Happy, Mommy?

Rewind back a couple weeks to one constantly fussy two year old. I suddenly got the bright idea to start NOT giving him what he wanted when he fussed for it. So, when I hear "APPLE JUICE Mommeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee", I ignore it. Then I say, "If you want something, you need to ask for it nicely". Eventually, after a few time outs and lessons, he learned that if he wanted something, he needed to put on this huge horrendous fake smile and say "Please Mommy apple juice?!". And usually he would get what he was asking for. Although for a while he thought that no matter what it was, he had a right to it when he asked nicely. ("No, honey, thank you for asking so nicely, but we're not going outside to play at 11:00 at night").

So, I think he's starting to get the hang of it. Just last weekend, when we were in the car on our way home from shopping, he started getting really cranky. I knew he was hungry, and told him we were going to eat in a minute, but he just kept whining - getting louder and louder. Just when we were almost there, he got very quiet, and stated quite matter-of-factly, "Bent fussy??"

"Yes, you're a little fussy, but I know it's because you're hungry," I told him.
"Bent happy now!" And...he meant it. He smiled the rest of the way.

So now, whenever he gets the cranky bug, I ask him if he needs to take a time out, and he immediately replies, "No, Bent happy!"

But (and this is the dangerous part) he is now trying to turn this against me. A conversation last night:

Setting - it's 9 pm. He's been in his room trying to get to 'sleep' for an hour. After having several requests for pop tarts and 'outside' turned down, he falls back on the sure bet.

"Go pee-pee, Mommy?!"
"You really have to go?"
"Uh huh...go pee-pee"
"You promise??"
"Yes, go pee-pee NOW"

I go get the potty seat ready (BENT DO DAT MOMMY!!) and pull down his pants (NO!! BENT DO DAT!). And he sits on the seat. Suddenly a huge smile spreads across his face. His eyes twinkle like a thousand mischievous stars. I know I've been had once again, and he knows that I know. Our unspoken understanding silences the bathroom. I'm trying to hold in my anger, he's trying not to break out into sobs of laughter, which makes me angrier, which in turn makes him want to laugh even harder. We stare deep into each other's eyes in a standoff.

"Brent, you need to go pee-pee right now"
"No, Mommy"
"You said you had to go, now you better manifest SOMETHING in this potty right now"
"Ummmm....no....no pee pee"
"Try anyways"
"Mmmmmm....no go potty,"

I considered squeezing him for a moment just to have some productivity, but that didn't seem altogether motherly.

More silence. He still wore a embarrassingly large grin and big victorious eyes. I drew a long breath. Then he reached a hand over and put it on my cheek very tenderly.

"Be happy, Mommy??" He tilted his head to the side and asked in a parent-tone, not unlike the one I had been using on him lately. Then he couldn't contain himself any longer. His shoulders began shuddering and his lips started sputtering - and then all that held-in laughter just came pouring out. Next thing you know, we were both dying with laughs so big they hurt, tears streaming down my cheeks. I pulled him off and re-dressed him. He gave me a big kiss and puttered off to his bed.

"Lost another battle, did you?" Andy asked when I came back in the room.
"Yep, looks that way" I replied.

But somehow I still feel like a winner.

99 Luft-balloons

A child's first balloon. The wonder of it flapping in the air. The rubbery squeaky sounds it makes in the back seat. The knowledge of it pop-ability still laying in unchartered territory. Pure wide-eyed excitement and joy.

A child's first balloon, slipping from a tiny grasp, unaware of the consequences. The happy bobbing of the balloon as it slides across the horizon, becoming smaller and harder to locate, and finally becoming one with the clouds.

I see tears welling up in his eyes. "Baboon, Mommy!!," as a tiny sob escapes.

I think quickly....

"Look how happy your balloon is, Brent!!!! Look at him flying up to the clouds! I bet he's having so much fun!!!!" I say, with just that many exclamation points, if not more. My semi-sincere smile threatens to break my cheeks.

He considers this, and tries to follow along. "Happy Baboon?....Flying?" He is still wearing a frown, but his eyebrows are furrowed up trying to re-assess the situation and understand why I'm acting so HAPPY that his balloon is flying away.

He jumps in the air a few times, stretching toward the sky "Can't weach baboon, Mommy"

"I know, baby", I said sympathetically. "Maybe you'll get another balloon someday. I think this one just wanted to go for a fly today."

Another childhood lesson slips away, taking a bit of innocence with it. We stand and watch as the balloon bobs across the field and over the tree tops, and out of sight at last. I coach him inside, feeling his sadness and trying to distract him. I can't help but think of a little baboon who will be flying away someday too. Some things are too beautiful to keep on the ground.

Easter Weekend

Ahhhh...it's a holiday. I stayed up late on Saturday night and was looking forward to sleeping in to the 99% reliable time of 8 am. Not quite enough, but it would have to do.

7:02 am, as I sleep very soundly.

"BENT AWAKE!!!!", I suddenly hear in my left ear, bringing my snoring to a complete halt.
"Mmmm Hmmmm...." I said, still hoping I can extend my sleep a few more minutes. Why did no one tell me that kids did not come with snooze buttons?
"HEY!!!! Bent is AWAKE Mommy!!"
"Okay....I hear you. Do you want to come up and sleep some more here?".
"O-tay....Come up?!" He asked as he climbed noisily up beside me.
He clammered around and finally found a resting spot near the edge. I stuck one hand on his tummy so he wouldn't roll off the bed, and promptly fell back asleep.

- 5 seconds later -

"Mommy! Need Titi!!"
"You can share my blanket...here"
"No, Mommy, need my Titi" he said as he climbed back down dramatically and and retrieved his blue blanket.
"O-tay, blue Titi here, Mommy"
"Alright, then get back up here and go to sleep" I said, already drifting back into my dream.

He climbs back up and snuggles down. The silence lasts for maybe 2 seconds.

"Mommy....."
(pause)
"Mommy....."
(pause)
"Mommy....."
"Yes, Brent. Go back to sleep" I muttered.
"Mommy...que eso?" He asked in spanish (what's that?)
I reluctantly opened my eyes to see what he was asking about.
"It's a lamp, Brent. Are you sleeping"
"Oh........o-tay, Bent sleeping"

- 3 second pause -

"Mommy....?"
"Mmmm Hmmmm?"
"Que eso?", pointing to the wall.
"Mmmm...I don't know Brent...I guess it's just a wall"

This continues similarly for 10 minutes. I call it at 7:14 and roll out of bed.

Explosion

Well, there was one HAPPY little boy in our house yesterday. What started out as a plain brown box exploded into a Thomas extravaganza! After I peeked in and saw there were 4 new trains on top, I decided to dole them out a few days apart, to make the magic last. But he snatched Harvey before I could even react.

Three Thomas shirts, three Thomas sippy cups, one pair Thomas swimming shorts, one Thomas lift-and-peek book, and lots of squeals and giggles. Not bad for an evening. My mom kept eye-ing the new toys and gifts and I pulled them from the box. I could see that secretly she was in awe of all the incredible grandparenting that was being produced in front of her eyes. The box came from Brent's grandparents in Pennsylvania, for an Easter present.

"Don't be insecure," I said. "Brent loves you!"
"But....but...everything in the box is so wonderful! Where did they get those shirts? How did they find those trains? I've looked everywhere!"

She was just kidding, of course. But she was right, he was very very happy!

A short video of him showing off Harvey, and one saying how happy he is! Or click below to watch from YouTube

A long night...

Well, I haven't written about this, but for some time Brent has had trouble sleeping. He wakes often, or doesn't seem to really sleep soundly. There is constant tossing and turning and snoring and more turning...and did I mention the SNORING?

Last night I finally went in there around 3 am and asked him if he wanted me to stay. Usually he just falls back asleep, but he took me up on it, and I got my blanket and laid beside him. I settled in and watched as he tried sleeping again, with his mouth wide open trying to get some air. And then the snoring started... The kind that I know all too well from living with my Mom. I'm almost 100% positive he has sleep apnea. Or that maybe allergies of some sort are causing the same symptoms. So long story short, I'm taking him in to see the ENT in a few weeks. Hopefully I can try some home remedies before then to help alleviate the symptoms a bit.

Other than that, we had a really good weekend. Our friends came over on Saturday and he got to play with little Lucy for awhile. She even played Thomas trains with him. I'm pretty sure that's like accepting a marriage proposal to a 2 yr old boy!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!