Oh Yeah, Them!

I was scrolling back through my posts, because, hey, I'm addicted to reading what I've written, and I realized that very few of them are really about my kidlets. I thought when I started this blog that most of my posts would be about them, as are those made by my dear friend Down Under, Lauren. Apparently not so. It's most likely a reflection of just how self-centered I really am that most of this blog has become about Me. Me me me me me.

To be fair, I have created many wonderful posts about my boys in my head. Invariably this occurs when I am driving or cleaning or trying desperately to get said boys to do what I want/desire/seriously-frickin'-need them to do. By the time I get to a computer, either the posts have been lost somewhere in the loopy labyrinth of what used to be my mind, or some other drama has occurred that just HAS to take precedence. Like, oh, sinus infections or insanity.

But yes, my children are a significant part of my life, and yes, they do deserve some recognition on this blog. So here are some of the latest happenings in the Diapers side of life:

1. DramaBoy is really, truly, completely daytime potty trained! He proudly sports a variety of theme underwear each day (it's just not right if there isn't a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Handy Manny character, dinosaur, or collection of sports equipment riding around on his cute little butt.) He is practicing standing up to pee--and thankfully his aim is quite decent! He still wears pull-ups to bed, but most mornings he's fairly dry, and I foresee a bright future of underwear only. His independence is quite admirable, but we're still working on getting him to understand that really he still needs our help with wiping and that yes, he really does need to wash his hands EVERY time. He also has recently discovered that underwear makes a Really Funny Hat.

I'm sure future DramaMan will be so THRILLED that I just posted all that.

2. The Widget has been transitioning into the Toddler group at daycare and is Loving It. The Toddler Teachers comment almost every time on how well he is doing and how naturally fitting into that group comes to him. He is quite upset on the days he still has to go to Infant II--when he realizes which door I'm opening, he frequently turns on his heel and heads determinedly back down the hall. And now there's a whole new set of teachers to be Amazed and Astonished by just how much food he packs away each meal, and how very focused indeed he is on that food. At least he waits patiently (to a point) with his little hands folded. As long as he sees that people are actively preparing his meal, that is.

We are also hoping that he will start verbalizing more now that he's spending so much time with the toddlers. Unlike the ever-verbose DramaBoy, who had a vocabulary of 25-30+ words by the age of 13 months, The Widget says his select few favorite words of no more than two repeating syllables and uses grunts and finger-pointing for the rest of his communication needs. This weekend we noticed him trying to say more words and even "asking" for the words of various objects and pictures. A hopeful sign.

3. Both boys have new shoes. DramaBoy has been complaining lately that his shoes were "getting too big" for him (he gets his sizes confused sometimes), and he told us emphatically that he just HAD to have shoes that light up, just like Nathan (a friend at school). We could not deter him from this point. Have I mentioned that he is a strong-willed child? There were no tantrums involved, thankfully, but he rejected offering after offering because the heels did not flash when he stomped his feet. It turns out both boys were wearing shoes at least a half size too small, so both of them got new shoes, and DramaBoy's clean white sneakers flash a cheerful red both in the heels and on the straps when he joyfully runs about. They also have new hats and mittens, with snow pants and snow boots to come in the near future. This is all Very Important in the lives of small boys, especially with the thin layers of snow that have appeared in the last week holding the promise of Winter Fun.

There are all sorts of amusing anecdotes to share, but they will have to wait for another time. I have taken enough time out of my day, and stacks of quizzes and papers are glowering silently from the tree-killing swath of white covering my tables.