TheMommyBlog

Sunday, January 12, 2003

Logan and I had a long conversation about death today; specifically, the timing of my death. He had the idea that I would die once he was a grownup, and he was estatic to learn that I would probably live for a while beyond that. I speculated that maybe I’d even live long enough to see his kids become grownups, and he loved that, saying, “ I think you would really like my kids, Mom.”

We have been having some great exchanges lately, in some fun places. I went in to check on him in the bath last week, and he wanted to know if I was too old to be a teacher (what?). I said no, I could be a teacher, and he said, “Well, then Daddy’s too old to be a teacher.” He was surprised that his experience of teachers as 19 and 20 year-old girls was not the rule. He was further astounded to hear that both Grandma and Grandpa were teachers, and that Grandma taught people how to write stories and talk about them. He said, “Mommy, can we keep talking about this? Because this is some very cool stuff you’re telling me.”

Turns out the whole point he was working up to was that he wished that I could be a pre-K teacher (instead of whatever I was during the day when I left for work) and teach his class. But then I asked him what we’d do when he left pre-K and went to Kindergarten at the new school, and he of course assumed that I would then start teaching Kindergarten, and first grade, and so on. He just thinks school, fun as it was, would be so much MORE fun if his parents were there the whole time.

Saturday, January 11, 2003

Today is Dad’s 61st birthday. I doff my cap for a moment of silence.

Dylan truly amazes me with his language use. Logan was very precocious as well, and I think Dylan picked most of it up from him, but to be using sentences 4 and 5 words long at 20 months really amazed me. Dr. Moore tested him at his two-year appointment, holding up crayons for him to describe. He picked up a fuchia crayon and asked if Dylan could tell him the color. “PINK!” Dr. Moore was amazed and said that when a 2 year old could even name a color, they usually generalize and say red. Now he’s almost 2 1/2, and he sounds like a preschooler.

However, Logan gets the prize for cutest new words. Last night, I took him to the toy store to pick out a horse toy as a reward for getting through 5 meals without complaining, screaming or crying (you don’t want to know). On the way back, all bubbly and happy about his new ponies, he asked me if I knew what a trophy was. I was pretty impressed and asked him to describe it for me. “It’s when you go up to a girl and say trophy, and then you get married.” I LOVE IT! I asked if he was going to marry someone, and he said he said trophy to Bella, and she said “Yay! I get to marry you!” and then she gave him a big hug, but the teachers say no kissing. I love getting time alone with him so he can tell stories like this.

Dylan has started sending everyone to their rooms when he’s mad. He scrunches up his brows, points his little arm and says, “Not funny! Now GO to your room!” Usually you can make him laugh then, and he says, “Was that funny, Mommy, was that funny, Mommy, was that funny?”

Thursday, January 02, 2003

Happy New Year! It’s the first day back at work, and that means year-end financials. Hundreds and hundreds of three-hole-punched, mind-numbing pages. Pathetically, I went on a special shopping trip for that all-important 4-inch binder this year.

Dylan had triple hernia surgery on December 30th. You would never know it from the way he’s acting now, but he was achingly sweet and serious for the first two days. He hurt a lot the first day, but didn’t want to stay in bed, so I would occasionally find him whimpering face-down on the floor just outside his bedroom. The only way he’d stay in bed was if I snuggled in with him.

For the record: we watched approximately six thousand hours of Veggie Tales from Monday afternoon to Wednesday evening. We gave in to incessant demands for the Tomato and the Cucumber, hoping it would keep Dylan from popping his stitches. He kept turning somersaults and jumping off the couch, and then he’d clutch his groin and say, “My peepee! My peepee!”

Daphne is going to walk early, we think, like Dylan. She’s practicing the standing moves all the time now, and even jumps to her feet from a kneeling position once in a while. I can’t even do that.

Logan is having a tough time right now. Every tiny thing seems to throw him into a tailspin, and he has a hard time dealing with frustration. Hopefully he’ll feel better when he goes back to school after the holiday break. If not, we’ll have to tie him to a stake in the back yard.

Thursday, December 26, 2002 Weblogs

Still reeling from the mayhem. Christmas was lots of fun, especially for the kids. You really could sell tickets, it’s that entertaining to see them open gifts. Logan kept shouting “It’s perfect! It’s just what I wanted my WHOLE LIFE! Thank you!” Dylan chewed the wrapping paper off his gifts because he couldn’t get the ribbons off. Daphne worked quietly and intently on freeing her treasures, and then played with the wrapping paper husks.

We did miss being with other family, but at least we were able to spend Xmas Eve with Charlie & Naoko and Christina and Daniel, and Xmas day was just the 7 of us at our house.