Mama's Birthday!

I had an absolutely fantastic birthday, no, birthWEEK, this year.  It really started the week before my birthday.  We had our monthly family birthday dinner - normally for March it's just me and Leah.  This year we also had Becky, Brian & Ani Smith to celebrate.  This meant I finally got to see baby Cody up close and personal rather than just via facebook and cell phone.  He is absolutely adorable & was decked out in the cutest little green outfit - just in time for St. Patrick's Day.  I'm not sure who was cuter - Cody or sweet Amelia, full of the most bubbly, friendly personality.  Ethan hasn't really seen her all that often but talks about her quite frequently.  He and Alex had a great time playing with "the cousins."  We all really enjoyed ourselves, especially with ice cream cake and sundaes for dessert.  Then came time for presents....I got beautiful charms for my Pandora bracelet I'd gotten for Christmas - a shamrock & beautiful green bead from Katie and dangling birthstone charms for August & November from the boys; a pretty little pink purse from Eileen which is the perfect size for everything I need and cute, too - the perfect combo; the perfect size & shape of the Target card from the Gossoms and I was set.  I wasn't done yet though.  I still had my mom's present to open which we'd forgotten at home (she mailed it) - a pretty white blouse, a cute cardigan with hearts all over it and a pretty necklace along with some unmentionables completed my night.  Fantastic.

Fast forward to the day before my birthday.  Ethan had planned for over a month to take me to Gattitown for my birthday so Steve decided we should go someplace nicer for my birthday dinner the night before.  I picked O'Charley's.  At dinner Steve asked Ethan if he wanted to make a cake for my birthday.  The day before Ethan's answer to that same question was a quick & firm "no."  This time he looked at me and said, "is today you birfday, Mama?"  Me: "no, tomorrow is my birthday."  E: "Why?" (my favorite question) Me: "because 35 years ago, I wasn't born yet."  E: "Why?" Steve: "Cause she was in Nana's belly like Alex was in Mama's belly."  E (to me): "Are you still in Nana's belly?"....yeah, I guess it was a little far fetched to think that would clear it up for a 3 year old.  Oh well, back to the cake subject.  Steve decided they would make a chocolate mousse pie for me since I was going to have cake at work.  Ethan wasn't sure about that - he wanted birthday cake.  Steve told him this would be my birthday cake pie - he was satisfied with that.

Finally - my birthday arrived.  I felt at this point like I'd already had a great birthday.  Then it got better.  As I walked in the main door at work, I could see a happy birthday sign on the door to my office suite.  More signs at my desk and then my coworkers sand and had a very moist & yummy cake for me complete with signing card and gift card.  I then got more Pandora charms from my boss/friend, Linda - one with little footprints like a baby's foot - too cute.  Then I get a picture text from Steve.  It's the boys - completely covered in chocolate.  Apparently the mousse turned out great and it was yummy & they were hoping it would be even better cold....

...I met my boys at Gattitown after work as promised.  Both boys actually ate dinner without a struggle.  As our rule is if you don't eat, you don't play and I wanted to play, I was really happy for no struggle.  I then got two more charms for my bracelet including a "mom" charm from Steve - 8 charms total now.  My bracelet is looking great!  Ethan and I raced cars, played guitar hero, Deal or No Deal, air hockey, skee ball, basketball....all while Steve entertained himself and Alex with skee ball trying to get enough tickets for the boys to cash in for some cool stuff.  Almost out of points on our cards, we all rode the carosel & then got to pick out toys before heading home.  Ethan & Alex somehow managed to break the helicopter Ethan had just gotten at Gattitown but we had birthday cake pie so they didn't care for long.  I don't know how the mousse was when first done, but it was fantastic cold.

I honestly can't remember the last time my birthday was this much fun.  Thank you to everyone for your parts in that.  Especially Steve & the boys - no arguments; no one in trouble; just good, clean fun & yummy cake-pie.  :)

Fight Kying

As most of you know, Steve's job is ending next week - this week really - as Verizon directory assistance in Lexington (where he works) is closing.  As they've been transitioning calls to other locations in anticipation of the close, their call volume in Lexington has drastically dropped.  They offered to let people "surplus" out meaning take off without pay until they close then still get the severance package.  Steve instead has opted to use his vacation time rather than work the 9pm-6am schedules they've given him.  I can't blame him there as there's no way I could work all night and then keep the boys all day.  This started last week that he had vacation essentially and didn't have to go to work.  Which also happened to be when it warmed up outside.

So he had big plans with the boys last Tuesday - they were going to go buy a new kite and go kite flying at the park.  I found this out when I got home from work on that Tuesday.  As we sat down to dinner and said grace, I said at the end, "and thank you for the beautiful day today and hope for more of this tomorrow." Ethan tacked on "and go fight kying tomorrow, too."  I looked at him and then it hit me, "go kite flying?"  E:  "Uh-huh - fight kying.  We gonna go fight kying with Daddy & Owix."  Steve then told me they were going to go that day but errands and naps took up too much time.  OK - have fun boys and think about Mama stuck at work.

So Wednesday last week, I had to be there by 6:00am to help facilitate the technology for a video/web/conference call with our offices in Lexington, Asia & Europe.  As Ethan tends to wake up when I get up and take a shower and start moving around and I really didn't want him up at 5:00am, I took my shower Tuesday night and then slept downstairs on the couch so he wouldn't hear me in the morning.  This worked well in that he didn't wake up when I went to work; however, I also didn't wake up when he woke up puking at 3ish.  The miraculous part of this is that Steve didn't wake me up for it either.  He does NOT do puke.  However, Ethan had slept with him that night and had managed to puke, not in the bed, but off the side of the bed onto a pile of clothes.  Steve had only to remove Ethan's pillow case from the pillow and wipe Ethan's mouth to clean up the puke.  Realizing this made me especially happy that I hadn't gone upstairs in my sock feet to give goodbye kisses which I'd only decided against doing at the last minute.  Stepping in puke at 5:30 in the morning isn't a nice feeling.  So that was fortunate for me and when the boys & Steve did finally wake up, Steve was able to just take the pile of puked on stuff to the washer.

Unfortunately for Ethan, he had caught the stomach bug Steve, then Alex, had over the previous weekend.  Unfortunately for Steve, Ethan wasn't done puking.  And then unfortunately for Alex (& Ethan) this meant kite flying would have to wait another day.  I got periodic updates through the day, including that he puked all over the couch at one point and the comforter lovingly referred to as "mama's blanket."  The next time, Steve managed to give him the puke bucket (hospital basin) and the trash can.   Sadly, Alex had throw away the remote to our surround sound earlier and Steve hadn't noticed until AFTER the puking in the trash can.  Steve was less than thrilled as he actually had to clean that off.

I left work a little early (I'd been there since 6 so didn't feel badly about that) and went to get Ethan some gatorade as the poor kid hadn't kept down anything all day - crackers, flat ginger ale, nothing.  I got a new remote while I was there as it wasn't working after Steve cleaned it but ended up being able to clean the existing remote well enough to make it work perfectly again.  When I got home, Ethan waited for me at the door asking, "Mama - did you bwing me a dwink?  I don't feew good."  I gave him the gatorade and you'd have thought I gave him a shot of steroids or straight adrenaline because he immediately had energy again.  He managed to keep that down and then as he had applesauce for dinner while we ate chicken (again, poor kid) he said, "but I weally wanted some chicken, Mama."  He ate his applesauce though - baby steps and again prayed during grace to "pwease go fight kying" the next day. 

I then asked him to say "kite" - he obediently said, "kite."  Say "flying" - "fying."  Say "kite flying" - "kite fying."  Me:  So what do you want to do with Daddy tomorrow?  E: "Go fight kying!"  OK so he can say the words but the excitement jumbles them and honestly - it's just too cute to correct him. 

We finally got to go shopping for a kite on Friday but struck out the first 3 places we tried - including Sam's and Walmart - so had to postpone till Saturday.  Saturday was cold - so we did find kites but it was too cold to go fly them.  Sunday was the same.  So Ethan now has his kites and is patiently awaiting the next springy day so he can go fight kying with Daddy & Owix.  I personally would like to go also but will have many opportunities so won't deny them of the first shot they get just because I'm working.  As it looks right now, they may get to go on my birthday, Friday.  I just hope they get nice weather and I get pictures.

Dinner Conversation

I had to make a quick trip to Walmart after getting the boys today so rather than deny them food for the time it takes to bake the chicken I had planned to fix; I got a rotisserie chicken while there. When we got home I fixed cheddar broccoli rice - a quick 10 minutes for something they both eat well and we'd be ready for dinner. While I was fixing the rice, Ethan & Alex were playing right beside the gate (an indication of how hungry they were, I'm sure - trying to be as close to the table as possible). Dinner conversation really started at this point.

I heard Alex babbling and Ethan said, "da wat [rat]? Watigan [Ratigan]? Don't say that word." Alex, "huh? daa, uh” (I'd translate that for you, but I have no idea what he said). Ethan, "Dust don't say that word, Watigan. He's dust a bad wat." (We have digital cable and occasionally will purchase a movie for Ethan if he's been really good and we're really sick of the movies we own. About 2 months ago (or more) we rented "The Great Mouse Detective" in which the villain is a big rat named Ratigan and you were supposed to only whisper his name if you had to say it at all because he was scary and I guess saying the name might make him show up? I didn't pay close enough attention to know why they didn't want to say the word. Anyway, he watched it twice, 2 months ago and remembers it quite well still, apparently.) They continued their babble a few minutes more before I told Ethan he could take the gate down.

Ethan, "It's dinna time, Owix! Yeah, dinna...." He promptly got in his seat and Alex went to stand beside his and looked at me and said "daaa" sort of like "ummm hello, I need your help now please." As I walk towards Ethan, who is now sitting at his seat in front of his plate of chicken, he said "how come you didn't give us wice?" Me: "The rice isn't done yet sweetie. Just a minute more and I'll give it to you but you can start on the chicken." E: "Mmmmm, dis is good chicken. You made good chicken, Mama." (keep in mind, I bought the chicken cooked and basically cut it and put it on his plate - but hey, I'll take it). Me: "I make good dinner, huh? Well good then you should eat every bite." E: "Uh-huh. It's good dinna, Owix. It's yummy for us." (seeing me bringing him the rice) "And here comes the wice. Owix, this is gonna be a weally good dinna." I go to put the pot back on the stove and Ethan says, "we have to say God bless, Mama." (since many prayers start with or contain, "God bless..." (this food or Alex or Ethan) he calls prayers "God bless").

We grasp hands and say grace and you can't even begin to imagine how cute it is to see Alex & Ethan reach across the table to try to hold hands - they can't reach no matter how hard they stretch. I then put Alex's plate in the freezer for a minute to cool the rice and was carrying my plate to the table. Ethan said, "you dust need to cool mine off, too, Mama. You need to put it in the frigahator." So I did - and got myself something to drink; then got both plates out and gave them back to the boys and sat down so we could eat.

I noticed Ethan's milk, which was full when he sat at the table, was now empty. Me: "Did you drink all of your milk already?" E: "Uh-huh. I need some mo moke." (he has a habit of filling up on milk or juice so he won't eat dinner) Me: "Well you need to eat more of your dinner and then I'll get you some more." E: "I don't get chocolate moke at bedtime." Me (thinking, were we talking about chocolate milk?): "No, you don't get chocolate milk at bedtime but if you eat more of your dinner, I'll give you some chocolate milk and then you can have some cookies for dessert." E: "Ok. No, you dust said I could have eem & eem's." (at Walmart he asked for candy and I told him we already had candy at home - M&Ms from Nana. He wanted them and I told him he could have them after dinner.) Me: "Oh, I forgot. I did." E: "I'll eat my dinner and have some eem & eems and chocolate moke...who gave you and Alex, Mama?"

Me: "You tell me. Who gave me Alex?" E: "God did." (Ethan slept with me Saturday and kept telling me as he was going to sleep that he loved me. I told him I loved him, too, and I was glad he was my baby boy and that God had given him to me because he knew I needed him to be my baby boy. We then talked a few minutes about how God gave us Alex and Daddy and put us all together because we would love each other and I'd be a good Mommy for him and Daddy would be a good Daddy and he and Alex would be good baby boys, etc) Me: "That's right." E: "And who gave us Daddy?" Me: "You tell me." E: "Isaiah [the son of his babysitter] did." Me: "Noooo." E (chuckling): "GOD did!" Me: "That's right." E: "He's dust a good God." Me: "Yes, He is." E: "What is God, Mama." Me (thinking he probably had a thought on this already): "Well, what do you think?" E: "He's dust our fwiend and He's dust weally good." Me: "Yes, He is our friend. He is a really good God, huh." E: "Yes, He is a good God and He's our friend and He gave us Daddy and Owix...Owix, is that good chicken?" (ok - like the dessert conversation he is now apparently done with the God conversation so we're moving on.)

Alex eats dinner quite well when you ignore him. As soon as you start talking to him (as Ethan just did), he loses all interest in dinner and is ready to entertain. He continued the conversation all by himself at this point - babbling and laughing with Ethan. I had to tell Ethan a few times to eat so he could have dessert. About halfway into the multiple conversations, I had realized I would be blogging about this tonight. Partly because it was really cute but also to explain that it dawned on me why it takes Ethan so long to eat dinner. He is too busy socializing to eat. He has your undivided attention because all you are doing is eating so he can get some good QUALITY talk time in and he is quite the chatterbox as I've mentioned. I have the sneaking suspicion Alex will be the same way when he can really talk instead of babble & grunt. But the conversation wasn't done at that point.

Nope - we just went full circle... E: "Mama, you make weally good dinna. Dis is dust yummy." To prove his point he picked up a fistful of rice and shoveled it in and licked his fingers. I didn't complain about not using a fork because he HAD been using the fork and honestly this got a bigger bite in his mouth and sped up the process. Alex did allow me to feed him a couple more bites of rice and most of his chicken between bursts of laughter and babbling with his brother. Ethan said one more time, "Owix, isn't dis good dinna." Alex shook his head "yes." Such sweet boys and such nice dinner conversation - even if it was all over the map.

Manners

We work hard to make sure the boys will know their manners.  When we give them something, we'll say "thank you, Mama (or Daddy)" for them before they can talk.  This worked well for Ethan as when he learned to talk, he began saying "fank you Mama" when he'd get something.  We tell them "you're welcome" - which also worked on Ethan as he'd hand you something and tell you "welcome."  I'll admit he didn't fully understand when he was first talking as he'd say "welcome" when you gave him something as well.  But as he matured, he did seem to grasp it and now says "thank you" regularly.

Thank you and you're welcome aren't the only manners they need to learn of course.  Please we still work on - while thank you and you're welcome are somewhat natural to him to say now; he still needs to be reminded to say please.  Saying "excuse me" is also very important.  Ethan tends to belch quite loudly - no, I didn't miss speak.  He doesn't burp - it's a very audible belch.  So we frequently would tell him "excuse you."  We apparently added something to that quite often though as he has a twist on this phrase.  As we walked through Sears the other day on our way to The Children's Place - a favorite store for us for Easter clothes and other special outfits - Ethan belched and promptly said, "excuse me, piggy boy."  It wasn't a one time thing - he's done it every time since then as well.  Yesterday, someone else (and I truly don't remember if it was me, Steve or Alex) burped and Ethan said, "excuse you, piggy boy."  Yeah - we're definitely going to have to fix that.  Granted it was super cute and so funny but I think he really believes that's the phrase he's supposed to use.  Going to have to fix that before Alex picks it up as well.

Another one we struggle with daily - who am I kidding - HOURLY - is interrupting.  Steve and I rarely get to talk to each other when the boys are awake as we are constantly acknowledging Alex's grunts and answering Ethan's questions (yes, I realize Ethan's questioning nature is my karmic payback for the same behavior as a child).  However, occasionally we do need to update each other on stuff during waking hours and it seems to most often happen in the car.  This is probably because there's not much else to do for Ethan in the car besides talk and at the house we can easily walk away.  So when we dare to speak to each other, we try to answer Ethan as well as finish our conversation but then will ask Ethan to wait a minute so we can finish the discussion.  The reprieve lasts only a few moments before Ethan will chime in again and we'll try the ignoring thing but he gets louder and louder until we have to tell him again to please be quiet Mama (or Daddy) is talking and he needs to stop interrupting.  Mama will answer him when done talking.  It's not nice and I will not answer him right now.  It totally reminds of being in the grocery store when I was little when Mommy would try to (heaven forbid) speak to someone she knows and I or Megan, Jes or Annie would do the Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy thing asking "can I have this."  It's not like Mommy was having a 20 minute conversation - we're talking about less than 5 minutes of "hi - haven't see you in a while, how are you - good to see you, good bye" but we'd harass anyway.  Mommy - I am soooo sorry for the innumerable times I, myself, like did that.  I now realize fully how obnoxious it was and you can stop laughing now and just thank Ethan when you see him.  Daddy - same goes for you.  Aunt Eileen, Roger, Katie - anyone else who ever spent "quality" time with me when I wouldn't shut up, I humbly apologize and would really appreciate it if you'd stop laughing now and saying "ah payback."

So yes, we're working hard on manners - not talking with food in your mouth and interrupting are the current focus along with correcting "piggy boy" as part of "excuse me."  I hope my boys are always polite - for the most part, they are and I hope this trend continues.

Pete & Repeat

I've mentioned before how Ethan will boss Alex around some or more to the point, tell him to do whatever we've told him to do.  I am realizing (yes, I know I should have caught this sooner) that he's not bossing Alex - he's just repeating me.  Here is how this occurred to me:

When Alex is fussy, I'll give him his paci (which is why he was fussing anyway) and tell him to "plug it up" or "plug it up, buttercup" (in a joking way, of course).  Saturday, Ethan handed Alex his paci just out of the blue - Alex wasn't even fussing.  As he gave it to him, he said "Pwug it up, Buttacup."  Clear as can be and has since said it everytime he hands Alex the paci and half the time laughs as he says it - I guess it sounds funny even to his ears.

I also call the boys various pet names - they usually pop out of my mouth based on a rhyming sound to whatever was going on.  Recently I've been calling Alex "puddin" or "puddin popsiscle" or even "puddin popsiscle breath."  Today, when I picked up the boys, as I strapped Alex in the car, I said something to Alex and called him "puddin."  Ethan said, "yeah, pudding popsiscle, pudding popsiscle breath.  Right, Mama?" 

So if we didn't before, we definitely need to watch what we do and say more closely because Mr. Ethan has the best memory of any child I've ever seen.  At least he's repeating cute things in a nice way.

Then there's Alex - who repeats everything his brother does but not always in the best way.  If the gate is up between the kitchen & living room and Ethan is helping to clean, he throws his dirty socks and clothes over the gate into the kitchen; same with his cups, etc.  If the gate is down, Ethan puts them in the sink & the clothes in the basket.  Alex isn't so much interested in that aspect though.  He just sees the throwing part and decides that's the one to do.  Toys go in the toy pile - unless Alex puts them away - he throws them over the gate.  Clean clothes from the basket of folded clothes at the foot of the stairs - yeah, those would be fun to throw onto the kitchen floor also.  Friday night as I fixed dinner, I put Alex in the corner twice and gave Ethan the same pair of clothes 4 times to put back in the basket (if the question is why didn't I just take the clothes upstairs - I was really trying not to burn dinner and I tend to cook things on higher temps than they really require because I stupidly believe that will cook it faster but regardless of my reason it's not the best idea for me to leave them alone on the stove).  I do have to say that if Ethan is in trouble for not cleaning up a mess he made, Alex does jump in to help clean it up and will also help Ethan find his sippy if he loses it by looking around like Ethan does.

However, he also does things that his brother does that are not at all good and sometimes ends up hurting himself which then gets Ethan in trouble.  Ethan has a nasty habit of climbing on anything he thinks he can stand on and jumping on and off of the furniture.  Alex now follows suit and climbs on anything he can and invariably falls off onto something else and hurts himself.  Alex also gets up on the couch and runs from one end to the other and tries to jump off the arm - something he watched Ethan do.  Ethan has been told numerous times not to jump on the furniture.  He doesn't seem to think "because I said so" is a good enough reason but now that Alex has gotten hurt a time or 2 following Ethan's lead, I hope he's finally learning but I won't hold my breath.

So each of them is "learning" and repeating the behavior of his elders - Ethan repeats me & Steve and Alex repeats his brother.  Maybe if Steve & I can become the perfect roll models, Ethan will follow that behavior exactly and then Alex will follow that example and he'll be completely perfect, too, and the terrible 2's will never enter our house again.  Right?  That's how it works isn't it?  Hey, a girl can dream can't she?