Moms In Capes

Goodbye my friend

The passy.  We knew it had to be done, and we  toyed with the idea for a long time.  But there were always things in the way that we didn’t want to deal with.  We weren’t willing to give it up either.   

 Then one day, it was time.  We talked about how there were babies who were crying because they needed a passy, and he was a big boy who didn’t need a passy.   Really, we still can’t figure out who needed the passy more-him-or us.  He is 3 1/2 and potty-trained, sleeps in a “big boy bed” and is ready for pre-school, yet the one thing that still makes him still a ”baby”to us was his best friend “passy.”

When we would suggest that he didn’t need his passy while he was playing, he would put passy in his pocket.  Passy = BFF.   And now we decided it was time.  Time to take away the BFF that has soothed him since birth.

Two weeks ago Sunday all 7 passy (c’mon-you know what happens in the middle of the night when you can’t find PASSY!) got boxed and wrapped up like a big ol’ present to send to babies who need them….not big boys.

Sunday evening commenced with our nightly ritual of snuggling.  I walked in his room and the first thing out of his mouth was “I want passy.”  I reminded him he was such a good boy that he gave all of his passy’s to babies, and that he was big and didn’t need a passy anymore. Then I hear “I not a big boy! I want passy!”  This went on for about ten minutes and I finally got him settled down with a rendition of  ” Three Little Birds.”

The next few days there was mentinon of passy on occasion, but not like I expected.  My boy….so big

Is it totally acceptable to sneak a couple of chocolate chip cookies, and eat them in the pantry before lunch so I don’t have to share with two little boys?

My 3 year old finally showed some interest in the potty.  Who would be excited? No more diapers.  No more feeling like your wiping a man butt because, after all he’s three.  This is a kid who has to make the decision, no matter how hard you try to convince (bribe) him big boys go in the potty.  After he made this decision, we went full steam ahead. 

Then, a lil step back.  All of a sudden he decided he didn’t want to poo in the potty….great.  The one thing that you WANT to happen just doesn’t.  For awhile he’d hide down the hallway for his privacy. “Mommy go away.” Nice….. A couple of weeks later we made a sticker chart and we were back on track.  YES! Success.  But all it takes is one mishap, and we are back to…maybe not so much potty.

You see, our half bath downstairs was clogged.  No matter how many times I  tell the kids to courtesy flush…it gets clogged.  So one morning Landon had to go potty.  He still says “mommy go away” but now I could be in Switzerland and he’d say “Mommy go away, I have to go potty.” And then the ritual is to come in and see the prize.  Landon goes potty, flushes, and the toilet fills up.  And before I could get to him, he flushes AGAIN and water pours all over the floor.  For two weeks now it’s “I have to go potty.” Then he remembers his near water death experience and says “potty broken” and I say “no daddy fixed it” and then, and only then can he finish his business on the potty.

It’s one of my most favorite times of the year.  The day where I have to get up a lil bit earlier than most so I can get myself presentable for the outside world, get the boys fed, dressed and ready for their check-ups.  The day that every little thing, as minor as it may be, sets the tone for the day.  The day that if I make a bad judgement call like putting Aiden’s shoes on first, only to have him take them off while I’m putting Landon’s shoes so I have to do it all over again, can make the biggest dent in our day.

From the outside world I don’t think that people know just how challenging it is to have to small children close in age.  Things have to be done in a precise manor to obtain your goal.  If the order shifts-the whole day can be thrown off.

This morning, after 18 months, I had it under control.  I had everything ready and we were out the door ON TIME  for the Dr. :::fist pump:::

We get there on time.  Everything smooth.  And we got called back within 5 minutes.  This is when things start to happen.  Kinda like in a horror film. 

See, Landon had actually asked to potty this morning and I unfortunately mentioned it to the nurse.  So, she asks if he can pee in the cup for a urine sample.  My response? “um…well….uh….we can try…”  The following is the chain of events that took place.

I was getting Landon’s clothes off and he kept saying “scared. scared.”  He calmed down a lil bit…until he went to pee in the potty, and I being mother of the year went to wash his hands while holding a neked Aiden on my hip, and looked for towels to dry his hands off.  But there were no towels.  Ahhh look, a hand dryer! This is how the conversation goes “Landon, look at mama.  Just put your hand under here.” WWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!”  Landon: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH GO BYE BYE! GO BYE BYE!

Smart one that I am scared him half to death, and he tries to run his neked bod out of the bathroom screaming.  I actually get him up on the scale to be weighed.  Ya know, the scale that stands up to my chin, baby on hip, dragging Landon by one arm up onto the scale while the nurse watches and continues to say, “I don’t know how you do it.”  Yes nurse because we have a scale just like this one at home, and every day I strip both boys down to their b-day suits, put one on my hip, and hoist the other one up there by one arm.  Don’t worry tho, I switch arms so one one be longer than the other……

When the Dr. came in Landon immediately wanted to play with her “toys.”  Her toys are different, and he’s never seen them before, so who wouldn’t want to play with new toys right?   So, the nice Dr. takes the tube off the one toy that looks in ears, and let’s him play with it.  He puts it in his mouth.  Why? Because that’s what Landon’s do. Must.Go.In.Mouth.  That’s how we roll around here.  The whole time he’s trying to grab more of her toys, I’m trying to fill out this developmental 18-month-old form for Aiden that basically says he’s brilliant, and Landon’s trying to play with her toys the whole time.  Which why do they do that? Please fill out this 42 page survey about your baby while we are trying to exam your other child.  Seriously!?  Ask me the usual questions, and I’ll answer them.  

Conclusions drawn from this experience:

Don’t make appointments together thinking it will save you time, because in the end the effort will kill you.

Learn how to fake smile because for the next 3 or so years I’m going to continue to hear “I don’t know how you do it.”

Just keep swimming…..

While making dinner Monday,  my 14 year old comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my shoulders.  W.O.W. 

 I’ll back up.  A long time ago, maybe when she was around 9 or 10 I asked her if she was always going to sit on my lap, and she told me “Only until I’m 15.”  Well, 15 is right around the corner and time is running out.  I don’t think she has sat on my lap in about 3 years. I remind her of this on a regular basis.  Of course she’ll never give in, but as her mother it is my duty to keep reminding her of a promise she made me a few years ago that she has not held up her end of the deal.  I offer, she rejects…

I digress, I’ll take a lil shoulder love any day that she is willing to give it out.  I hope that she will stay this way, and not turn into one of those angry Facebook teenagers who’s status updates read something to the effect of “I hate my mom today.” I hope on the days she doesn’t much care for me, she can at least contain the anger and not blast it all over the net for the world to see that I was parenting her, and I should be shunned for such an act.  I hope that she will always realize I have her best interest in mind.

I hope she knows that I love her no matter what.

Keeping my head above water has been a challenge lately.  It was Easter…

Candy?

Then Spring Break with all my kids.  We didn’t go anywhere…..but we had good quality time together.  However my house suffered.  I did what I could but really felt like I was treading water most of the time.  In the words of Dory from Finding Nemo….just keep swimming…

My husband thought it would be a great idea to introduce Landon to Star Wars.  Lately it’s been all fun and games watching “Attack of the Clones” chapter 24 over and over again. 

This morning while having his normal cereal bars for breakfast, the cast joined him at the table.  

Reinforcements

I’m not sure if I should be concerned that he is planning his own take over.  All I’m certain at this point is that Boba Fett seems to be the favorite.

My daughter’s and I attended a wedding on Saturday.  A wedding of a just-turned-19-year old.  WOW.  I realize I was 20 when I got married, but look how well that turned out.  D-I-V-O-R-C-E.  I don’t cry at wedding’s…not my style.   Until I see someone else cry.  The ushers, who were the bride’s brother’s pull the white carpet runner down, and shortly it was show time.  We all stand, and he comes the bride with her father.  She walks by us, and I turn and see her mother start to cry.  Enter ::embarrasing tears in my eyes::  I turned away so I could stop this nonsense of wet eyes. 

They exchange vows, rings and light the unity candle, and then walk around to kneel at the alter.  All of a sudden there were whispers, and camera flashes.  My daughter leans over and says “what’s going on?”  I lean over and see nothing.  I tell her I don’t know.  I look again, and there it is. 

On the bottom of the grooms shoes the words “HELP ME”  We chuckled, and the wedding ended shortly after. 

I’m still wondering if the bride knew….very clever for a couple of kids.

This excitement has kept me from honing in on my blogging skills lately.  So much to plan and prepare.  I’m a lil ADD when I get overly excited so I literally had to make myself a list to keep from getting sidetracked.

Yes Mickey I will be home soon.  Keep your door open for me, it won’t be long now!

Now off to make some touring plans.

This is what happens when you have amoxicillin for a week not knowing your allergic to it: