My 5:30 wake up call this morning was not a welcome one. I rolled out of bed with a grumble, but as I stood outside the door listening to the chitter chatter of the two youngest brothers, I giggled out loud. Lochlan was doing his Tiger growl imitation, which he started mimicking last night. We've been trying to encourage the Tiger in this household to growl (as a good tiger should) to express himself instead of the high pitched screech he (and Lochlan) seem to defer to. The growl is much kinder on the ears. The mini-growl from "Jevy" is positively loveable.
I signed "I love you" to Paugie this morning from across the room. He smiled, jumped off the couch and threw himself into my arms for a hug. Why, oh why, dear boy do you have to be so universally charming? Of course, those weren't my thoughts yesterday afternoon when I wrestled him into his car seat following a particularly trying run through Trader Joes. Life with Paugie is like one big wave... as long as you know how to surf well, you'll love it! To say nothing of my surfing skills, I do love participating in the process of this boy growing into manhood.
"Mommy you need to take me to the hospital in your truck." Going-to-sleep stalling technique number 4 from tonight. When I asked the Tiger why he needed to go to the hospital he assured me it would make his perfectly robust body feel better. Yeah, because hospitals do that.
On the discipline front, there has been some frustration with the "slipping standards" of regulation. Yesterday, Paugie got in Madigan's way when he rolled his car across the train track being so delicately crafted by the Tiger. Madigan walked over to grab the spray bottle ("Memory water", we call it - helps remind household members to be obedient when they are teetering on the edge of naughty choices) and headed in Paugie's direction. After removing the water bottle from his paws, I reminded him: "Only Mommy and Daddy will remind Paugie when he needs to make better choices. When I think Paugie needs a reminder, I will make the decision to do so." Madigan looked at me with his hands clasped behind his back, and waited a few seconds before saying, "Well, Mommy, are you going to make the decision?" The impatience in his voice made it clear that I was not meeting his expectations, by a long shot.
Well dear friends, we are headed out to take Lochlan to the car factory (chiropractor).
1 comment:
Oh, dear...I can see Madigan striding the wall while his brothers are singing, "look down, look down...." What a tribe you have....
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