Sunday, December 20, 2009

Just put the boys in their room for morning playtime. Artist kept pointing out the window at the snow, then pointing to the TV, and jabbering with a syllable in there somewhere that sounded like 'ow man'. So I asked 'Do you want to watch Frosty the Snowman?' First he cheered and clapped for me because I figured it out, then he proceeded to hum a toddler version of the Frosty song while DOING A PERFECT IMITATION OF THE FROSTY DANCE--the part he does during the 'down through the village' portion of the song. He even held an imaginary broom while he did it! There are days I wish I had 24 hour nanny cam on the boys, just to catch moments like that.

December 19, 2009

Family movie night--Patrick Stewart's 'A Christmas Carol'. Five minutes in, Fighter had bit and pulled Artist's hair at least a dozen times and we separated them. Twenty minutes in, Superhero and Fighter were both sleeping, with Artist curled up on Daddy's lap trying to watch the movie. Fifteen minutes later, Artist fell asleep, too, so John & I watched the rest of the movie with the boys sleeping around us. It was very peaceful.

December 18, 2009

Today was Superhero's preschool Christmas party. I had originally intended not to go, because I didn't want to expose the twins to a preschool class full of germs (they're not 100% healthy yet). I just couldn't leave, though, especially knowing the class was doing a performance. It was a nightmare--Fighter, especially, was incredibly poorly behaved, and at one point I just put the twins (in their stroller) in a room across the hall from the classroom and closed the door so that I and the other parents could hear the preschool performance. I was glad I had stayed, though, when it came time for Superhero to see Santa. He had talked about nothing else all week, but once the time came for him to sit on Santa's lap, he was horribly nervous. There were a handful of other children uninterested in sitting on Santa's lap, so I didn't really think anything of it. I kept trying to talk to Superhero about what was going on, until finally, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said "Mommy, I'm just afraid Santa knows how naughty I've been." I was heartbroken--Superhero's behavior has been rather ... exceptional lately, but John and I have ALWAYS been very careful to separate his BEHAVIOR from HIM--in other words, we never tell him he's been 'bad', but rather focus on inappropriate behavior that needs to change. Worse, another little boy overheard and spoke up, saying something to the effect that Superhero should be worried, because he was always bad. I tried to tell Superhero then and there (along with the other little boy, whose mother seemed a bit annoyed that I dared to call him down for his rudeness) that he was a good child, with a good heart, and while he sometimes behaved inappropriately, that was ok, because he was still learning how to be the person he wanted to be. However, I think Santa had more impact--he talked to Superhero quietly for about five minutes (after a minute or two, even managing to get Superhero onto his lap). I didn't hear the entire conversation, but I heard enough to know that Santa told Superhero he understood how hard it was to be five, and how hard it was to be a big brother, with your little brothers always looking up to you and expecting you to do the right thing, and that no one could do the right thing all the time, but it was important that we try our best in all things. I am so sad that Superhero seems to have inherited my own overactive sense of guilt, and ticked off that the biggest thing he seems to have learned from preschool is how 'bad' he is. He has the body of an eight year old, the brain of a ten year old, and the emotions of a barely five year old--it cannot be a fun combination :(

Saturday, December 12, 2009

I tried to get the boys to tell Daddy happy birthday today. None of them would. The twins just ignored me, while Superhero explained to me that we needed a decorations, presents, and a cake first. Superhero eventually told his Daddy happy birthday (while I was out of the room--he's quite possibly more stubborn than I am), and later he wrote daddy a happy birthday note--it was even mostly legible.

Artist discovered a bag with a couple of wrapped presents in my mom's closet. He walked around for five minutes with it slung over his shoulder, saying 'O, O, O. O, O, O'.

Fighter has a new method for getting his snuggles--he just walks around making kissing sounds until someone comments on it, then runs to them with arms spread wide so he can give the kisses to them.

Health

It's been a horrible six weeks or so. At the beginning of November, all three boys were sick. It wasn't severe, so we didn't go to the pediatrician, though we did call them several times. By mid-November they were better, then John got horribly sick around Thanksgiving--a viral upper respiratory infection that he's still not completely over. Then Superhero & Artist started coughing and running a fever, so we called the pediatrician. After we walked through the doors, Fighter started coughing a bit, too, and running a low grade fever. He had the mildest symptoms, but was the sickest of the three--While Artist & Superhero seemed to be coming down with a cold, Fighter had an ear infection and had lost over four pounds in a month (he had also grown an inch in that time frame). So, Artist got steroids to strengthen his lungs, all three were given Mucinex DM for their cough, and Fighter got antibiotics for his infection, an iron supplement, and Pediasure to help get his weight up. Fighter and Superhero seemed to recover well from that, but Artist kept getting more and more congested. Last Monday, I woke up with a raging fever and a sore throat--I had sinusitis AND strep throat. The next morning, John had to take off from work to take Artist to the pediatrician again--his lungs were MOSTLY clear, so she suggested we switch to a decongestant (instead of Mucinex) and use a nebulizer. He used the nebulizer that afternoon and evening. Tuesday at midnight, he was having trouble breathing, so I gave him a nebulizer treatment. John gave him another at 4:30. at 6:30, I woke up to his extremely labored breathing, so after it took me ten minutes to wake him, I gave him another nebulizer treatment while John called the pediatrician. He was in respiratory distress, and got another breathing treatment as soon as the medical staff arrived at the office, went to the hospital for blood tests and x-rays, then got another breathing treatment at ten, along with a steroid shot. Wednesday night, Superhero spiked a fever, and both he and Fighter started coughing. Thursday morning, Superhero added a sore throat to his list of complaints. So the wonderful pediatrician saw Artist to check on his breathing, then prescribed some Orapred and antibiotics for the other two, as well. I'm pretty sure we've paid for a pharmacist's kids' next college semester, but everyone is finally on the mend. Fingers crossed.
We set up a small TV in the boys' room last night, to help keep the sick kidlets entertained today. They are currently watching Lion King II: Simba's Pride, which Superhero, at least, has watched dozens of times before. I heard some sniffling, so I went in to see who had added a runny nose to their list of symptoms, only to see Superhero with tears in his eyes! He looked up at me with all the sincerity a five year old can have and said, "Mommy, it's so sad! Nala loves Kovu so much, but she can't find him anywhere!" Like I said, he's seen this movie dozens of times, so I KNOW it's the illness/fever talking. So how horrible is it that I now have tears in MY eyes because I can't stop laughing at him? Seeing a five year old boy watching a Disney movie looking like the stereotype of a middle aged woman watching a chick flick is just triggering my sick sense of humor today . . . .
I was reading Cinderella to Superhero, when I had to go downstairs and check the laundry. While I was gone, John finished the story, so when I came back, I asked Superhero to tell me about it.

Superhero: No, I don't want to tell you about it.
Me: But then I won't know how the story ends.
Superhero: Well, I guess you'll just have to wait for the movie.

Friday, November 6, 2009. 7:30 AM

Me: Good Morning, *Superhero*.
Superhero: Good Morning, Mommy. I had a mysterious dream last night.
Me: A Mysterious dream, huh? Maybe you could tell me about it after breakfast.
Superhero: Nah, I'm really not feeling breakfast this morning.
Me: Well, you need breakfast so you have energy for school.
Superhero: Now that I think about it, I'm not feeling school, either. I think I'm feeling stay-home-and-play-xbox today.

Superhero had a great day at school today :D He enjoyed being class helper, and there were NO behavior problems, WOOHOO!!
Artist has taken to climbing into bed with Superhero at night. Superhero seems to like this, much to my surprise--and pleasure. I've been putting off changing the crib into a toddler bed because even though Artist is climbing out of it, Fighter seems to not only still like his crib, but NEED the security of it. Artist sleeping with Superhero may be the perfect solution.
Trick or Treat, October 29

Superhero: Not interested AT ALL!! As in, after our first house, he asked to just go to the park and play. He was afraid of everything all night, including decorations he loved last year and adults in costumes. He did, however, complain that the man dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow did not have a hook--according to Superhero, all pirates should have a hook. His favorite treat all night was an apple. Costume: Spiderman, sans mask.

Artist: LOVED it, but got ticked off that we wouldn't let him eat the candy right away. He marched up to each house, said 'Tick Teet', watched the person put the candy in his bucket, smiled like he won the lottery and said 'ank oo', then turned, took two steps, sat down and tried to get the candy out and eat it. At every single house (is it any wonder we hit less than two dozen houses?). By the end of the night, I finally gave up and let him and Fighter split a tiny, tiny, bite sized piece of chocolate. He was pacified. Costume: Superman.

Fighter: Enjoyed being outside and walking or riding in the stroller (his legs got tired pretty quickly). Didn't care about the candy, wouldn't attempt 'trick or treat' or 'thank you' under any circumstances, and twice tried to give the candy back. His favorite house had a tent set up by the sidewalk with a tween or young teen dressed in a ski mask with a giant plastic knife inside, jumping out at passers-by. This TERRIFIED Superhero. Fighter, on the other hand, insisted on getting out of the stroller to check it out. The kid jumped out at him and yelled, then was immediately horrified that he had just 'scared' a toddler. Until, that is, Fighter laughed hysterically, jerked away from me, attacked the kid inside the tent and tried to take his knife. My favorite moment of the night came a few houses later, when Fighter looked up at a dog with a Halloween kerchief, reached for him, and very plainly said 'Doggy'. Fighter doesn't even attempt to talk often, so hearing him say a real word is always a pleasure. Fighter managed to get the microscopic piece of chocolate I gave him ALL over his costume. As in, I ended up soaking the blasted thing with Shout before washing it. I'm still not sure how he managed to make such a mess with such a tiny, tiny piece of chocolate, but he is a talented mess maker. Costume: Batman.

Riddle me this

Superhero has been struggling with riddles and knock knock jokes for a while, but it seems his gift for his fifth birthday was finally figuring them out. Wednesday evening, October 28--

Superhero: Knock Knock
Christal: Who's there?
Superhero: Alvin
Christal: Alvin who?
Superhero: Alvin workin' on the railroad, all the live long day!

The Barton Boys

It occurred to me this morning that a blog would be the perfect spot to post those 'quick tidbits' that are interesting, but not interesting enough for an entire email or even a phone call. So, here it is--unimportant and yet utterly important anecdotes, facts, and other stuff about our beautiful sons. Enjoy.