The days are getting warmer, sunnier and longer.
That means David wants to be outside all the time. But I can’t be outside all the time with him. So he has to wait for me or his dad to take him out.
We live out in the country. Most of our yard is fenced in, but not completely. David could still get out, and people can still get in.
I’m not comfortable letting David play outside alone yet. At only five, I don’t think he’s old enough. I’m pretty sure he’s smart enough to stay out of the road. But I worry that he might wander off into the woods behind our house.
David is also very friendly, and I’m not sure he wouldn’t talk to a stranger if one approached him. Ever out here I fear that someone could snatch him from the yard. You hear all the time how it only takes an instant.
I grew up in a safe neighborhood, in a small town. Actually I’m not sure there were any unsafe neighborhoods in that town. I remember at eight years old being allowed to walk with my friends to the park behind the apartment we lived in. It was close enough I could hear my mom call me home, but she couldn’t see me. To get there we had to walk through the woods, and cross a street. I walked to and from the bus stop near the park every day too. Sometimes alone.
In this day and age I don’t think I’d let David do that when he’s eight. I don’t even know when I should let him play in his own backyard by himself.
Do you let your kids play outside alone? Why or why not? What is the right age?
Photo used under creative commons license.
One day Wade was sitting on the living room floor watching David and I build a Lego tower. Wade started making noises, “Ahh! Ooh! Uh!” He babbles to himself sometimes, so I didn’t think anything of it.
The noise got louder and more forceful. “UH! UH! HA!” I thought he wanted my attention.
“Wade, what’s the matter? Wade? Wade?!” He looked right past me, escalated the noise and began to kick his legs and wave his arms around. He was clearly frustrated.
The source of his frustration?
This.
David’s toy tiger.
Wade is fascinated by our two Cocker Spaniels and our cat. Sometimes he “talks” to them, and tries to get them to come to him.
Apparently Wade thought the tiger was another family pet.
I moved the tiger close enough for him to feel, and see that it wasn’t real. The first thing he did was bite its tail. I don’t think a live tiger would have tolerated that so well.
A few days later Wade, David and I were playing in David’s room. Wade and I were sitting next to the tiger. I accidentally bumped the tiger with my foot, and made it move.
Wade, who’s attention had been focused on David, jumped! His face was a mixture of confusion and surprise. He sat for the longest time just starring at the tiger. I could see the wheels turning in his head. Is is real after all? How did it move?
Poor Wade. It really did startle him. I’m sure it didn’t help that I couldn’t stop laughing.
I still don’t think Wade knows what to make of that tiger. He seems to regard it with suspicion every time he sees it.
I’m trying to get over a bad cold, and I completely forgot about St. Patrick’s Day.
That’s pretty bad considering that according to my Ancestry.com research at least 50 percent of my ancestors are Irish.
And my name, Colleen? The Gaelic word for girl.
We’re not even wearing green today.
I made some cupcakes, and when the boys wake up from their nap we’ll slather them with green frosting.
Erin Go Bragh.
What I won’t be doing is cooking Corned Beef and Cabbage.
My mom made it often when I was a kid. Not just on St. Patrick’s Day. I didn’t like it at all. A couple years ago I decided to try making it myself. I thought maybe since I was an adult I’d like it. I like lots of foods now that I wouldn’t eat as kid.
Nope. Still don’t like Corned Beef and Cabbage.
Here’s some useless information for you. Do you know eating Corned Beef and Cabbage isn’t an Irish tradition? It’s American. Straight from the melting pot. Back in Ireland they ate a piece of pork called Bacon Joint with their cabbage and potatoes. But Irish Immigrants couldn’t find Bacon Joint in America, so they substituted Corned Beef which they purchased from Jewish butchers.
Isn’t that fascinating?
I know that’s why you keep coming back here day after day.
I did try to explain St. Patrick’s Day to David a week or so ago. I told him he was part Irish, and he got mad.
“I’m not Irish! I’m American! I hate the Irish!”
I didn’t realize how deep his patriotism runs, or how strongly he dislikes Notre Dame fans.
I’m gonna mix up that green frosting now, and if I’m lucky maybe a leprechaun will show up with some gold.
Photo used under Creative Commons License.
Sometimes I like to mess with David’s head, because — well — just because I can. Is it mean? Maybe. Is it fun? Definitely!
“Mommie what day is it?”
“Monday.”
“Is it tomorrow?”
“No. It’s today.”
“But yesterday you said it would be tomorrow. When is tomorrow?”
“Tuesday.”
“So when it’s Tuesday, it will be tomorrow.”
“No, then Tuesday will be today. Tomorrow will be Wednesday.”
“Mommie, you don’t understand what I’m asking. I want to know what day is tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow never comes, because it’s always today.”
“Agh! Mommie! Never mind.”
After the lazy, relaxing day we had on Sunday celebrating our anniversary, our peaceful little bubble burst as soon as Dave and I walked in the front door with the boys.
Immediately we flew into action getting bedtime under way. We divided up the children, Dave in one room with David while I was in another with Wade.
That’s the good thing about having just two. You still have a 1:1 ratio.
Dave and I passed briefly in the hallway, I in search of a pacifier, he looking for a teddy bear. Items both important to completing the bedtime routine.
“What a difference. Kids — no kids,” Dave said to me as we rushed past each other.
Bedtime, the result of which is silence. However the process of bedtime is anything but.
There are PJs to put on, one last bottle to give, teeth to brush, stories to read, songs to sing. Often it’s all punctuated by whining, and sometimes crying. Or laughter and shrieks from an over-stimulated, over-tired child.
Bedtime is a lot of work for the parents.
We eventually got everyone settled into bed, much later than on a regular night. We went back to the couch, and watched the movie we rented earlier that evening.
The movie ended, and just as we were ready to go to sleep Wade woke up. Something was bothering him, and we didn’t get Wade or ourselves back to bed until 1:30 that morning.
Dave was right. What a contrast our quiet day alone was to our hectic night of parenting. Just hours before we were lounging carefree on the couch lamenting that we didn’t know what to do. There’s no question of what to do when the kids are around. Just a question of what needs to be done first.
It’s been awhile since I just updated everyone about what’s going on around here.
Let’s see…
Wade is nine months old now. He’s growing, and doing new things everyday. But he’s not the early bloomer that David was. He isn’t crawling or talking yet. He isn’t even sleeping through the night. I keep reminding myself that he doesn’t need to keep up with David. He’ll do everything in his own time. But sometimes I think, “Why isn’t he doing this or that yet? Is there something wrong?” I know there isn’t. I’m just impatient.
I do wish Wade would sleep through the night. I’ve had enough of his 2 a.m. wake up calls. He isn’t hungry. He doesn’t need a diaper change. He just wants to hang out. Sometimes he’ll be awake for an hour or two. I think some of it is because of teething. For a few nights he was waking up every one to two hours. That I’m pretty sure was his teeth. And I wonder if he naps too much during the day. I’ve been trying to get him to do less of that.
So I’m tired, and coffee is my best friend lately.
I LOVE coffee.
Have I ever mentioned how much I really, really love coffee?
David is his usual smart, funny and stubborn self. Last week you may have read my plea for help with getting him to clean his room. Thank you to all who offered suggestions. I will be trying them out.
Dave is enjoying college. He’s been back in school for a little over a month now. I think he’s decided to major in International Business. He’s doing really well. I guess I’m not as distracting to him now as I was 14 years ago.
We had a nice Valentine’s weekend. Dave’s quartet sang at a Valentine’s dinner Friday night. My mom and dad came up to watch the boys, and I went with him. It was nice to have a few hours away. Then David went home with my parents for a few days, and it was just the three of us on Saturday.
We spent Saturday catching up on everything on our DVR. You know you’re an old married couple when that’s your idea of fun.
I also spent Saturday laying on a heating pad on the couch. Somehow I hurt my back. I have no idea how, but I woke up Friday, and could barely walk or bend over. Picking up Wade wasn’t easy either. I’m all better now thank goodness.
Sunday Dave had another concert so it was just Wade and I on Valentine’s Day. It was nice to have him all to myself for a little while. I called him My Funny Little Valentine all day. Since he’s only nine months old I can still get away with stuff like that.
And then there were two. Again. When David came back today.
Wade and David were both so happy to see each other. David keeps hugging Wade. Wade keeps looking at David and smiling and squealing with delight. They’re already two peas in a pod. Can you imagine the mischief they will get into together in a few years? David is so much older. I can just see him putting Wade up to stuff.
There you go. Are you bored yet? I know. My life is so exciting.
So, what’s new with you?
Moms I need your help.
How do you get your kids to clean their room?
I’ve tried about everything with David, my five year old, over the last two years. It always ends the same way. First he puts up a fight. Then he goes in his room and messes around, and doesn’t get any cleaning done. He ends up being punished.
I’m tired of the fight. I just want him to pick up his toys, and put them in his toy box. This shouldn’t be this hard.
So what works for you?
