Loving the Library

Today I decided to be brave and took all the kids (Brent, Wyatt, and Kayla) to storytime at the library. It was a hit and the kids were so well behaved. I was really impressed with all that storytime entailed. The librarians read several stories, sang songs, did dances with the kids, and even had a little craft for them to do. The theme this week was teddy bears since Friday is the big Teddy Bear Sleepover at the library. Brent is still adamant that his beloved Cookie Monster will not be attending the event. When storytime was over, he came up to me and said "That sure was nice of those ladies to read to us." He was as impressed as I was, I think. Afterwards I let Brent and Kayla have some time on the children's computers. They looked so cute sitting there concentrating with their headphones on. I'll have to remember to take the camera next week to get some pictures of them. Thank you, Wyatt, for being so good the whole time. He happily sat in his stroller the entire time we were there. He is usually a good guy, but it is always a relief and I try not to take his easygoing personality for granted.

I have to do a potty training update, as well. Wyatt continues to be all about the potty. He has had a few accidents, but most of the time does really well. The two biggest battles with it are 1) having to take him to the bathroom every 10 minutes because he seems to have a bladder the size of an M&M and even though he can get on the toilet and all by himself, I can't let him go by himself or he climbs up to play in the sink and such and 2) he is not real concerned with wearing underwear, he would really prefer to just wear a shirt and go around with his lower half completely naked. Between chasing him around trying to put his underwear back on and escorting him to the bathroom all the time, it is pretty exhausting! Hopefully with a little more time and practice it will get easier. I am not complaining, though. I am happy to be saying bye bye to diapers.

Our Potty Champ

For the past week, Wyatt has detested wearing a diaper. He will go to great lengths to get his diaper off. Diapers seem to have become the most disgusting, uncomfortable things in the world to him. Yesterday I decided I'd had enough of this battle and decided to go for it and put him in underwear. I'd planned on spending much of the day blotting up puddles with paper towels and using carpet spray. Boy did I get a surprise! Wyatt is using the potty...and using it very well!!! He did not have a single accident all day, told me everytime he needed to go, and even pooped in the potty last night. I am stunned. Thankful, but stunned. I'm trying to prepare myself for this just being a fluke, but how wonderful it would be if he is really going to be potty trained this early and with so little effort on my part.

Go Wyatt Go!!!

As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be

I often tell Brent that he will always be my baby. Even when he is grown and bigger than I am. I've told him this enough that he has it pretty ingrained. He will say "I'm your baby, but I'm daddy's big boy." Last night at the library I found the book Love You Forever by Robert Mensch. I remembered seeing this book many years ago and was excited to read it to Brent. It is a story about a mom and her enduring love for her son as he grows and becomes an adult. At night when he is sleeping she sings to him...

I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

As long as I'm living

my baby you'll be.

Is that sweet or what? It's hard to read the story and see the pictures and not get a little emotional. Brent made my day after we read the book together and he said "That's a great story! Let's keep that book." We ended up reading it three times last night and he started asking different questions about it. At one point he asked me why the woman started looking like a grandma. I explained that as her little boy grew and grew and grew she got older, too. I told him when he was a grown up I would look like a grandma, too. He said "but I don't want that to happen". Tell me about it!!!

Here is a picture of the book...

Fevers and Phlegm

I missed a few days of blogging. Things around here have been a little "off". Both boys ran a fever lasting about 12 hours--Brent first, then Wyatt two days later. No other symptoms for them, which I credit to my method of just letting the fever do it's thing. I hardly ever give them fever reducers. I am a big believer in letting the body take care of itself so I just let them bake and usually once the fever is gone that is it. They don't come down with any respiratory symptoms or anything. Apparently all those symptoms got passed onto me. I have had all kinds of congestion and blahness, but no fever. Each day I think I will feel better, but I keep having that dragging along feeling.

Our weekend was pretty uneventful. Friday night we did our usual dinner out at whatever BBQ place we have a BOGO coupon for--this time it was Dickey's. Saturday we lounged, gave the boys haircuts, and went to the library where the Hooked on Phonics I had requested was waiting for me--I am wanting to start working with Brent on reading and HOP was suggested to me. After the library, we went to Kohl's because Brent had expressed a need for a belt and a wallet. I guess he is trying to grow up or something. Sunday we watched the Cowboys lose in the playoffs--this was heartbreaking--and we made a scrumptious roast with potatoes and carrots.

I had a "I feel like the worst mom in world" moment on Sunday. I wasn't feeling well and the boys were just being pickles to put it nicely. At one point I told them we needed to find them a new home. Later Brent was acting sad and pouty and it took me awhile to get him to talk to me. Finally he said "Mommy, why did you say me and Wyatt have to go to a new home?". Yeah...I felt badddddddddd. I apologized and reassured and will be careful about saying such things in the future.

Of all the things Wyatt has learned, my very least favorite is dragging chairs over to things he wants access to. Like the upper shelf of the entertainment center so he can open and close the XBOX over and over and over again. Or reaching the freezer door so he can play with the water/ice dispenser. He is always dragging a chair around and climbing on it to get in trouble or endanger himself. I keep thinking/hoping the novelty will wear off, but no such luck as of yet.

I need a nap. We all need a nap.

Bring on the Books!

I feel like a bad mom. Brent is almost five years old and until tonight he had never been to the library. I really think I should be fined for that. In fact, a fine is one of the reasons why I haven't taken him. The last time I was a library patron was in 2002 and I knew I had borrowed a big stack of books--probably all pregnancy related--and returned them way late. I had no idea what my late fee total was and I was afraid to find out. Another reason for my literacy neglect is Brent's past lack of enthusiasm for being read to. Lately he has had so many questions about so many things so I've been telling him we will go to the llbrary to get books to answer all his what, why, and how questions. Also, Wyatt has become such a book maniac that if you are reading to him and pause or get distracted he notices immediately and will smack you in the chest and then point to the book to remind you to stay on task.

So anyway...Brent and I went to the library last night after Michael got home. It was a glorious exeperience. Seriously. I used to be such a big reader and it was like a homecoming for me. We have a brand new library branch just two or so blocks from our house so everything there is brand new and state of the art. My fine turned out to be $20.25. Not great, but not as bad as I'd feared. Brent was issued his very own library card and got to "sign" his name on the back. Now he wants his own wallet. He picked out six books and I got Wyatt a stack of board books. We had read them all at least once within an hour of being home. I am just thrilled Brent is enjoying reading and in the books that had repetitive things (i.e. The Grouchy Ladybug) I assigned him words to read so he can practice his speech sounds. He loved that!

Late tonight Brent started running a high fever and saying his tummy hurts. I am pretty much filled with dread about what is likely to happen during the night, but hopefully it won't be anything major and he'll feel better by morning. Poor guy.

About a month ago I started a bedtime routine of asking Brent what his favorite part of the day was. If I manage to keep up this daily blog thing I will include that in my entry. Tonight his answer was being read to...no big surprise there. I also have a "Brentism" from today. During lunch today he was asking the little girl I keep why her mom hasn't had a baby, why she doesn't have a baby in her tummy etc... I am crossing my fingers he doesn't ask the mom this since she has been TTC and on fertility meds for a year. He kept on asking Kayla about it today and was never satisfied with her answer.. Finally I had to tell him to stop pestering her about it. He looked at me and said, "I guess God is just out of babies right now."

Finally!

I'm going to give this blogging thing another go and hopefully do a better job this time around. So many times in the last few months I have intended to to get back on here and I just haven't done it. Finally, I am getting around to it and here is a little photo recap of the last three or so months...

Brent played his first season of T-ball and LOVED it.

Brent went as a red ninja for Halloween.

We decided to add another puppy to our "kennel".

It snowed on Thanksgiving...a real treat here in Texas.

Brent and I had fun making Christmas cookies.

Santa stopped by!

Brent got lots of fun stuff...

...and so did Wyatt.

Wyatt got a dog bite...a nice way to end the year.

Brentism

Sometimes I think Brent must be one of those people who have an old soul, he often has little bits of wisdom for me. Earlier today I was getting frustrated with Wyatt for not listening...especially about climbing on things. It is hard to balance patience with keeping him from hurting himself. At one point I guess I yelled a little to loud at him to stop climbing up on the desk because Brent came over to me and said...

"Mommy, don't be mean to Wyatt because remember, he came out of your tummy."