Monday: Steve was originally scheduled to work a split shift. That means he drops the boys off at daycare mid-morning, they play, eat lunch, take naps and then it’s time for Steve to pick them up. He’d then go home with them and when I get home we can do “family dinner” before he has to return to work for the 2nd half of his shift – usually a 4 hour break midday and then he goes back about 7:00-11:00ish. His work had another plan – he called me around lunch to tell me they’d just switched him to a straight shift meaning the boys would need to stay at daycare and I’d pick them up when I get off and he’d get home around 7:00 instead of going back at 7:00.
OK, no problem – Alex had at least enough formula for one bottle as well as enough juice for a couple bottles and then he can have water, too. Normally, he’d have that formula bottle at lunch (he had) and then would get more formula around 4 or 5 to tide him over till the last formula bottle at bedtime but he could wait till I picked him up and have formula while I fixed dinner. Daycare was fine with this plan so we’re all set.
I go to pick up the boys and all is well – both happy and had a great time playing all day. We walk out the front door and this is when Ethan remembers….”My daddy was going to pick me up? Where’s my daddy?” Me: “He was baby but they changed his schedule so Daddy’s still at work but he’ll be home in a little while for dinner.” E: “My daddy’s at work still?” Me: “Yes, but Mama’s going to take us home and fix dinner and then Daddy will come home to eat with us. That will be ok, won’t it?” E: “yes, that’s ok. My daddy come home to eat….I’m hungry Mom.” Me: “Me, too, honey so let me get brother in the car and then I’ll get you in and we’ll go home and fix dinner.” E: “Ok, Mom.”
Fast forward 2 minutes – we’re In the car on the way home. It’s 5:45 and almost pitch dark outside so inside the moving car, it’s pretty dark, too, but I can just barely see the boys in the baby mirrors we have. E: “Mama, look at Alex. He’s so cute. I dust love him….looks, he’s smiling at me.” Me: “Yes, he is. You do love your brother and you’re a very good brother and he loves you, too; he loves you so much.” E: “I’m the big brother. I’m a good big brother….and Jackson’s the big brother, too. I’m the big brother and Jackson’s the big brother, too.” Me: “That’s right and Alex is the baby brother, right?” E: “uh-huh. He’s a good baby brother, too. He likes me….he’s laughing at me, Mom (giggles)…he’s funny.” Me: “Yes, he likes you – you are both funny.” E: “And Jackson’s funny, too. He’s a big brother, too.” Me: “And Dylan is his baby brother like Alex is your baby brother. And Makenzie is their baby sister so Dylan is the middle brother.” E: “Yeah, I like them. They’re funny.”
Backtracking to explain why Jackson was so much on his mind: We had spent all day Sunday with Jackson, Dylan & Makenzie for Jackson’s birthday party at “Aunt Megan’s house” (not Jackson’s house or Uncle Deremy’s house or anyone else’s – it’s ALWAYS Aunt Megan’s house). Ethan had a great time playing with his cousins and from the look on his face as he told me they were funny, he was remembering playing. Too cute.
Back to Monday: We get home and Ethan is now allowed to unbuckle himself when we get home. E: (in a panic) “I can’t unbuckle me. I can’t unbuckle me.” Me: “Mama will do it Ethan. Just let me get out of the car. Mama won’t leave you in the car; I promise.” E: (as I get his door open) “I’ll unbuckle Alex, k, Mom?” Me: “NO! Don’t ever unbuckle Alex. Mama has to unbuckle him a different way – you don’t unbuckle his car seat – that’s dangerous.” E: “It’s dangous. I won’t do it then.” We’re out and walking around the car, I realize this time I’ve actually gotten everything in one trip – their bag, my bag, keys – but don’t have that other arm I need to undo Alex and as it’s dark need to be able to see the door with the neighbor’s outside light to unlock it so can’t juggle Alex and still get the light (cause Steve was planning to be home earlier so hadn’t turned on the light when he left). So I asked Ethan to stand at Alex’s door so Alex could see him while I opened the house door. E: “You don’t leave baby Owix in the car, Mama.” Me: “I won’t honey – I just need to open the house first so please stand there and talk to him so he can see you and isn’t scared.” E: “Ok, Mom” (note that he still switches between Mom & Mama – it’s like he’s using Mom as a contraction to save time like can’t “I don’t know” instead of “I do not know” – it’s one letter you’ve cut out but it’s quicker to say). I open the house and as I’m walking the 20 feet back to the car, Ethan says “Mom, you forgot to open Owix’s door so I could talk to him.” Me: “I didn’t mean to open his door first, honey. I was just opening the house door and putting stuff down so I could get Alex and just wanted him to see you so he didn’t think we were leaving him.” E: “Oh. OK, Mom – cause we can’t leave Owix in the car.”
I am pretty sure he proceeded to talk for the next 45 minutes without taking a breath and most of it was this sweet stuff about begin a good big brother and playing with Alex and loving Alex and how funny Alex was, etc. A few times I asked him to please stop talking for just a minute so I could read something. “Ok Mom” followed by continual speech – so much for “OK Mom” but at least he didn’t expect me to respond cause he knows when I ask him to be quiet, I’m not likely to respond to him again until that requested “quiet” period is over. I now fully understand how insane I used to drive every adult because I’m pretty sure, like my son who I love so much, I never shut up either. At least today it was mostly “sweet nothings.”
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