Puppy Dog Eyes

Every day I look forward to picking Jonah up from school because I have missed him all day and I can't wait to hear about his day!

The first few weeks of school I had to practically pull teeth to get him to tell me anything about his day and have had to become quite creative with my questions.

Questions like...Did you have a good day? What did you learn?...get me nowhere!

Questions that get answers are: What was your favorite thing you did today? Did you get to eat all your lunch?  What did you play for free time or recess? Did anyone get in trouble? 

Another important fact of the day is who was the "helper" for the day, what they brought for show-and-tell, and who they picked to be a helper with them during the day.

In case you have kindergarten-amnesia, being the helper for the day is a BIG deal for a kindergartener!

They get to change the day on the calendar, describe the weather, be the line leader, snack passer-outer, bring something special to show from home, and essentially be on cloud nine for the entire day!

Jonah was pretty stoked his first helper day because it happened to fall on the first day of the month so he got to change the day and the month at school!

So back to the story...

Friday when I picked Jonah up from school he was a bit down.

When I asked him what was wrong he told me through pouty lips and a sad tone that it was Charlotte's helper day and she picked Jayden to be her helper all day! 

(The following is our conversation regarding this devastating event)

Jonah: She didn't pick me even once mom!

Me: Did you pick her on your helper day honey?

J: No, but she could still pick me!

M: I thought girls had cooties?

J: They do, but you don't have to touch a girl when you stand in line by her!

M: Well honey I bet Charlotte and Jayden are just good friends and she wanted to share her helper day with the friend. Just like you picked your new friends when it was your turn!

J: I even used my trick on girls and it didn't work mom!

M: What trick on girls Jonah?

J: I went like this (he puts his hands together as if he is begging, sticks his pouty lips out, makes his big brown eyes all cute and sad and starts whimpering like a puppy)

M: (trying not to laugh) And it didn't work buddy?  Wow, I think I would have picked you if it was my helper day! Where did you learn that by the way?

J: From Cassidy, I saw her do it one time and she was picked so I tried it on RaeLynn  a couple days ago and it worked!

M: But it didn't work on Charlotte huh?

J: Nope, I guess not. Maybe she doesn't like puppies.

M: Maybe not buddy.

J: Or she doesn't like boys.  Especially ones pretending to be a puppy.

M: Maybe she needs to get to know you better first.  Maybe you should pick her next time it's your helper day and see what happens? 

J: We'll see mom. 

One of my biggest fears about being a mother of boys is being pushed to the sidelines when they get older and it isn't cool to talk to your mom about stuff. 

 I love that they share things with me now and I pray we will be able to keep that line of communication open as the years go by and troubles turn from not being picked for helper day to tougher issues like friends saying hurtful things or peer pressure.

Jonah, 

I cherish the after school talks we have and the moments when you open up about your day at school and when you give me a peek into your adorable mind and soul.

I am so proud of you and can't believe how grown up you have become after only twenty some days of school under your belt!  You stand a little straighter and hold your head a little higher and I love you even more for it!

The piles of school work you come home with and the proud grin on your face as you tell me about it makes me wish these days would last forever.

I am not going to lie, I get a bit teary when you come home with another word you can read or another secret you have discovered about the world!

Don't grow up too fast and enjoy these care free days where girls ignoring your puppy dog eyes may be the biggest problem you face in a day!

Love Always,

 Your Listening Momma

The wrath of Mom

Our oldest son has a unique habit of making slightly obnoxious noises with his mouth.

Richard and I try to think positive about this quality and wonder if he will make millions some day doing special effects for movies.  Until then, I try to teach him when it is appropriate to make these noises and when it isn't.

It is also an excellent way for me to practice patience!

Yesterday he was sitting in the living room putting a puzzle together and I was in the kitchen making supper.  He often makes them when he is concentrating on something or simply wanting to annoy his little brother.  

He started making the noises and I realized while the noises were slightly annoying to me, they really weren't hurting anyone so I didn't say anything. 

Then he started forcing himself to burp.

Not just once, but multiple times.

Then Jonah started burping the alphabet!

While I will never fully understand the attraction of these noises to males, I can appreciate a "good burp" every now and then. 

However, I do believe that it is my job to help my boys understand that burping on purpose is not polite, regardless of the laughter that it can evoke from anyone nearby. 

So despite the giggles that erupted from both his little brothers, I kindly reminded him he needed to stop.

Jonah then told me, between burps, that he couldn't stop.

When I asked him why he said, "because aliens are making me do it, and you know how hard it is to stop an alien mom!"

Can't say I have ever heard that excuse before!

While I was impressed with his creative efforts to continue burping, I informed him that he had better inform his "alien friends" they would have to deal with me if they didn't stop!

After about 30 seconds of silence I heard him whisper: "You guys better stop or you'll have to deal with...my mom!"

Miraculously the burping ceased!

Note to self: despite the little authority you feel you sometimes have over your children...it apparently works on aliens.

Good to know.

And he's back

One of the hardest things about parenthood is watching your child be sick.

I consider myself extremely blessed that I have only experienced minor illnesses with each of my children and can't even begin to imagine how horrible it is to watch a child with a chronic illness suffer and be miserable over and over again.

I have friends who are in those shoes and they amaze me. Their strength, endurance, positive attitude blows me away while they are a nurse & mommy 24/7.

I just spent the past 2 days playing mommy and nurse to my 6 month old little man while his little body fights something. We are still not sure what exactly is making him so sick, but I think it is safe to say he is heading towards recovery.

He woke up in the early hours of Thursday morning with a fever and has been miserable since.

He spent Thursday & Friday screaming and inconsolable.

(possibly the worst combination for a baby)

As a nurse, you of course assume the absolute worst and begin thinking extremely irrationally anytime you have a sick child.

Within minutes of discovering your poor child is ill, you have diagnosed them with multiple horrible things, created a treatment plan (which includes what to do with the other healthy family members in your house), rearranged your schedule and began your head to toe assessment.

I brought him into the clinic Friday morning and was literally praying for something simple like an ear infection. I was baffled when the Nurse Practitioner told me everything looked great and I should just keep an eye on him.

The mommy in me thought blast, but relieved he was okay. The nurse in me asked what the bare minimum intake and output could be before we thought about IV fluids.

Then I spent the last 2 days trying not to get too worried as he stopped nursing and his diapers went from exploding to microscopically wet and then completely dry.

He was only happy being held, and thus spent lots of time in my arms (no complaints here).

I spent hours trying to get him to drink out of a bottle, nurse, syringe feeding him breastmilk, dropping milk onto his tongue with a straw, you name it and I probably tried it.

He shared a personality trait with us that of course no one else in the family has: stubbornness.

He refused medicine and either clamped down, spit it at me, or spit it back out! Little stinker!

He also spent lots of time sleeping on me.

Today when I was ready to haul him back in and preparing myself for a probable IV start and fluids in the ER, he miraculously started nursing again!

This from the little boy who spent the past 2 days not wanting anything in his mouth (pacifier, medicine, bottle, or myself).

I was so excited I started crying (the mom in me).

I also cried when had his first good wet diaper (the nurse in me) secretly wishing we had a diaper scale so I could weight it!

Tonight I was overwhelmed with thanksgiving as we saw him smile again, heard him giggling as his older brothers entertained him in the car, and when he nursed again before bed!

I was also overwhelmed by the love of family and friends as we endured the past few weeks with little sleep leading up to the marathon of very little sleep with a sick baby.

Thanks for loving on us!

We are truly blessed and glad our little man is hopefully back to his smiley self!

I spy

I Spy...

One boy who LOVES Kindergarten

A little brother who sure misses his big brother during school

3 little boys in our tub

(and more water on the floor than inside it)

One cute boy in a towel nice and warm (thanks Katy)

One big brother who has started "helping" with Isaac since Jonah's been at school

3 little boys who LOVE having their Auntie's so close

especially when they can do fun things like making cookies and going to movies together

One 6 month old who can sit by himself

and who doesn't quite know...

...what a cup is for?

One cute boy who is discovering what food tastes like

and one little tooth poking through!

What do you Spy?

I wish...

With a nice long Holiday weekend ahead behind us, most people enjoyed a few days off from work. They maybe headed to the lake to say goodbye to summer.

Well, I spent the Holiday weekend working, but I was wishing I was still at the lake from last weekend...

feeding ducks at the lake

or watching my boys snuggling with their Auntie Laura

or getting ready to feed my baby his FIRST food (rice cereal)

and watching him feeling the cereal for the first time in his mouth

ready for more bites

Getting fed by his big brother

and Grandma

reading stories with Auntie Nikki making sand castles watching for fish
getting ready for a fire before bed
catching fish
making funny faces
more stories
addicting puzzles
watching my boys fishing
marveling at how big my boys are getting
learning how to make funny faces like Grandpa
trying to steal Grandpa's glasses
the addicting puzzle again...

I hope everyone had a great weekend, despite where they were. Now I will wish I was in bed sleeping instead of heading to work!