during the winter here, I want to let their hair grow. As a peace offering, they handed me a gift card to Burger King that said Team Edward with a pic of my favorite Twilight character. At least Full Speed wasn’t completely shaved; he still had a little hair on top. I had to let it go.

Full Speed realizes that T.Puzzle is still under the weather. He turns up the protective empathy and is downright directive and adorable. First, he offers T.Puzzle his toy from his Burger King lunch (which T.Puzzle takes ownership of with glee) and then he grabs T.Puzzle’s hand and leads him into the office.

Once we are back in a room waiting for the doctor, Full Speed orders T.Puzzle to sit on the cushioned bench and tells him what to expect when the nurse or doctor comes in. T.Puzzle  is mostly game for all this instruction until it is time for the removal of his Lightning McQueen shoes (he’s very attached).

While we wait, I attempt to read the boys a story about Ernie and Cookie Monster. It sort of holds their interest but honestly, I feel like I’m in the middle of a wrestling ring being pummeled into oblivion. Sitting still and quietly is not their style. Soon, T.Puzzle thinks he is cute and starts punching and kicking the book. He is warned, admonished and then punished. He screams ‘sorry!’ at the top of his lungs. In a small exam room, his voice really carries.

When the doctor arrives (she’s unusually pleasant and helpful in Mad Dog’s presence, hmmm…) Full Speed is right in her face ‘helping’ her examine T.Puzzle. We have to keep holding him back and redirecting because he is certain it is his job to assist. At one point the doctor asks if T.Puzzle can cough for her. She asks Full Speed to demonstrate what she needs T.Puzzle to do and Full Speed proceeds to fake cough all over her (lovely!). T.Puzzle just watches in dazed amusement, he doesn’t cough but he does get the all clear. His lungs are good and his ears are clear. All we can do is sit back and patiently wait for the rest of his cold symptoms to run their course. If only all aspects of parenting were that easy.

children, health, humor, mommyhood

Nice Try

WFAM

We have been hosting my sister-in-law’s family for the Thanksgiving holiday. She has two boys (B Squared) and they are seven and five. My boys adore them. They wish they could play with them every single day.

Today at Grandma’s we did a gift exchange with all the boy cousins. Even Lil’ Superman was there. We had to do the exchange now because B Squared are from way up north and won’t be here on Christmas. All the boys were in wrapping paper heaven as they clawed their way through gift after gift. It was a heaping mess of joy and a lot of fun to watch.

After the gifts were open I decided I needed to take little T.Puzzle home. He still was emitting large amounts of green snot and coughing up a storm. I knew he needed another good nap at home (me too because I have what he has of course). We took a reluctant Full Speed with us. He protested that he needed to stay with B Squared and Lil’ Superman. We thought he looked awfully tired and could use a break, too.

I had no intention of Full Speed taking a nap. I figured he would rest quietly like always and just have some down time. Lo and behold, he actually fell asleep! That is saying something. The last time Full Speed took a nap was several months ago. He didn’t even nap on his recent post-eye surgery days. That kid was TIRED.

Since more than half of my in-laws had hit the road this morning, my sister-in-law relocated to the now vacant rooms at Grandma’s house. Full Speed did not like this new scenario.

“When am I going to see B Squared again?” he asked with the puppy dog eyes. “The first night B Squared stayed at our house, the second night we all stayed at Grandma’s (except sick little T.Puzzle) and then we came back to stay at our house. I’m supposed to go to Grandma’s tonight or we will break the pattern (which he pronounces pattren).”

“No, Full Speed, not tonight. You need to get some rest, we will see B Squared and Lil’ Superman again tomorrow,” is my firm reply.

“If I go to Grandma’s I PROMISE I will be really good!” he protests. He is mustering every ounce of sincerely sad charm. His eyes are wide and hopeful.

“No, Full Speed.”

“If I have to stay home I’m going to be really bad then!” he replies.

Nice try, Full Speed. Nice try.

children, gratitude, mommyhood, Uncategorized

Hey, Gorgeous!

WFAM

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone (okay, more like Happy Thanksgiving All Twelve of My Loyal Readers!).

T.Puzzle woke up with a little sniffle and a sneeze. In good German form I said, “Gesunheidt!” (That’s a shout out to my Mom’s heritage).

“Thank you, Mommy,” T.Puzzle replies.

Full Speed throws in his two cents. “T.Puzzle, when Mommy blesses you, you should say, ‘Thanks, gorgeous’!”

“What did you say, Full Speed?” I ask.

“Thanks, gorgeous!”

“Where did you hear that from?” I wonder. Inside I’m secretly smiling. I know that in a ponytail and sweats I am far from gorgeous. Tired maybe, gorgeous no. I love that in the eyes of my five year old a Mom looks gorgeous no matter what.

“I don’t know, I guess I just made it up,” is his practical reply.

Today I am thankful for a son who thinks I’m ‘gorgeous’ and am hoping my readers are spending time with people who think the same of them.

Happy Thanksgiving, Gorgeous!

children, humor, life in pictures, parenting

Real Men Eat Spicy Chicken

WFAM

It starts out innocent enough, even quite promising if I’m going to go out on a limb. Mad Dog was home early and it made it possible for us to go out to dinner as a family. On the weekends you have to make sure to go early for optimal success with the boys.

We thought we would try the new Caribbean restaurant in our neighborhood. Obviously we were aware that a new, ethnic cuisine could get dicey with the boys. We figured if the restaurant planned to stay afloat in these difficult economic times (and tucked away in a neighborhood) it would HAVE to have a children’s menu. No such luck so, we improvise (that’s like 98% of parenthood anyway).

Mad Dog and I determine the safest bet for the boys are a tortilla-type appetizer filled with rice and beans. The owner also gives them a sample of some fresh-from-the-oven flatbread. When they arrive at our table, they don’t look especially appetizing but are actually quite tasty. Yeah, try convincing a five year old or a two year old of that. I do my best, upbeat coaching speech. “Why these are yummy, yummy ‘crackers’. Try them, they are very grown-up (that usually at least peaks Full Speed’s interest) and super-good!”

They’re smart little suckers and don’t buy it. We coax and cajole them so at least they get a few bites in their stomachs. They actually were good sports but we knew they weren’t eating enough.

Mad Dog and my entrees arrive. They were good, full of delicious spices and textures and wholly unappealing to the young men at our table. Mad Dog did convince Full Speed to try some of his jerk chicken. Full Speed took a tentative bite. He must have felt confident it wasn’t too spicy because he bravely asked for another bite. Before he finishes chewing, he leaps from the table and urgently announces, “I have to POOP!” Mad Dog grabs Full Speed’s Gatorade (to help with his burning mouth) and rushes him to the bathroom. The whole while poor Full Speed’s body is rigid with fright and his cheeks are a burning red.

In the bathroom, Mad Dog later reported, Full Speed hops on the potty while Mad Dog gives him liquids (Mad Dog likened it to being a trainer for a boxer in the ring). Full Speed realizes he doesn’t have to go. We figured his body went into a sort of shock from the spices and he didn’t know what was happening; he deduced it must need to poop.

When we knew he was fully recovered we laughed and laughed. Full Speed informed us that this place was ‘okay for snacks but let’s never have dinner here, again.’

We took the boys to Sonic afterwards. It would have been so much easier if we had gone there in the first place, but where’s the adventure in that?