No Stall

This past summer, I really thought Kayden was out of his Cars phase.

Sure, he still loved to play with them on occasion, but it looked like LEGO'S and trains were headed to the top.

Enter: preschool, and Lightening Lover.

Lightening Lover is another little boy in his class, and he really loves Cars. Donning the backpack when he enters school, the Cars Valentines, the car haulers, and most importantly some of the Cars Kayden is coveting.

Specifically, No Stall:

The last time we were at Meijers, there is was sitting on the shelf, at eye level, just beckoning Kayden to pick it up and beg for it.

And beg he did.

I really did not want to spend $8.99 on this car, just because it has the launcher. So, I told Kayden that he would have to earn it. I think it sounded like yes to him, and since he had no clue what that meant he was as excited as could be.

The whole way home we talked about our new sticker chart and how he would do things for mommy and earn stickers. Once he got up to twenty stickers, he would get No Stall.

The five things we choose to focus on were:

~Get dressed without a fight

~Wash your hands after going potty

~Put your coat and shoes away

~Pick up the other Cars

~Put dirty clothes in hamper

This all sounded great, until he found out he only gets ONE sticker for each thing per day. Time and again he would wash his hands and run into the kitchen, "I am ready for four stickers, mom!"

The concept, for the most part, was lost on him as he tried to earn stickers.

Twenty stickers were achieved on Thursday, just in time for him to bring it to preschool to show Lightening Lover.

As we were laying in bed last night talking things over, the subject came up.

"Mom, like, I don't want to earn them anymore," he said. " I just want you to give them to me like Lightening Lovers mom does. He does not have to do stickers."

Already trying to guilt me at four years old.

More random pictures

The tradition after each and every basketball game.

Two of the most non-competitive people I know. Look at those casual stances while playing Wii tennis.

Concentration

All the grandkids on the Bird side. Sorry for cutting your head off, Kyler.

Adorable.

It is coming. I am hoping he will hold off until his Birthday.

Doctor Bird?

Remember that Doctor kit Kayden threw back at me this past birthday?

Even when being the victim of shots and pretend medicine, Bryce is more than willing to oblige if it involves Kayden playing with him.

I get it.

I was watching the Anne Curry interview with the Octuplet mom today.

What a cuck-a-doo, I thought, for most of the interview. I mean, 14 kids? As a single parent with no income? Come-On.

Then something she said really made sense to me. She was talking about how she loved that bond between baby and mom. How happy she was holding them as babies....and I get it.

I really do.

I LOVE babies. I was holding a little 9 pounder on Sunday morning, and the grunting sounds she whispered into my ear reminded me just how short lived that "baby" stage actually is.

The scent of baby lotion, the teeny toes, the peaceful way they slumber, the wrinkly skin waiting to grow...I love it all. Even though I enjoy Bryce getting bigger and taking on new challenges, part of me grieves that he is no longer that "baby-ish". As I talk to more and more women, I have heard that it takes a while for that longing to pass.

I can say this. There is one thing that would stop me from having fourteen kids, though:

This guy.

He is good with two.

I mean, other than the money, housing, Christian schooling, lack of time, transportation, and post-pregnancy body issues.

Brutal.

It all started with a thud.

Josh and I had a surprise birthday party to go to this evening for his mom. He had just returned from the post office, and it had taken longer than he thought to mail today’s packages.

We were all scrambling. I was in the upstairs bathroom trying to get dressed, across the hall from Kayden’s room, when I heard it.

A giant thud.

I paused for a moment, wondering if it was a Kayden thud or a Bryce thud. I heard Josh say “Oh Crap.”

I knew it was Bryce.

I hurried to the room to see if Bryce was okay. Josh was just picking him up off the floor. He had fallen off the bed.

I looked him over to see if he was okay, and he was acting really strange. Wearing a white onesie, his skin was the same hue. Ghost like, actually. His back was arched, and his eyes were rolled back in his head. His mouth was gaping open, and he did not have control of his head.

I told Josh I wanted to take him; I thought for sure he would let out a large scream.

Nothing. No crying, no tears, no sound.

That part was even scarier than a loud wail, honestly.

As I took him, the weight of his head slammed into my chest. He had no control over his head, and his right arm was limp and his back was still arched.

I lifted him up to my eye level, and tried to see what was going on. His eyes were glazed, and he looked unresponsive. He could hardly pick up his head to look at me.

I ran over to the mirror to see his full body. His eyes were still pretty glossy, and he was not moving his little arm.

A huge knot began forming in my stomach.

I ran downstairs, intent on calling the paramedics, and THANK GOD he looked up at me and smiled. I just kept checking him over and over to make sure he was, in fact, looking at me. He would put his head on my shoulder and I would prop him right back up to make sure. It took another seven minutes for him to start using his arm again. I was very, very scared.

We got to PT with kids like this- kids that have fallen off counters/beds/high surfaces and have serious brain damage. One of the moms I talk to every week has 18 month old twin boys- one had been dropped and landed on his head and has trouble with speech, balance, and motor skills. Visions of that flashed through my head.

I feel so blessed that he snapped out of it.

Trying to keep focused, we scurried to still make it to the surprise party. We ran every yellow light (except the one with the cop sitting at), trying like mad to get there on time.

We arrived five minutes late.

Nice.

Happy 60th Birthday, Mom.

I walked in, saw that we had ruined the surprise, and burst into tears.

Frazzled and embarrassed, we took our seats at this fine dining establishment.

Kayden looked so tired while we were waiting for our food. He just sat with a blank stare on his face, playing idly with the forks. Usually full of energy, I thought to myself that he needed to go to bed early.

I just started cutting Josh’s steak (don’t ask LOL), and Kayden threw up all over the table. And it was not like the, “oops, that is hardly noticeable”. It was six times, keeled over hurling on the floor, all eyes on him, all over my pants kind of throw up.

Brutal.

Brutal, Brutal, Brutal.

I give. It is ten pm, and I am going to bed.

This year, more than any other, I am SO ready for Spring.

It has been a cold and LOOOONG January.

Sigh.