Precious Sleep

Any of you who have read my blog during the past 2 years know that my eldest son has difficulty with sleep (falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking peacefully from sleep). For the past 3 weeks or so, I have been able to help him fall asleep without any hourly screaming sessions. No I have not been sitting with him or driving him around until he finally drifts off. We've just found a system the two of us.

Now nap time has been a different story. My guess is that this is in part because I only do the naptime bit with him on weekends. All other days he takes naps at daycare. Today Dean had a particularly difficult time. When he all was finally quiet, I sent Lucas in to cover Dean with some blankets. Here's how he found him...in corner of the closet. A little bit funny, and a little bit sad. Ok, mostly funny. I had to leave the room quickly so that I didn't wake him up with my laughter.

Also, here's the new addition for my momma's garden. She has a stepping stone for every grandchild, or will when I finally mail this one. The wet section in the middle is his footprint. Hard to tell in the photo

A Birthday Cake

Ok, so one more funny story with Dean's speech and Lucas' lack of understanding.

Lucas has never been able to REALLY understand what Dean is saying which leaves me translating a lot. I know that I've got a mother's ear for kid speak and so it's easier for me to figure out what it is that Dean is trying to communicate.

Last weekend we had another married couple over for Lucas' birthday. Seresh is from India and Preetha is from Sri Lanka, so they both have heavy accents, call things by different names, and can sometimes be difficult to understand. 

It was after we'd eaten dinner and Lucas was pulling his cake out to cut. No I don't usually make him prepare his own cake for his birthday, but I had already started my current crutch bearing state. The conversation went something like this.

Dean: Dad! I want some cake.

Wow, I thought, That was very clear! He even got all of the sounds in each word.

Lucas: What?

Me: You couldn't understand him or you just need him to repeat it because you didn't catch it?

Lucas: (waves arms wildly for emphasis) Who can understand THAT?! I mean really!

Seresh: (in thick Indian accent) Lucas, I think he said he wants some cake.

HAHAHAHAHA! Oh, I died of laughter. Preetha did too.

A special note: When Lucas went to go get his cake from our favorite bakery, they only had a pink one left. He forgot to get candles though, so Lucas, Dean, and Seresh made a run to the store. They came back with the pink breast cancer balloon for Dean. Seresh thought it went well with the cake.

Conversations

Jack and Dean 5 months and a little over 2 years.

Two pictures of Jack smiling in one day. Oh, and trying to crawl. He can move his legs, but hasn't figured out how to move his hands forward.

The conversations I've had since my leg injury have been more than humorous lately.

****

Last night at dinner:

Lucas asks Dean if he wants spaghetti or Mac N Cheese for dinner. Dean chooses spaghetti. Well, I think he chooses it, because he does respond with a word that starts with an s, has a g, somewhere and ends with a long e sound. We all sit down and Dean starts yelling at the top of his lungs "Out! Let me out! I no like that! (points at plate with spaghetti) It coffee! (translation:yucky!) That for Miss Suey's dog 'umbo!" I am annoyed that Dean is throwing a tantrum over food that he picked out himself (I think) and ask him to please use his inside voice and stop yelling. At which point Jack emits a low chuckle. Because CLEARLY this is hilarious. Dean looks at him and screams, "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" and Jack chuckles harder. Now Dean is no longer screaming in the bratty way, just screaming. I still find it annoying. "Dean if you continue to scream, you will go to your room. No one wants to listen to that." Except Jack, I mentally correct myself. Dean lets out one more loud pitched scream leading Jack to laugh so hard that his sweet potatoes come out of his nose. It is funny, now, but only because Jack thinks it is so funny. Dean ended up in his room, but it is obvious that I am out numbered.

*****

Dean still calls me "Mop." and I still secretly hope that he does for always. I was reading him a bedtime story. When I turned the page he said, "Hey Mop! That's a mop." What's he really trying to tell me?

*****

When I asked Dean about the dragon that lives in our backyard, he told me that it flew away like his balloon. I asked him where it had gone. Apparently it is at Miss Suzie's. I wonder if Miss Suzie and I have joint custody of the dragon. I get him on the weekends and she has him during the week. Apparently Miss Suzie's house is a better place for the dragon. He never comes inside our house, but spend all day inside hers.

******

Me: What did you do today?

Dean: I pay.

Me: What did you play with?

Dean: A dog.

Me: Did you play with Dumbo or did you play with a toy dog?

Dean: I pay Dumbo. He not our dog, Mop. He Miss Suzie dog.

I'm glad he let me know that Dumbo doesn't belong to us. How funny!

Imaginary Friend

Dean has an imaginary friend. He is a dragon who roars. Dean has been talking to or about him all day long. Apparently this dragon lives in our backyard and enjoys roses.

When I Wish I had a Camera

You know those motorized scooter carts that some grocery stores provide for the elderly who have a tough time getting around the store? Ever see the mom's that are using them with kids hanging off of the side as they shop and wonder...do they really need that thing, or are they lazy?

I was one of those mom's today. Picture this: A carseat hiding Jack in the basket at the front of the scooter and Dean on my lap while we drive around the store.

At first I was a little embarrassed and felt like I had no right to the "special cart", but I quickly got over this. After all, I am on crutches and can carry neither child.  How did I get them out of the car, you may ask. Lucas was with us. Too nervous to take both boys through the grocery store without help. I went thinking that next time he'd realize that I was more of a hinderance than a help. 

Boy was I wrong! Dean loves the motorized cart. Duh! He really thought that he was the one steering the entire time and was more than happy to cram items into the little space that Jack's carseat left behind. That was the easiest shopping trip I've ever had with the boys. No one was cranky and we were out speedy quick.

Funnier

Things just get funnier and funnier around here. Last night Dean was in his bed falling asleep (he's been doing so without the screaming fits lately) when he called to me. I went in to see if he needed to get covered up or something. When I got there he looked at me very seriously and said, "Mop, I need dohtor." "Really," I replied, "why?" "My eye hert." Maybe he does need a doctor. 

This morning my big boy toddler who has so much trouble falling asleep and staying asleep closed his eyes tight and said, "Mop! I stiw sweepin! You leabe me awone!" Really it cracked me up because we spend so much energy trying to get him to stay asleep and there I am trying to wake the poor thing up. Also, it always cracks me up when he calls me Mop.

Then later this morning, after sneaking various moments to climb on chairs and hang items for Open House next week, I almost got caught. My principal did a walk through just as I was stepping down and helping a student with their work. A few minutes later we left for lunch. It was at this time that my foot slipped off of the ledge of our sidewalk and I landed flat on my face in front of 40 third graders. I had fractured my ankle. I guess I had it coming. Luckily for me my principal had not gone too far because he had to treck back and help my title one aide hoist my not so skinny, just had a baby butt into a stinkin' wheelchair. Karma!

Ok, so the last paragraph wasn't very funny. It sucked! IT HURT! I have enough to deal with without the pain of crutches! WOES ME! WAAAA! Pity party is over and it's time to pick myself up and keep trucking.

Thank goodness I have a goofy toddler to do this with. He just walked over to tell me good night. Then turned and bent over to tell my crutches good night and gave them a very gentle kiss. Goof!

Ouch

I've had so much to blog about. ?Usually that means that life is too busy happening to stop and blog. I've forgotten most of the funny things that have been happening and will have to do some sort of picture update later.

Jack is starting to crawl. He mostly does a backwards army crawl. Although, yesterday he did push his way forward once.

We spent Spring Break visiting as many grandparents as we could squeeze in both at our  house and down in San Diego. We also spent the week with a timer. Dean sat on the potty every hour, but only actually went potty at rest stops (because they're so cool) and once last night. Can't say I haven't been trying though.

A snapshot from this morning:

I needed to use the bathroom, so I placed a wide awake Jack in his crib to play (safe place) and left Dean to keep building blocks out in the livingroom. Just as I sat down I heard Jack crying and Dean saying "Mop! Mop! Pick up my brudder!" Can't a woman just pee! I mean really! Dean had taken the few seconds it took me to walk down the hall to the bathroom and dropped a clock on Jack's head. He's got a little bump, but I think he'll be ok. Oh, yeah, and Mop is my newest of nicknames from my son. Don't know why, he knows how to say mom. Goofy.