And feel free to tell me your kids’ funny words

After we ate tonight I was having a little chat with Madeline in the backyard. She’s getting pretty good at these utterly hilarious monologues. I really ought to catch one on video.

Anyway, one of the things she kept saying was “he has a badegg” and I finally realized she meant ‘headache.’ (She pronounces the word ‘egg’ as ‘aay-g’ so in her mind it does sound like ‘ache.’)

She was talking about her stuffed dog, by the way.

Drew’s got a couple of wrong word usages himself. This morning I asked if he wanted his shoes on and he said “no, I’ll just nuse my feet for now, Mama.”

And both of them say “nemember?”

It’s a bit too cute for me to correct.

For now.

Finally

Introducing Drew’s room, new and improved.

When Drew came home from preschool and saw it he exclaimed, “You fixed my room, Mommy! I LOVE IT!” and then ran over so he could slap me a high-five.

Today’s post brought to you in part by ‘A Bug’s Life’

My parents are probably at the airport by now. It’s always sad to see them go. The past two days have been overcast here and I always have to fight to maintain a cheerful spirit when the weather is gray. And oftentimes I lose. Cup of tea, anyone?

I picked up Drew from preschool yesterday… (nevermind that I was daydreaming and missed the main turn and then tried to feel my way back via backroads. I totally made it there by the hair of my chinny chin chin. They’re strict; six minutes late and you have to pay a late fee!)

There were no tears. Andy said he had hopped on out of the van in the morning with a “bye, Dad!” thrown over his shoulder as he trotted off with his new teacher. When I went to get him later he was still just his happy self. Apparently there was a birthday because he said they ate some cake “but not for [his] birthday because [his] birthday is in January.”

The other funny thing he told me is “THEY DIDN’T TEACH ME MY ABC’S!!!”

Me: “But, Drew, didn’t you learn about “A” today?”

“Yes, and apple.”

“It’s one letter a week, bud. Not everything at once.”

He also asked me if my sisters would be at our house when we got there and I said no, they’re at school. He said “I go to school now, too, because I’m big. I’m big like Micah.” (Micah was a little boy we knew up North that started kindergarten last year and so Drew naturally thought he was big time.)

Other than that we’ve just been hanging out with my family, including eating junk food and making a trip to Target yesterday with my mom and sisters. They needed fun things like college room accessories and I needed paper towels. Hmph.

The rain has made the temps a little on the chilly side, so last night I rummaged around in my attic a bit and am happy to report that most of my kids warmer clothes still fit. Madeline’s jeans are waaaaay too short, but otherwise we’re good to go. Is it just me or did the summer seem not very long and not very hot?

Although, this is the South. We could be warm until November.

The Wasp Saga Continues and also, First Day of Preschool

Yesterday morning Andy was standing at the kitchen sink and got attacked by another wasp. In our own kitchen! He’s sure it came in from along that wall somewhere, maybe the window or the light fixture?

We remembered we had seen one outside entering the electrical meter box thingie. Andy took the kids down the street to the hardware store and bought some wasp spray. When they got home, they came inside (for obvious reasons) and Andy opened the box door.

He was expecting maybe ten or so wasps to be in there. Instead, a huge ball of at least a hundred were waiting for him. He sprayed the life out of the can and ran. (Unfortunately I failed to capture it on video.)

So that was probably our problem; they were getting in by following the electrical cables into the house and through the walls. Nice.

Hopefully that will be the end of it. Good riddance.

And thanks to Fay, we started preschool this morning in the middle of a downpour. It’s a good thing Andy was around to take Drew or he would have been late. I’m a little out of practice for getting three little kids and myself out the door before 8:45 a.m.

(Okay, I never was in practice. Ahem.)

As Drew was eating his breakfast, I was telling him he needed to hurry so he could go to school and his response was “Yeah! Because I’m growing up!”

True that.

Preschool, Oh how nice to meet you

Drew starts Pre-K on Tuesday.

(What’s that? The angel bells are ringing?!)

This morning Andy and I took him to the orientation and to see his classroom and meet his teachers. We are thrilled with the program and I know it’s going to be perfect for him. And besides that, I’m looking forward to having Madeline around without Drew dominating everything. First-born child and all.

Before school starts, however, I have to teach him how to do the entire potty trip by himself. (Um, mom???) They also need to be able to do everything for their lunch themselves, such as opening containers, etc. Good things to learn for kindergarten, really.

So, no, if you were ever curious, I’m not planning on homeschooling. At least in my current state of mind. I’ll let you know if it changes.

But don’t hold your breath.

Also – there is a peanut allergy in Drew’s class. So that means no peanut butter & jellies. Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. What the heck am I supposed to make for him? Veggie burgers?! Microwaving food isn’t really an option, either. So that’s gonna be interesting.

That and the 9 a.m. drop-off.

But it’s only two days a week and worth it. I can hardly believe we are already approaching school-age, even if it’s pre-!

The time, is does fly.

Ugh, Not Again!

The scene: hall bathroom, 2:47 a.m.

The players: Drew and Mommy

The event: Wet Bed

————————

Mommy (dressing Drew into fresh pajamas after bath): Do you need to go potty?

Drew: No, I already went.

Mommy (thinking, not aloud, sarcastically): Well there’s the Understatement of the Year.

————————

(Concluding note to self): Cut off all liquids after dinner.

No exceptions.

Since we’ve been here…

• When we first arrived at my parents’ house, my mom dropped everything to get ready for an event she had to go to that night. She was just finishing up getting dressed in this gorgeously feminine red suit and Drew walked in, took one look at her, and goes, “NICE!” I fully expected him to give her a high-five.
• One day we grown-ups were discussing plans our for the day when Drew piped up with a very enthusiastic “won’t that be great?!”
• Drew: “What’s the atter, Madelaide?” I think Adelaide was whining about something. It was cute to see such a little boy get tongue-tied.
• I asked Drew if he wanted his socks and shoes on to go outside, and he replied “No, just my feet.”
• Somehow Drew and Madeline climbed up into my parents’ Blazer and found an old dark pink lipstick in the console compartment. I won’t even tell you what a mess that was or how hard it was to remove from clothing, hands, and faces.
• “I eat all the tic-tacs!” Madeline, pointing to her mouthful of half-eaten tic-tacs, sugary drool dripping down her chin.
• A couple of nights ago before dinner we were starting to pray and Drew looked up, interrupted and said “we’re praying, Cassandra.” (In the most condescending tone ever.) We all bust out laughing.
• I left Drew and Madeline with Carrissa over at my grandparents’ house Sunday night so I could come back and put the baby to bed. They were playing Legos with my Granddad and didn’t want to leave, and she was watching the Country Music Awards there anyway. Later when they walked through the door, Madeline was carrying this flat rectangular lego creation she’d made. Carrissa told me she had asked her what it was and Madeline had replied, “a dog.” Could’ve fooled me.
• Last night as my mom was tucking Drew and Madeline in bed, Drew looked up at her and said, “thanks for having us, Grandmommy.” She melted. And no, I did not put him up to it.

Leave it to Drew

to walk down the aisle, completely oblivious of Madeline trailing behind, and swinging the ring pillow around in circles as if it was a lifeguard’s whistle.

Apparently we weren’t very clear with the directions.

The wedding was gorgeous! The after-party is here at my aunt’s, but hopefully afterwards I’ll have a chance to upload some pictures.

So back to the poolside I go.

Little bit o’ drama

I had a post planned for tonight, but Andy just took Drew to the ER for possible stitches on the back of his head. I wasn’t in the room to see it but, as far as I can tell, Drew and Madeline were horsing around (as usual) and he must have knocked his head on the corner of the coffee chest. I knew immediately from his cry that he truly was hurt; he’s made of rubber and typically doesn’t cry much.

Unless he has to get off his bike and go to bed. Which is understandable.

And I’ll save you the rest of the details. But it sort of sucked the life out of me and any post I might have had right along with it.

Hopefully I’ll have an update later saying he’s home and it turned out to not be a big deal.

Another Drew clip, courtesy of my sister

I had forgotten about this! My sister sent it to me in the comments on the last post. I think he was 3 when this was taken, at our old backyard in Tennessee. (It’s my sisters who are talking to him.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rISBoAWd7MA&hl=en]

Mom, you’re not gonna believe this!

Drew has been begging Andy to take his training wheels off. We keep deflecting his requests with “when it gets warm/hot/to be summer outside.” And then every time we comment on the weather he pipes up with “can we take my training wheels off now?” as if on cue.

That clip was taken only about 20 minutes after the wheels came off.

And, well, this should keep him occupied for the next fourteen years.

The SAHS

(Stay-At-Home-Son)

He dressed himself today, can you tell?

In which my slow-pitch softball skillz come in handy

I come from a fairly athletic family. I did a variety of sports growing up (only through high school; in college I was too busy chasing after Andy-type boys and pretending to study) and could usually hold my own on the field, court, or diving board.

Which really just means I acted like I knew what I was doing and most people were none the wiser. But my dad and brother played soccer in college, my mom was a P.E. major, and we just have athletes sort of everywhere.

I suppose I should also say something about Andy – he played soccer and basketball. There. Oh, and he has a really good arm.

The athletic gene seems to have skipped over Madeline entirely. She’s one klutzy little girl; she trips quite regularly over her own two feet. She also spills things all the time. (Consequently, sippy cup tops are currently mandatory for her.)

Drew, on the other hand, is quite coordinated for a four-year-old. Almost surprisingly so. He can dribble a soccer ball, is quite fast, and the last few days has been entertaining me with his future tee-ball skillz.

We were out there playing together this afternoon and boy is he relentless. He gets really mad when I try to quit and sneak back inside. Wants me to pitch him this blue bouncy ball all the live-long day. He’s got a fat cardboard bat that is just his size, and we could stand out there for hours; me pitching him the ball, him whacking the guts out of it.

I have finally stopped chasing after the thing. I mean, I have to draw the line somewhere. So now when he hits it, he has to go after it. It’s a much better situation for a mama who’d rather be inside painting her toenails and eating bon-bons.

(Okay, not really on that last part. I do enjoy my son and his sporty games. But for pete’s sake, all things in moderation.)

Puddle Jumping, Part II

Here’s what Drew was covertly doing this morning while Andy and I sipped our coffee:

Yelling through the window for Madeline to come out and join him:

(A suggestion that was met with a resounding “No!” from the Department of Parental Services.)

Now, I hate to throw (more) rain on his parade, but since pneumonia isn’t on the agenda for the next several weeks, we did eventually make him come inside to get dry and, well, dressed.

Rough and Tumble

So, where was I?

Oh yes. John and Vangie (my cousin) were in town for a music something-or-other this weekend so we got them Saturday night through Sunday dinner.

We always have fun with them. It’s nice to hang out with people that are generally likeminded and you don’t have to explain your whole life story to.

Because Vange and I? We go back a little ways.

And she’s the only college roommate I ever had. She put up with me – which is convenient – and did my laundry the entire semester we were in France. (Shrunk my favorite sweater once, though.)

But anyway, that’s not really what I was going to write about.

While we were eating our yummy (thankyouverymuch) stir-fry, I looked up to where Drew was standing at the top of the stairs, with his pants and underwear down around his ankles, and watched him in slow motion (or so it seemed) fall headfirst down the stairs.

He’s fine. A little red bump on his forehead, but otherwise no worse for wear. A little dent to the pride, perhaps, if he’d been a little older.

The poor little guy! He was just tryin’ to get those pesky pants back up and needed a little help. Didn’t realize you can’t actually walk down the stairs with your legs and feet thus tied.

But, man, it was a sight I’m sure we won’t soon forget.

Life, it happens. Even on Easter Sunday.

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday, despite all that I’m about to tell you.

We started by piling the kids up on our bed and giving them their Easter baskets. Of course that was exciting; they’re always thrilled with cheap toys and candy. (And I really don’t want to know the combined sugar intake for today. Ahem.)

Drew immediately ran outside and tested out the new sidewalk chalk, jammies and all. And then after I got the two of them ready, Andy whisked ‘em off to Sunday School. Ahh, peaceful bliss. And coffee.

Instead of chasing Adelaide around while I tried to get my own self ready, I plopped her in the tub with a few inches of water and the bath toys. She was happy to splash around and I was happy to have her so contained.

Except, after a few minutes, I peeked around at her and the bath water was brown.

Never a good sign.

She had had herself a little bath Poop Fest ’08. I’ll spare you the remaining details. Suffice it to say, I was very late to church. And surprised to find that Andy and the kids weren’t sitting in our usual pew.

The organist resigned a few weeks ago and so Andy had been asked to lead the hymns, a cappella (and standing up front). Which meant that he and the kids were sitting on the very front row. How embarrassing.

After church we had our big Easter dinner over at his parents’ house. Here’s a little smattering of the pictures from today:

We brought the kids home for afternoon naps (I personally didn’t get one, unfortunately). Afterwards we re-dressed everyone in church clothes and went back a little early since Andy still had to lead the music.

We had been sitting (yep, again in the front row) for several minutes, waiting for the service to start, and Madeline whispered she had to go potty.

So I took her back to the bathroom and the next thing I know, Drew shows up. (How did you get here?!) Apparently he also had to go potty. And helped himself to leaving the sanctuary, all by himself.

(Andy later told me the service had just begun; he was facing the congregation leading the music when all this happened. And, can you just imagine the look on Andy’s face when Drew just upped and strolled out? Andy said he was so shocked he didn’t know what to do – keep singing or chase after Drew. But by then Drew had already walked out the back door and all Andy could do at that point was keep the singing going.)

So after our eternal potty stop, I led the kids back into church – my hands clamped down on theirs. Unfortunately, Drew walked right into one of the jutting-out wall buttresses and smacked his forehead. (This was on our way back up to the front row. Just to clarify.)

I was sure he was going to start crying from the pain, but he didn’t. And poor kid, he now has a red welt on his face.

So back to our front row situation… During the hymn favorites, I was talking to Madeline and turned around to find Drew had totally vanished. I looked towards the back, and there he was – again – about to walk out the back doors! I could hardly believe my eyes! I sort of froze, grabbed Madeline, and ran after him.

I found him in the bathroom; he hadn’t finished going potty the first time around. I gave him a very pointed lecture about how he was not free to just come and go in church as he pleased, he needs to get permission from mama first. And then we returned, yet again, to our front row seats (are you picking up on a pattern here?).

I think my cheeks might still be sporting a slightly reddish hue. I felt even more conspicuous with the lack of an organ to cover any noise. It was dead silent in there. (Well, except for my loud and fidgety children, that is.)   And then Drew finished up the service by walking a finger man up and down the front banister during the benediction. I didn’t notice until he’d already passed back and forth a few times.

Of course we didn’t let the kids see, but Andy and I sure had a good laugh over the whole ordeal. I’m not one to enjoy making a spectacle of ourselves, but I can’t help but laugh over it when it happens.

Oh, and Happy Easter, interpeeps.

Puddle Jumping

Yesterday brought a lot of rain, so even though today was nice, there are several foot-deep mud puddles in various parts of our backyard. Drew took it upon himself to go jumping and splashing out there, not once but twice today.

That’s showing up on my doorstep in two separate sets of clothes, drenched head to toe in muddy water. Two sets of clothes to peel off and carry, dripping, to the laundry room. Two sets of shoes filled with water abandoned outside our front door.

Extra laundry (including a winter coat) and an extra bath.

Now, I understand the need for puddle jumping, I really do. But have some compassion on a poor mama already!

Morning Messes

Usually when Drew does something…uh, questionable…he comes and tells me almost right away. Like, “Mom, I broke the glass,” or “Mom, I touched your camera,” or “Mom, I ate the gum,” (meaning the entire package), or “Mom, I wrote on the wall.” So yesterday morning when he greeted me at the side of my bed with “Mom, look!” holding a bowl filled to the brim with granola – I could only guess at the mess that was waiting for me downstairs.

Oh, the mess.

The toothpaste threw a wrench into what would otherwise have been a quick wipe and vacuum job. (Although, I must say granola doesn’t vacuum very nicely – it pops and pings about the room.) And as soon as I had finished vacuuming the kitchen, I found the kids had spilled an entire box of Cheerios all over the floor in front of the TV.

I think in all, I must have vacuumed for an hour straight. And all before my coffee. I finally came back into the kitchen to brew myself some of that delicious awakening liquid, and did this:

I could hardly believe mine eyes.

At least now when I vacuum, my house smells like a coffee shop. That’s kinda nice.