Friday, December 19, 2014

Real Conversation

This is my normal, but sometimes the little happenings and conversations of each day make me pause and rethink sanity. These are the moments that make me smile over and over and they are powerfully profound/hilarious/ridiculous/totally-not-normal.

Real conversations with a three year old: 
"Mommy, say 'Paugie, why are you in the cabinet?'" "Paugie, why are you in the cabinet?" "BECAUSE! I'm in the cabinet!" (Repeat entire scenario 7 times.)
"Paugie, please stop running the water in the sink." "No, I can't. It's my pond." "Paugie, the pond is full enough." (Into tearful despair) "Mommy, it will turn into a lake. I can't turn the water off."
"Here, Paugie. Let's put your sweater on." Sobbing ensues. Sweater on. "Mommy, it's too small." "Paugie, it fits just fine." "No, Mommy, it's too cold." "It will help warm you up, Paugie." "No, Mommy, it's sick. It has germs." Fine! Take the darn sweater off, already!
Midnight wailing from the boy's room. "Daddy, I need my pants on!" Daddy obliges. More despair. "Daddy, I need my shirt off!" Daddy obliges. The magic recipe for peaceful slumber.
This little brown bear follows me from room to room, chattering continually, or just walking behind me, helping in every task. He is a constant companion and his presence is one of my greatest treasures. My heart feels an ache, sometimes, for sheer joy at watching him grow into the tender, compassionate, and intuitive man he is becoming.

Jevy has morphed into the fearless daredevil and general busybody (nuisance) in the past 8 days - some developmental wonder which requires continual vigilance in Mommy's disaster aversion. A few snippets from our day: climbed onto the massage table and got stuck trying to get back off again, climbed from small step stool onto the counter top to test Mommy's tea, climbed from the crib onto the changing table (where he was rescued by Daddy from certain disaster), smashed a glass on the floor and proceeded to pick up the larger shards to throw again and observe the scattering affect on all remaining shards, emptied dog food bowl onto (all of) kitchen floor, unearthed mustard from fridge and poured it into the empty dog bowl (THAT could have been much worse!) and pulled 3 stacks of folded laundry onto the floor to paw through. Amidst this deluge of activity, his eyes catch mine and he runs into my open arms and throws himself onto me with a hearty laugh, giving me all his love in that moment. His love really is boundless and complete.

The littlest human in our midst is ever-morphing into a hopeless heart shmelter of all whom he encounters, but his toilet diving is not for the faint-hearted. He has a knack for knowing when the gate is open and access to the bathroom is fair game. The bigger little people in my life seem to have an uncanny inability to close said gate, so I am on ready-alert at all times. If I get distracted (confession: it happens), at least I always know where to find the critter. If all gates are closed and humans accounted for, then Shmelty Caleb will be found hunting the floor for any morsel of yumminess or nastiness that is available. All is well (for me) as he lays his head on my chest and sighs in contentment, or looks up from his latest adventure and smiles at me with his whole face.

My tiger overwhelms me all day every day with his insight, his ability to solve any dilemma, his unceasing energy, his enthusiasm for anything new, his excitement about getting to see the people he loves, his frustration with any perceived injustice. The greatest form of torture in his life is sleep. Bedtime stall #462: "Mommy, I'm breathing. It's so cold that if I go to sleep you won't be able to see my breathing. So I can't go to sleep." #463: "I think my brothers will dream better if I'm not in the room." #464: "Mommy, that's beautiful! I love what you've done with the cabinet (I'm repainting kitchen cabinets ever-so-slowly)! I think you need some help!" #465: "I need you to pat my back and not stop (ever)." Oh gosh, this boy is such a treasure store of all that is wonderful and inspiring.

Hiking buddies
We had a sunny day
So, we made the most of it. 
Even winter has it's own beauty. 
Little man. Big tree. Mommy's gloves.
Homemade Christmas Tree.
Just readin' Pilgrim's Progress. 
Team 2 in cupboard-town.
You only think it's empty. 
Well, it doesn't have pots/pans anymore, so 
you're kind of right. It's full of little men! 

Thursday, December 04, 2014

500 Blog Entries



This is my 500th blog entry. Crazy, that. Here are some nuggets since the beginning:

2006


2007

2008




2009





2010





2011





2012







2013







2014











Sunday, November 30, 2014

Trucks, apple cores and hugs.

Tiger logic: "Bundle, eat your food." "I can't eat because I'm thinking." "I need you to eat." "Okay, then I'll NEVER think again." Bummer.
"Mommy, please drive over the hill." "No, Bundle, because I just drove past the turn to go up the hill and it will be too hard to turn around in this traffic." "Okay, then, Christmas is NEVER coming again. We'll not be able to have a tree, and I'm going to be so unhappy." Understandable. ?
"Bundle, how many apples have you eaten today?" "I had one. See, this is one, and this is one, and this is one, and this is one." (Obviously) Snacking doesn't count (literally).

Paugieland: "Mommy, look how beautiful it is outside!" "I know, Paugie, this day is wonderful!" "It's perfect! Mommy, it's purple!" All things great are... purple.
"Paugie, you need to put your pants on." "I don't think so. I'm praying." Got it.
"Paugie, are you running water again?" "No Mommy, I'm playing in the pond (bathroom sink). It's the purple pond." Of course.
"Mommy, I'm tired." "Oh, Paugie, do you want to take a little rest?" "No, Mommy, I want to snuggle and I need a morning mug, and my blanket." Cure for many an ill.
"Daddy, give me a hug and a kiss. Give Lochlan a hug and a kiss. Give Bundo a hug and a kiss. Give Kelto a hug and a kiss. Daddy, Daddy, don't go (commence weeping and hysteria)... you have to kiss Mommy and give her a hug too!" He hadn't seen that Mommy was first in line. :-) He's always insistent that the love be complete and thoroughly given in this household.

The babies? Just being awesome, like always. Jevy swaggers about with a smile, throwing himself jovially into any welcoming arms. This morning, Jevy reached his paws around Kelto who had awkwardly climbed upon him and said in his toddler speak, "I wuv you." Kelto is crawling from room to room, eating all things gross and inedible, smiling at everyone he encounters, and trying to keep tabs on Mommy (impossible mission, even for a really, really determined baby).

Team WORK. 

It's always a good time for a hug.

Always. 


Hide and seek in the woods. "Run, Mommy, hide!" 

"Come on, lil bro." 

Thursday, November 27, 2014

I'm counting

Last week: 7 days, 4 sick boys, 2 weary parents, 34 loads of laundry, 32 diarrhea diapers, 1 (very) sick dog, 1 very large vet bill, 4 bitterly cold days.

As if to spite the challenges, the sun has risen every day, the little people in my life are filled with enthusiasm each morning to see what the day holds for them, and I have only to sit down and marvel and what I've been given. The boy I married 13 years ago is such a wonderful father to this pack of happy boys and yet still has capacity (energy) to love me heartily. I am surrounded by 5 wonderful men, 1 delightful Cray-Cray, 1 determined Scottish Terrier, and 2 beautiful horses - I am thankful.

The ever-talented Gumbum (see her website!) snapped this gallery when she visited a couple weeks ago.