The Important Question

Remember my son and his questions? Teaching me to be a better writer? Okay, you have to travel way way back to the earlier blogs if you forgot (JINNER!).

Well, here we are in Hawaii visiting the folks, and my son has been asking the same question for the past 2 days.

I happen to love his questions. At least the first 10 times I hear it. And I've learned not take his questions lightly. This one is by far my favorite.

So I put it to you.

"Are you happy?"

Pre co cious

Several people have referred to my son as being precocious.

Precocious. Pre*co*cious.

What the hell?! How dare you?!

Oh. I see. It's not a bad word?

Precocious.

1. mentally advanced for age: developed or mature, especially mentally, at an unusually early age, or showing such advanced development

I think he seems precocious because he is taught our family has rules, rules like manners and being polite. We have certain expectations of him and his behavior. There is a time and place for everything, playtime and serious time. He is taught to put away things that aren't being played with, to clean up messes. He refers to adults as "miss" and "mister". He uses "please" and "excuse me". He is taught there are consequences to his actions.

Precocious? Not sure I agree.

Precious? Infinitely.

Making the Connection 2

My son has a great imagination. One of the things he likes to do is to pretend he is a toy. His favorite is to be the toy that when you push his button (belly) he turns on and starts singing "Jingle Bells."

So the other day...

"Mommy, turn me on."

Okay. I go to push his belly "button."

"No. Not like that," he says waving his hand in front of his body.

I am puzzled. He keeps waving his hand in front of himself.

AHHHH! The light bulb in my head goes off.

"Are you a motion sensor toy?"

Yes!!!

Making the Connection 1

I was driving the car with my father-in-law in the front seat and my son and husband in the back seat. I just finished making a turn when I hear my son's voice talking to me.

"Mom?"

"Yes, babe?"

"I woad."

"You road?"

"No. I just woad."

Part of my job as mommy is to make sense of it all. So I thought for a moment. Woad. Not road. Rewind what had just happened. Oh! He said "Whoa" as I made the turn.

He whoa-ed!

Commitment

When I got married, I made a commitment to my husband.

Through the years, I've had to stop wearing my wedding rings for a time, and eventually I had my rings enlarged.

A few days ago, I made another commitment.

I finally had my rings resized. Smaller.

I made a commitment. Not to him this time. But to me.

The Diplomatic Doctor

Yesterday, my husband and I went back to his surgeon for a check up and to get the stitches out. My husband had been raring at the bit, somewhat stir-crazy, eager to return to work. He wanted to go back on Monday.

I'm thinking he is crazy.

He can barely tolerate riding in the car for 10 minutes. How is he going to drive himself to work (which is a much longer commute) and work 8 hours?

So he brings up the subject with his doctor since the doctor must clear his return to work.

God bless his doctor!!

The doctor is like... "Yeaaah, you coooooould go back to work. It's up to you. What about after Thanksgiving?"

I was like giggling inside because I heard exactly what he was saying..."Yeaaah, you IDIOT you coooooould go back to work IDIOT. It's up to you IDIOT. What about after Thanksgiving IDIOT?"

Hubby heard it too and is not going back to work on Monday.

Lessons Learned

My son loves to play with the light switch. It doesn't matter if it is day or night. It's just fun to have that power. But as adults we learn about electricity and bills, so we teach our children not to play with the light.

My husband tells my 3 year old when he wants to turn on the light, "Are you going to be reading? If you are not reading, you don't need the light on."

So the other night, as we sat in the living room watching television, my son decided he would like to play with his flashlight.

Problem: the living room lights were on.

He tells his dad, "Dad, you not reading. We must turn off the light."

I Hear Voices

I hear a voice in my head. Do you?

Saturday I had a little melt down. I ended up spending about 3 hours alone, walking, listening to my mp3.

I discovered that the reason I had the meltdown was that my alone time had vanished. With my husband home recouperating and my father-in-law here to help out, I no longer had my quiet time. And I literally mean my quiet time.

I am not used to hearing the television on all day. Or voices constantly talking. Except for maybe the voice in my head (there is only one at the moment), I am used to bouts of silence.

So on Saturday, I walked. I had Rascal Flatts blaring in my ear, I Melt played over and over again in my own version of meditation. I just needed to tune everything else out so I could focus again on the voice in my head.

Writing helps me listen to her. As does silence. I've discovered that I like the voice in my head. I like what she has to say. She keeps me sane.

And she's awfully smart.

I hear my voice. Do you hear yours?

Like Father, Like Son

Remember my Out of the Mouth of Babe posts where my son says some interesting things? I now know where he gets it from. This happened yesterday before we left the hospital.

My husband says: "Tit rate."

Me: "Huh?"

Husband in hospital points to his IV pump machine. "It says tit rate" he says with a manly giggle.

I glance over to where he is pointing.

"Ummm... no. That's TITRATE."

Tiiiiii-trate.

I'm a freakin' ray of sunshine!

Good morning sunshine!

What a hectic busy time it has been. My son ended up having to go to the emergency room on Saturday for difficulty breathing. After 2 breathing treatments, oral steriods (which he threw up on me), a shot, and x-ray, we were able to take him home. He is doing much better as I write this.

This on top of the worry and stress of my husband's neck surgery which went as planned yesterday. All looks well! Hopefully he will be able to go home today.

And I got a sty in my eye on Friday which is almost like an insult when you consider everything else going on in my life. So I can't even look cute while I am stressed since I have to wear my glasses! WTH?! Now that is just not fair!!

Which brings me to a memory of a girl sitting on the beach saying "Why me? Why me?" and having some random beach bum come up and say "Why not?"
Remember Yooj?

Why not indeed!

But today looks rosy and my spirits are intact as is my sanity.

Thank goodness my father-in-law is here to help. We did anticipate he would keep my son from jumping on my husband after his surgery, but we did not plan for my son needing medical care himself. If my father-in-law wasn't here, I would be spread even thinner than I am now. Such a tremendous relief. I ca't even begin to tell you!!

See, there is a silver lining to everything! I can't help being a freakin' ray of sunshine! Help! Pollyanna syndrome!!

And yes, Kim...there is a silver lining! (ala Yes, Virginia...there is a Santa....)

Three Wishes

My son watches a television show called Hi-5. It's a great show that encourages imagination. Their closing song asks... "If you had three wishes, what would they be?"

So, today is your day.

If you had three wishes, what would they be?

Slide Show

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Fun and Games on Halloween

My husband is going to be having surgery.

Yesterday in the doctor's office, we waited to see the doctor for the last meeting before the surgery. No one is really excited about having the surgery. Especially the patient who will be having the anterior cervical spine allograft and plating. Which means in layman's terms, the surgeon will cut into the front of his neck to fix the problems with his disc and bone spur. Surgery alone is bad enough. The thought of someone cutting into your neck... jeepers, creepers!

Except if you are 3 years old.

In your Firefighter Halloween Costume.

Singing in the doctor's office the song you just made up.

"Surgery. Surgery. Sur-ur-urgery. Surgery. Surgery. Sur--ur-ur-ger-yyyyyyyy."

Out of the Mouth of Babe

On top of saying "What it is?," my son says "Whatchu going?".

Next we expect him to say, "Whatchu talkin' 'bout Willis?".