Heartbreak moment of the day

Last week the boys had a substitute teacher. I dropped them off at car circle like I always do and they got out of the car happy as always. As I was pulling away I looked over to see Parker looking up at this strange woman like, hmmm, I don't know about this? and then from my rearview to see Jake watching me drive away. Ugh!

Who's on first...?

The boys have this Guess Who? game with a bunch of different characters on it and they like to try to read their names. So we're in the car and Parker asked me what J-O-N spells. I said, sound it out. So he did, "Jon?"
Me: Yep, Jon, just like Grampa, except Grampa has an 'h' in his name.
Jake: Grampa John?
Me: Yep. And what's Nana's name?
Silence
Me: It's Donna
Parker: Nana Donna?
Me: Yep and what about Grammy and Grampy's names?
Jake: Weiss!!
Me: Well, yes, Weiss is their last name, good, but what about their first names? Grampy....? Starts with a 'p'...
Jake: Michael!
Me: Um, no. That's daddy's middle name. Grampyyyyyy.....Pete
Jake: Pete!
Me: what about Grammy?
Silence
Me: It's Karen
Parker: Carrot???
I crack up
Me: No, not carrot. KAREN!
Parker: Oh Grammy Karen.
Both: Hahahaha carrot!!!!

yellow blankey

The other night Parker comes flying into our room and tries to tell me that he had a bad dream. The first problem was that I couldn't understand him because he had his blanket jammed in his mouth. I told him to take it out of his mouth and repeat himself. So he did and then I let him come into bed with me. The second problem was that he climbs in next to me and gets as close to me as possible and puts the blanket back in his mouth and sucks on it like a baby sucking on a pacifier. And makes a very annoying repetitive sound. The third problem was that while he sucks on the blanket he also rubs it in between his fingers and now that he's smashed up against me my hair is getting caught in this rubbing action and making me freaking CRAZY!!!!! I try to turn away from him so I at least don't have to smell his funky blanket or listen to the sounds he's making but my hair is still being pulled and now he's sulking that I turned away from him. Fourth problem.

Fast forward to today after school. He tells me that tonight he's not going to sleep with his blanket. I said oh really how come? And he said because Jake told him not to. I said well I think that that would be a very big boy decision to make and I would be very proud of him. In fact, if he could do it then we'd have a celebration. He liked that idea. I encouraged it. Everyone was excited.

Side note: For naps I lay in between them in my bed so they cant mess around in their own room and they fall straight to sleep. No stress, no threats, no arguing. It works for me. Once they fall asleep I either nap with them or read or blog or sneak away.

Back to today. We come inside and wash our hands and he says to me, "I think for nap today i want to sleep in my own bed." I said, "why, so you can chew on your blanket?!" He gets all deflated and says, "How did you know?!"

I guess I won't be saying farewell to the yellow blankey any time soon after all...

A push-up? Really?

Whining and/or complaining is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I cannot stand it. It makes me grind my teeth. I expressed this to Brock then without further discussion he tells the boys that every time they complain they have to do a push-up. Ummmmm.....what?
He goes over with them for the umpteenth time how fortunate they are and how they have no business complaining because there are children out there who don't have homes or parents (nice) but they complain about the smallest thing. So, when there's a whine or a complaint, there's a push-up.
So now they're telling each other to do push-ups and Parker's dropping to the floor simply because he wants to do a push-up or because he feels like he did something that necessitates one.
Not sure this is working as planned....

My almost 5 year olds...?!

Laugh out loud moment of the day

I'm sitting on the edge of the tub taking nail polish off my toes with a bottle of pink nail polish remover. Parker comes in and asks me for something to eat. I told him I'd get him something when I finish what I'm doing. He starts to head downstairs and Jake is heading upstairs and says, "I smell something gross. What is that?" Parker says, "I think mommy is pouring pink lemonade on her feet." :)

Here's how my night went last night...

I'm asleep by 8:30

9:04...
Parker: Mom?
I get up....
Parker: Can I have some refreshing water please?
I go downstairs to get him some, take him back in and walk back to bed worrying he'll wet the bed now

10:30...
Jake's standing in doorway whimpering
I get up...
Me: What's wrong?
Jake: There's something I need to tell you
He starts to cry
Me: What's wrong?
Jake: My belly and my leg hurts
Me: Do you feel like you're gonna throw up?
Jake: no
Me: ok maybe you have to go to the bathroom. Let's try
 We try-
Jake: (howling) It feels icky!!!!
Me: Let's go back to bed and I'll rub your belly
 I sit down on the floor and we do that-
Jake: That kind of makes it feel worser
Me: ok I'll rub your back then
It's 11:00 now and I'm falling asleep on the floor. I tell him I'll give him medicine with orange juice in the morning and it'll make him feel better.
Jake: How about apple juice?
Me: Ugh, fine
Parker suddenly wakes up
Parker: Can I have apple juice???
Me: Yes! You can both have apple juice! Please go to sleep now

I go back to bed and Jake is thrashing around trying to get comfortable

11:30...
Parker comes running in....
Parker: Mom! I heard a loud noise and it frightened me!
 He tries to climb in my bed. Oh hellllll no!
Me: It was just Jake banging against his bed. You're fine. He's fine. You're not coming in my bed.
 I get up to start walking him back to bed. He starts to cry
Me: Listen dude, you have got to go to sleep. We're meeting Aunt Jenny and Grampy tomorrow after school and if you don't sleep we cant go, ok??? Do you have to go pee?
Parker: No

I go back to bed

3:30....
Parker: Mom, you better come see this!
Great. I'm thinking I get to change 7 layers of wet linens now. I'm not exaggerating, he has SEVEN layers of linen. But I get up and there's a bug scurrying across the floor. At this point I don't care if that bug scurried across his head and that's what woke him up. I smashed it and tucked him back in.

Again, I go back to bed.

6:00....
My bedroom lights up. Brocks awake and starts working on his tablet.
SERIOUSLY?????

6:24....
Boys are up
Fuck it. I might as well get up too....

The beach in February? I LOVE Florida!

This always sucks though. I think we were there for 3.5 minutes before sand got in Parker's eye. Otherwise it was an awesome day. Cloudy, windy and a little chilly but the boys had a blast and Brock and I cuddled under a blanket watching them play. How perfect. I loooooove Florida

Parker, Parker, Parker

Since our trip to California the boys have developed an obsession with listening to music on both my iPhone and Brock's tablet. Sometimes they'll play a game or take silly pictures, but their favorite thing to do is listen to the music. One morning Parker had my phone and I asked him if I could see it for a second to check if I missed any texts. I actually didn't say any of that, I just kind of picked it up and said, "hold on a second..." which is what I do every single time one of them has my phone. They know I always give it right back. Well this particular morning Parker didn't appreciate me doing that and said I was mean for taking the phone away. Clearly he was overreacting. But he stood his ground and insisted that I was a mean mom after asking him if he was sure about that. I was beside myself. I gave him every example I could think of on how I am not mean. He agreed with all my examples but still thought I was mean for "taking the (MY!) phone away" but handed right back. I was at a loss on how to get through to him.

This same, obstinate, stubborn child also bursts into tears at the drop of a hat. On Valentines Day I made my traditional stuffed shells that I make for every special occasion. As we're eating Brock says to the boys, "do you guys know why mommy makes this meal for all our special occasions?" They of course said no and Brock said "because it reminds mommy of me. It's what she always made for me before you guys were born. It's called a tradition. Do you understand?" Again, they said no. So he said, "when you guys have donuts what do you think about? Me, right? You think about going to the donut shop with me every weekend. And one day when I'm gone and you're having a donut you'll think of me then too." Parker bursts into tears. I knew immediately it was because Brock said 'when I'm gone' Poor choice of words. But that's my sensitive, emotional little boy! He confided in me later that night that he was a "cry baby" at the gym when a bigger kid teased him and said he could do a better cartwheel than him. His feelings were hurt but he was also ashamed of crying.

And then today the very same little boy cried and said he wasn't feeling well and couldn't go to school, but later admitted to lying about not feeling well so he could stay home and play Wii. When we were discussing why lying is unacceptable he again cried and said he was sending himself to time out for the rest of the day and he was going to tell his teacher and friends that he lied tomorrow.

Just a few examples from ONE of my multi-faceted children. Stay tuned for more from my OTHER manipulative, yet still very sensitive and emotional child.

Shake it!

Parker dancing with the Wii.... And Jake....

Tears of pain and Tears of love

This morning before school Brock tells me he won't be home for dinner again tonight, or tomorrow night, or Friday night. Great, I say, see you on Valentines Day! He says, I'm sorry babe, are you gonna have a meltdown? I say it's quite likely. So he scoops me up and runs down the hall with me and as I scream, "don't bang me into anything!", WHAM!! my elbow smashes into our bedroom door frame.
I howl in pain and the boys come running up the stairs to see what happened. I bury my face in the pillows so they wont see me crying. Jake makes a quick assessment that I'm fine and leaves. Parker climbs into bed next to me and kisses my elbow and grabs Brocks tablet on the side table and says, Mom I'll play you a song to make you feel better.....he turns on Bruno Mars "Just the Way You Are"
Tears Tears Tears Tears. My freaking elbow is killing me and my sweet sweet baby loves his mama.

From the mouths of 4 year old boys...

Jake: Mom, I know what romantic means.
Me: Oh really? What?
Jake: It means beautiful.
Me: Um, not exactly. Where did you hear that word anyway?
Jake: I'm not really sure
.....and then runs back to playing.....

While eating ice cream....
Jake: This is delish
Parker: You're right, bro.

While listening to music on my phone....
Parker: Mom, is it ok if I say the word sexy
Me: Um, no. No, it's not
Parker: How come?
Me: Well, it isn't really appropriate for a 4 year old and you should have no reason to use that word.

Later while working out...
Brock: Boys, isn't your mommy sexy?
Parker: Yes!
Brock: No, no only I can say that. You don't say that about your mom.
Parker: Why?
Brock: Because she's my wife
Parker: But she's my mom...

Talk about confusing the poor kid