Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I'm slow, but Devin isn't. ALSO.

Sometimes, you have to explain the joke for me to get it. Sometimes, I still don't get it. It's probably not surprising that I'm not a very good joke teller.

Devin woke up and came downstairs this morning and I said to him, "What's up?" He pointed at his chest. "Your shirt?" I asked, confused. He smiled at me recognizing that I'm slow. He pointed again at his chest. "OH! You! You're up!"

Isn't that clever? Devin is a funny clown.

Here's the also part. I signed Trevor up for T-Ball. I signed him up late. I would have signed him up for Soccer, which all his friends play, but I missed the cut-off. Anyway, he's signed up for t-ball, and he's missed all the practices, and the first game is on Thursday if it doesn't rain. I've been trying to teach him the game. Who knew it had so many rules? Who knew I would remember enough rules to think there are "so many rules"?

Monday, April 21, 2008

It's not fair!

My kids say this some times. Then, I try to tell them they don't know anything about unfairness and tell them how some families struggle to get enough to eat.

Just now, Devin said something was not fair. I'm not sure what. Here was Trevor's response.

"You know what's not fair? Some people don't even get enough to eat!"

I wish this meant he really understood just how unfair life is. But, I think he was just repeating what he had heard. From me.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Trash

When our creek flooded a few weeks ago, trash from far away places landed in our yard.

Trevor isn't big on litter. He thinks it should be in the garbage can. So, he picked up a piece of garbage, and noted that someone had littered. We threw away that garbage.

Then, he picked up another piece of garbage and noted again that someone had littered. I told him that we should throw that away. He said, "Hey, why don't we recycle this?"

So, we did.

I love that he's doing his part to take care of the planet. I really, really do.

And...


DEVIN IS POTTY TRAINED. We sent him to school on Monday in underwear and two changes of clothes. He went through both sets of clothes. On Tuesday, we did the same, but he came home in the same set of clothes he went to school in. And, he's sleeping through the night without having accidents.

This is cool. I really think I am out of the diaper business. Woo-hoo...

Monday, April 14, 2008

Random updates

Devin is...

...sleeping through the night in underwear without wetting the bed about 50% of the time.

...wearing underwear at home and using the potty for all his bodily waste needs almost 100% of the time
......(car trips and playing outside remain opportunities.)

...wearing underwear to school today for the first time.

...full of attitude. His dad told him to shut the basement door or Socks would get out of the house. He responded with, "I don't care, dad. I just don't care."

...tired of being second fiddle to his brother. I can't explain how I know this, but I do. He wants his "own" toys. He wants to choose what TV he watches. He wants to be an individual instead of just Trevor's little brother..

Trevor is...

...sensitive.

...fascinated in Ben 10.

...fascinated in computer games.

...interested in becoming independent. I let him run on the boardwalk behind our house on his own without following and without watching him. He said, "why did you let me do that?" I told him it was because I trusted him to stay on the boardwalk and come back. He promised that he would always stay on the boardwalk and come right back. (This was a big moment for me, too, this letting him be more independent.)

...needs to work on his empathy despite his sensitivity. He saw a toddler in glasses yesterday and told me that a baby in glasses is "hilarious."

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Worst Case Scenario Engine

I have a highly developed worst case scenario engine. I always have. It preceded my becoming a mother, but when parenthood hit me, I realized just how important and invaluable my worst case scenario engine truly is. I'm sure we would all be dead now save for my worst case scenario engine.

I recognize my beloved engine as a personality defect and I certainly didn't mean to pass it on to my child.

But, I have. Just like I passed on short, stubby fingers, pale skin, and a certain roundness, I have passed on a highly developed worst case scenario engine to Trevor.

I know this because today he gave me a list of things he never wants to see:
1) Two tornadoes. One is bad, but two would be much worse.
2) A black hole. Even though they happen in space, they could start in space and then suck up the earth.
3) A meteor. (We suspect this killed the dinosaurs).
4) A volcano. (If it wasn't a meteor, it was probably a volcano).
5) It would be OK if a tree fell, as long as it didn't fall on our house.

His engine is scarier than my engine really.

It never occurred to me to be worried about a black hole.

Until.

Today.