If only I had a dollar for every time I've asked that question. Darn.
Poor little Caleb. Actually, you were probably pulling my chain the entire evening. No telling. We had fish and chips [with Chris and Jane] for dinner tonight. You've only tried fish once and you didn't like it. It was baked though, without any breading and not a whole lot of seasoning. I'm sure, to a kid, it was horrifying. But tonight it was lightly breaded halibut with french fries and I even made tartar sauce. I figured that'd surely work. After all, breaded fish is basically just a fancy chicken nugget, right?
But, apparently you really, really don't like fish.
I made you a little plate with fries, ketchup, one small piece of fish and some tartar sauce. You took one teeny bite then cringed, shivered and said you didn't like it. I wasn't convinced. No one can make a fair judgment after a taste so small. You were happy to finish off your fries. Before you did, though, I gave you fair warning that you weren't going to be allowed to fill up on french fries and nothing else. I told you that you either had to eat the piece of fish or a small pile of coleslaw. You opted for the coleslaw, but picked at it one little shred at a time. Not okay. I thought maybe you'd like the fish if it was dipped in ketchup. No deal. You shuddered and winced and acted like you were going to die. Maybe you thought you would. [I have similar but vague memories from my childhood and they involve peas.] After a looooong time of coaxing, demanding, etc. You asked, "Mom, isn't it past my bedtime?" Indeed, it was. When I answered in the affirmative, you slid off your seat with a smile and sang, "Well. I guess I'm off to bed." But, I wasn't going to let you out of it that easily. "No Sir, Caleb Thomas." At that, you wilted. You turned into a puddle of tears and asked if I'd please spank you instead of making you finish. Yeouch. What am I supposed to do with that? Maybe last time we encountered this battle of wills I gave you the option to eat the specified food or get a spanking? Not sure. But, I couldn't spank you. I asked you to look into my eyes and told you that all I really wanted you to do was to obey me. Please, please Caleb. Please just obey me. It's my job to keep you safe and healthy and strong. I'm just trying to do those things and it isn't likely to happen if you won't obey me.
I sent you to bed without a spanking, so I probably had the wool pulled over my eyes. I didn't read you a story, though, so I hope you don't feel like you won any battles. I guess that now it's safe to say that you really, really don't like fish.
I promise I won't make you try it again.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
You Stinker!
It's only 9:30, and I've already had two very clear realizations:
1) The title to this post, "You Stinker", may very well have occasion to be used over, and over and over on this blog.
2) The entire direction of my day can be changed drastically, just by opening a door.
So, here goes. Back to the post. Owen, you are a stinker. Literally AND figuratively.
You didn't make a peep for a long time this morning. Actually, you didn't make any noise at all. I mistakenly assumed that meant you were sleeping in a little. Wrong. It was time to get things going, so I opened your door. What did I find? Stink. You'd had a dirty diaper and, being such a good baby, decided to help out by taking it off. You were sitting on top of your teddy bear [ewww] with a naked, dirty butt and your dirty diaper sitting at the opposite corner of the crib. I tried to mop things up as best as possible, but I think it had been just long enough that things were pretty well dried. [ick]
That's where the "direction of my day changing" part comes in - showers were necessary, stat. Thus began my first shower with you, Owen. Yay! You've been in there before, just for fun. I never actually set you down and let you play while we both got clean, though. I thought you might still be a little small, but you did just fine. There were several episodes of the curtain flying back and hysterical baby giggles, but overall it went just fine. You enjoyed popping bubbles and hollering "Bubba, bubba, bubba!" I imagine this routine will become the norm starting in the fall, when we have to get Caleb off to school early in the morning. [Speaking of that, I keep meaning to start looking for a 'drop your kid off at school before showering' baseball cap, because I have a feeling I'm gonna need one!]
So, Owen, you had your first shower this morning, and then you did, too, Caleb! Yours was solo, though. I told you that since O was already clean that you could have a bath by yourself this time. [Bathtime, out of necessity, has been two-at-a-time ever since O has been big enough.] I figured you'd jump at the offer, because you love to stretch out and play in the whole bath. No deal. You wanted a shower, too. So, I peeked around the curtain and instructed you on how to get clean in the shower. For a boy who doesn't like water, it's a little challenging. I thought we might have trouble when, after only stepping into the shower, you said, "But I don't want to get wet!" Aaugh! You ended up doing just fine, though, and thought the whole thing was quite fun.
A new era, of boys showering, may have dawned in the Taylor household this morning. Now, massive amounts of dirty [really dirty] baby laundry must ensue. Here goes!
1) The title to this post, "You Stinker", may very well have occasion to be used over, and over and over on this blog.
2) The entire direction of my day can be changed drastically, just by opening a door.
So, here goes. Back to the post. Owen, you are a stinker. Literally AND figuratively.
You didn't make a peep for a long time this morning. Actually, you didn't make any noise at all. I mistakenly assumed that meant you were sleeping in a little. Wrong. It was time to get things going, so I opened your door. What did I find? Stink. You'd had a dirty diaper and, being such a good baby, decided to help out by taking it off. You were sitting on top of your teddy bear [ewww] with a naked, dirty butt and your dirty diaper sitting at the opposite corner of the crib. I tried to mop things up as best as possible, but I think it had been just long enough that things were pretty well dried. [ick]
That's where the "direction of my day changing" part comes in - showers were necessary, stat. Thus began my first shower with you, Owen. Yay! You've been in there before, just for fun. I never actually set you down and let you play while we both got clean, though. I thought you might still be a little small, but you did just fine. There were several episodes of the curtain flying back and hysterical baby giggles, but overall it went just fine. You enjoyed popping bubbles and hollering "Bubba, bubba, bubba!" I imagine this routine will become the norm starting in the fall, when we have to get Caleb off to school early in the morning. [Speaking of that, I keep meaning to start looking for a 'drop your kid off at school before showering' baseball cap, because I have a feeling I'm gonna need one!]
So, Owen, you had your first shower this morning, and then you did, too, Caleb! Yours was solo, though. I told you that since O was already clean that you could have a bath by yourself this time. [Bathtime, out of necessity, has been two-at-a-time ever since O has been big enough.] I figured you'd jump at the offer, because you love to stretch out and play in the whole bath. No deal. You wanted a shower, too. So, I peeked around the curtain and instructed you on how to get clean in the shower. For a boy who doesn't like water, it's a little challenging. I thought we might have trouble when, after only stepping into the shower, you said, "But I don't want to get wet!" Aaugh! You ended up doing just fine, though, and thought the whole thing was quite fun.
A new era, of boys showering, may have dawned in the Taylor household this morning. Now, massive amounts of dirty [really dirty] baby laundry must ensue. Here goes!
Monday, April 20, 2009
A Blog For My Boys
I had this idea several weeks ago, but it's taken some time to get myself, well, organized. Selecting a domain and title for a new blog is not an easy task. But, the days are getting longer, brighter and warmer. After an afternoon of watching you two play in the backyard, it didn't take long for it to come to me...you two are my sunshine.
Brightness, radiance, cheerfulness, happiness. It's true. For all of those things, you two are my source. Life with you is wonderful. Breathtaking. But, it's moving so darn fast these days, that I fear I'm missing it. I don't know how many times in the last few days I've stared at you, Caleb, and wondered when in the world it was that you got so big? You're hardly a little boy any more. You look so grown up and I'm not quite sure when it happened. I've also found myself drinking you in, Owen. Wishing I could remember forever the sound of your words - the singsong melody when you call, "Mama, Mama, Mama!" Oh, how thankful I am to be that Mama!
I need a place to remember the days. I wish it could all fit in my mind, crystal-clear and perfect. I wish I could record every second. I know better, though. I know this will be the best I can do. Tidbits of information, funny quips, pictures that capture the moments. It'll be the memory of our days. I hope it will someday be a place that you will cherish as much as I will. I look forward to sharing every second with you and, hopefully, t ucking as many away as I can to pull out later, to enjoy all over again.
PS - I'm not being entirely truthful when I say that I have two boys. In actuality, I have three. My first boy is also my biggest...my husband. My dear Zach, I hope it doesn't offend you when I refer to you as one of my boys. I'm so thankful for you and for exactly who you are. I am truly blessed to have you. You are silly and fun when that's what I need and a fortress of strength for me when I need your broad shoulder for support. Thank you for being all of those things for me. So, earlier when I was talking about my boys as being my source of all things wonderful, I hope you realize that applies just as much to you, too. You are so precious. Just as I've wondered in awe at how time with the little ones has passed, I do the same with you. I can't believe we're about to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary. I'm blown away by how good every single day is with you, and it leaves my longing for the next, and the next, and the next. I'm honored to be your wife and I'm thankful that my two sonshines have you for their Daddy. There could be no better...
sun⋅shine
[suhn-shahyn] –noun
| 1. | the shining of the sun; direct light of the sun. |
| 2. | brightness or radiance; cheerfulness or happiness. |
| 3. | a source of cheer or happiness. |
| 4. | the effect of the sun in lighting and heating a place. |
| 5. | a place where the direct rays of the sun fall. |
Brightness, radiance, cheerfulness, happiness. It's true. For all of those things, you two are my source. Life with you is wonderful. Breathtaking. But, it's moving so darn fast these days, that I fear I'm missing it. I don't know how many times in the last few days I've stared at you, Caleb, and wondered when in the world it was that you got so big? You're hardly a little boy any more. You look so grown up and I'm not quite sure when it happened. I've also found myself drinking you in, Owen. Wishing I could remember forever the sound of your words - the singsong melody when you call, "Mama, Mama, Mama!" Oh, how thankful I am to be that Mama!
I need a place to remember the days. I wish it could all fit in my mind, crystal-clear and perfect. I wish I could record every second. I know better, though. I know this will be the best I can do. Tidbits of information, funny quips, pictures that capture the moments. It'll be the memory of our days. I hope it will someday be a place that you will cherish as much as I will. I look forward to sharing every second with you and, hopefully, t ucking as many away as I can to pull out later, to enjoy all over again.
PS - I'm not being entirely truthful when I say that I have two boys. In actuality, I have three. My first boy is also my biggest...my husband. My dear Zach, I hope it doesn't offend you when I refer to you as one of my boys. I'm so thankful for you and for exactly who you are. I am truly blessed to have you. You are silly and fun when that's what I need and a fortress of strength for me when I need your broad shoulder for support. Thank you for being all of those things for me. So, earlier when I was talking about my boys as being my source of all things wonderful, I hope you realize that applies just as much to you, too. You are so precious. Just as I've wondered in awe at how time with the little ones has passed, I do the same with you. I can't believe we're about to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary. I'm blown away by how good every single day is with you, and it leaves my longing for the next, and the next, and the next. I'm honored to be your wife and I'm thankful that my two sonshines have you for their Daddy. There could be no better...
[August 2008 - Z 28, C 4, O 11.5 mos]
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