January 27, 2006
just your normal Playdate Friday
My brain is tired from all this thinking. So let’s talk about my kids. And shoes! And movies!
Doesn’t that sound like fun?
tantrum free since 8:00 am!
Charlie has had a hard week. No, not because he was sick, although it was nice of you all to feel so bad for him. No, he learned this week that it’s tough to have a major screaming meltdown EVERY SINGLE DAY for an ENTIRE WEEK. The first one was clearly sickness related–okay, so were the two on Tuesday. But the one Wednesday morning? When he sat on the potty, buck nekkid, for FORTY FIVE MINUTES, crying the ENTIRE time, because I wouldn’t sit with him while he peed? I don’t know what that was all about.
That particular morning was the low point for the week. Charlie spent so much time crying about how I wouldn’t keep him company in the bathroom that he never got dressed and ended up wearing only his Firefighter undies to take Henry to school. I thought about stopping at Starbucks any way, I really did, but that seemed a little . . . well, wrong. Fortunately we are having unseasonably warm weather here in OKC, so at least I wasn’t risking frostbite. Although I probably would have stuffed him in the car in his underwear anyway after all that screaming.
The best part, though, was his contrition on the way home. He said, very sweetly, ‘Can I watch Sesame Street when we get home?’
‘Buddy, Sesame Street is over.’
‘Why didn’t I watch it?’
‘You were in the bathroom crying.’
‘Oh–why did I do that?’
The boy is clearly out to get me.
We stayed at home for THE ENTIRE DAY, because maybe, just MAYBE he was still sick (no, no, not sick! just insane) and he managed to have TWO MORE catastrophic tantrums, both also stemming from my refusal to entertain him while he did his business. I have no idea what that’s all about; a week ago, he would get up and go into the bathroom, pee, wash up, and return to whatever we were playing to announce, ‘I went pee pee! Smell my hands!’ (We have scented hand soap, which we use to verify that the soap bubbles have actually TOUCHED the boys’ hands. Don’t think too hard about that.)
This morning, SAME THING. But today, because I am morally CERTAIN that he isn’t sick and I know for a fact that his tush is too chubby to fall into the toilet, I ignored him. And eventually, he stopped crying, washed his hands, and got dressed. And that was that.
Still. He has no idea how close I came to listing him on eBay.
feed the boy much?
In other Charlie news, we are once again reeling at the amount of food that child can pack in. He went nearly four days this week without eating anything of note, because of the stomach virus, but today he’s back in the saddle. By 10:30 this morning, he had eaten the following:
two Eggo Nutrigrain waffles
two bowls of Cracklin Oat Bran, with milk
two cups of milk
a bagel (one of those HUGE ones you get at the Barnes and Noble)
half of a blueberry scone
After all that, he was eyeing his friend Cate’s coffee cake; I was waiting for him to say, ‘You gonna eat that?’ (She didn’t, preferring instead to eat the pat of butter that came with it. Mmm, delicious.)
I think his stomach is all better.
today, Hop on Pop–tomorrow, Moby Dick
Henry has started reading! Yes, just like that! A year or so ago, he had a passing interest in learning to read, but he quickly tired of the work (ah, just like his mommy). This was also before he got his glasses, which he wears because he is FARSIGHTED, meaning he can’t see ANYTHING up close–seriously, he’s a PLUS EIGHT in both eyes, which is just stunning. So the whole reading thing, on the first pass at least, was kind of a bust.
But now he has decided that he wants to learn to read, and while I would love to throw the credit to J. K. Rowling and her magnificent juvenile novels, I really have Leslie to thank. She has been working with Luke and has set up a Gold Star Reward system to keep him motivated. Of course, once Henry heard about this and realized that there was a trip to SuperTarget at the end of the Reading Rainbow, he was right there and ready to learn. Because yes, my son absolutely CAN be bought. Just like his mommy.
The problem, though, was that he has memorized almost every single book we own. I’m not exaggerating–his rote memorization skills test out above the 99th percentile. It’s freaky. So when I was trying to have him pick out words in stories he knew, he was able to look at the pictures and think through the text and guess. Accurately. Nearly all the time. And then he would say, ‘Can we go to Target and get a prize now?’
Fortunately, Leslie had told me about this website, which is fantastic. Henry sat and did the first few phonics exercises and then read two whole stories! Correctly! Without any help from me! Our deal is this: for every three stories he reads, he gets five gold stars; when he has earned fifteen gold stars, he can pick out a toy ($10.00 or less, please!) at SuperTarget.
I think we will be going toy shopping tomorrow. Which is good! Really!
does this website make my butt look big?
Thanks to everyone who took the time to ooh and ahh over my (hypothetical) new shoes. Holly asked if it was already warm enough here for espadrilles, and the answer is–well, almost. Our temperatures are hanging in the 60s, which is freaky and a little frightening because it means that we will either be up to our asses in snow come March or it will be 110 degrees here all summer. But at least I will have cute shoes!
Speaking of my ass, I decided to try on some of my spring/summer clothes the other night. And, just like the last time I got this urge, I am unable to ZIP ANYTHING. Dammit. But this time, I know who to blame.
Blogger.
Seriously–before this blog, I was able to zip things. And now? Oh, sure, I have all you nice people to tell me how cute my shoes are, but I can’t get any of my pants on! And no, I don’t think it’s because of all the Hershy kisses I eat while I’m writing or reading your blogs. Or all the wine. I think it’s Blogger! Blogger made me fat.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
when geeks go to the movies
This weekend marks the opening of the film adaptation of Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy. What, you don’t have your tickets already? Sheesh.
Wade and I are English literature wonks, and we’re dying to see this movie, although it probably won’t be in OKC for a while (and I would imagine we won’t really need to stand in line to get in). I want to see it solely beause ‘one of the characters describes the original as “a masterwork of postmodernism before there was any modernism to be post.”‘ Don’t you LOVE that?
Well, I do. So there.
Have a nice weekend!
Posted by Susan @ 3:56 pm • Uncategorized
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January 27th, 2006 at 5:34 pm, mom on a wire Says:
I also blame my blog for my floor never getting swept and my dishes never getting washed. Darn internet.
January 27th, 2006 at 6:18 pm, Arwen Says:
I blame my blog for my ever increasing amount of gray hair (when I am not blaming Hubby, of course)
January 27th, 2006 at 6:55 pm, adria Says:
We should get a free gym membership when you sign up for blogger! Then I would have to leave the house to exercise, which we all know would be short lived.
I was just thinking the other day that most of the pants in my closet do not fit. The only reason I hold on to them is because I just might fit into at least one pair again.
Happy Weekend!!
January 27th, 2006 at 7:56 pm, daysgoby Says:
Watch out how widely you broadcast the ‘Blogger made me fat’ idea, or Weight Watchers will start a program….25 pts and NO computer time during the week. If you lose, you get ONE HOUR during your weekend….
Kudos to your boys. My son is sooo bored with the Hooked on Phonics thing (we’ve barely started with the letter flashcards and he’s already rolling his eyes) - how on earth do you start them out???
January 27th, 2006 at 10:11 pm, Kristen Says:
Blogger is the source of my woes right now, too. I wasn’t advertising my blog to my family, but then my crazy brother had to go start a blog, and I had to go comment on it, and now my mom is all, “have you seen Jonathan’s blog? are you the ‘kristen’ that comments?” and I’m all “uh, what? Hey! Did you just see Elvis? Over there! MMMM, these nachos are yummy. Have another margarita, mom!”
January 27th, 2006 at 10:17 pm, Candace Says:
OMG! Like, Blogger totally made me fat, too!
Let’s sue!
What? It worked for that crazy “coffee is hot!” lady.
January 27th, 2006 at 10:31 pm, educat Says:
You know, I was two years younger when I started blogging.
Damn you, Blogger, for making me older.
But it’s all worth it to watch other people’s children make asses of themselves and think, “Man, the internets will love this.” rather than develop an ulcer.
January 28th, 2006 at 12:48 am, Jenorama Says:
I just watched the Hotel Rwanda. So, now I am disturbed. I am also extremely tired. More tired than a girl has a right to be.
I am too tired to post a comment.
I’ll come back tomorrow.
January 28th, 2006 at 6:24 am, chichimama Says:
Blogger has also made me fat. And C has also developed a need for an audience while using the potty. Stuffed animals seemed to do the trick here, but it took seven temper tantrums to get there.
January 28th, 2006 at 9:53 am, Susan Says:
Chichimama, you are a GENIUS! Charlie came to me this morning whining about how I needed to sit with him while he pottied, and I said, ‘Hey! How about if you have some stuffed friends sit with you?’
And he said, ‘That would be GREAT!’
So he got Hedwig the owl and Dogfail the dragon and sat them on the little stool in the bathroom and narrated for them what he was doing. And he peed! And pooped! While I did . . . something else, I have no idea what, but I wasn’t in the bathroom!
I still blame Blogger for my ass, but my god do I love you people! Especially Chichimama! Hooray!
January 28th, 2006 at 10:48 am, ieatcrayonz Says:
Oh thank the lawd for that reading link. Lauren will love it…as soon as she’s finished ripping the wallpaper off the walls or her nap, whichever comes first.
I’m loving Charlie’s logic to the Sesame Street dilemma.
Thank you Blogger, for my incredible expanding ass.
January 28th, 2006 at 12:23 pm, Nancy Says:
My blog’s on Typepad, but I’m also getting fatter. Hmm….
January 28th, 2006 at 3:35 pm, marti (standing still for once) Says:
TIME magazine gave Tristam Shandy a very good review, and I am eager to see it. New topic: when Child pissed me off as a youngster, I used to say what Laura of Puddles said, “Put that kid on the curb with a sign that reads, ‘Gypsies, free, please take.’ “
January 28th, 2006 at 7:29 pm, L. Says:
Blogger made me fat, too! Let`s get a class action suit going! We can take out ads that ask anyone who got “big-Blogger-belly n` butt-syndrome” to call this 800 number….
January 28th, 2006 at 8:58 pm, The June Cleaver Diaries Says:
I am also larger than I was before Blogging.
Damn Blogger.
I’m also so much more into my shoe fetish than ever.
Damn Susan. Damn you for being my personal shopper.
By the way, we’re still cool, even though you don’t like martinis (really?? even the chocolate ones?)Believe me, my bar will always be stocked for our Three Martini(or Not)Playdates. Although I’m pretty sure I’d be on advanced life support if I ever really DID drink three martinis…so I guess that’s my confession— I can’t hold my liquor. Sorry to lead you on.