Travel Plans Change Again

So first we were coming home to visit Utah in August for family reunions, then my brother Jason got engaged and planned his wedding date for December 27. We stopped looking and figured we'd just go then. The cheap ticket window passed, then Jason eloped, crazy kid. Now we couldn't get cheap tickets anymore, so we said we'd just let it go and figure out another time to come. Looks like the plans have changed...Brett is probably getting married on August 6. For picking August, he couldn't have picked a better week. Zufelts have a reunion on the weekend before and Robinsons have one the weekend after. We're excited about the trip, and really excited Brett found someone so great!

Sunbeam Substitute

I substituted in Ben's Sunbeam class in Primary yesterday. He was totally excited about it. All Saturday night and Sunday morning he would just randomly give me advice and let me know how they did things.

• If I raise my hand, that means I want to tell you something, okay? Then you have to choose me so I can talk.
• It's okay to go potty while we're in our first class, but when we go to our big class (i.e. sharing time) we have to all try reeeeeally hard not to have to potty until it's over.
• If you forget Linda's name, it's okay, just ask me and I'll tell you that it is Linda.
• If we have too many wiggles, we can just stand up and wiggle. Then Spencer Packard can just push them right out the door and hurry and shut it before they sneak back inside.
• I can sit by you because you're my mom.
• etc..... :)

Planning Ahead

Ben and I were watching cartoons this morning when Ben turned to me and shared his big plan. Next year for Happy Fathers Day, we should go to the fabric store and buy some fabric and sew a shirt for Dad. It could be his favorite colors, like a rainbow so it will be bright. He is also obsessed with as they say, keeping up with the Jones, or in our case, keeping up with the Soderborgs. Not long after we told him we were expecting baby #3, he decided on his own that we were having a girl. It took a while for us to figure out why it was a girl. Eventually, he told us that the Soderborg family has 7 people in their family. They have two boys, the dad and 2 year old Ben. We have a dad in our family and he is the Ben for our family. The Soderborgs have a mom and 4 girls, one named Maggie. We have a mom in our family and a Maddie. So, by 4 year old logic, we are going to have 3 more babies so we can get our whole family here, and they will all be girls. At least now that I know the future, it will sure help me plan better...right?

Puzzle Fun

Brian has been gone for almost a week now. We've been helping two friends move and not getting our normal schedule for naps this week. It's been fun to help and sad to say goodbye to great people. Ben has totally loved the play dates though.


When we got home today after emptying the Miles fridge and delivering the loot to friends, Maddie was crashed out in her car seat. She moved nicely into her bed, only demanding her customary 3 binkies. When I came downstairs, Ben wanted to do a new puzzle they had gifted us. It was a 100 piece puzzle with some serious detail of a small dinosaur scene. I almost told him no because I figured he'd be too frustrated to do it. Well, it took an hour, but he loved it. Since I've loved puzzles for years, it was totally fun to teach him a little puzzle strategy...

It did take some serious self control not to just do the puzzle or to wait and let him tell me silly stories while we sat side by side working. Mostly because he can't talk and work. I just had to listen and wait for him to be ready to work again. Good lesson in real listening and patience for me.

We had to have a snack break in the middle. He got cereal and goldfish in a bowl and a bottle of water and a cup. He explained the entire process of how he got the water in a bottle because he thought I might be getting thirsty from all the hard puzzle work like he was. So the bottle was so I could pour my own water into my own cup and he could use the cup he chose for himself. Then he had to demonstrate how pouring water was to be done. It was real cute how thoughtful he was to me. I can't believe how great he did with the puzzle too! Once again, time to upgrade my expectations of what he can do.

That's What Happens When...

So the other day Maddie kept peeing on the floor and I mopped a whole lot. I left the swifer mop in the tub, anticipating lots more use in the near future. Today I heard an odd noise I just couldn't place coming from the kids bathroom. When I went to check it out, Maddie had pumped the cleaning fluid out all over the floor and made a big mess. Ben was in there watching her do it. When I questioned why he hadn't told me what Maddie was doing, he simply replied, "Mom, that's just what happens when you don't put your things away. Maddie can get them and rues (i.e. ruins) them."

Remember the Game Operation?

You know the game, you try to be real careful, deliberate and precise. You have the piece right there, coming up, up, slowly up. Just as you are about to cross the threshold and get it out and taste pure, sweet victory...BBBBUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!! You loose.

That is exactly how I feel when I try to fix Maddie's hair. She sits quietly, waiting. Sometimes she even brings me the hair ties and tells me, "Pretty?" "Please, Pretty?" So, I brush her hair straight, get it all bundled in my hand, start twisting the elastic around the first time, the second...BBBBUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! She whips her head around to check to see if I'm done and it all falls out. We try again, but the attention span shortens each time we have to restart the game. Ultimately, she starts telling me, "NO THANK YOU!!!" "No thank you, mommy." She returns to her shaggy dog status with hair all over in front of her face and in her eyes. I guess it just doesn't bother her yet.

Chocolates and Roses - What Every Man Wants

For Fathers Day, I asked Ben what Brian might want for a present. He was totally sure that the right thing to get was flowers and chocolates. For a week, that was the only thing he would consider. So, on Friday afternoon we went shopping and Ben chose the perfect bouquet of half dozen white roses and a few bags of candy. He couldn't have been more proud to present his gift to dad. Brian smiled ear to ear. We're not saying if it was because he loved the flowers for their natural beauty or because he was trying not to laugh about getting roses for Fathers Day. Ben is such a cute kid.

Glasses

At Ben's 4 year pediatrician visit, they did a quick eye exam. He didn't want to cooperate at all, so we had to try a few tricks to finally get him to think it was all a big game. I knew right off that he had trouble and the nurse's response verified my thought. He couldn't read more than the top two huge lines. So, I needed an annual eye exam too and I scheduled us to go in together.

Ben was not happy about going to the eye doctor. I told him it was a special mom and Ben date which got him in the car at least. I went first so he would know exactly what to expect when it was his turn. We got to the eye drops and my eyes needed a few minutes to dilate. So we tried to switch places.

Our Mr Ben wouldn't have anything to do with the huge chair. Finally, I had him sit on my lap. Through the course of a long conversation and lots of negotiation we got him to read us the letters on the wall. Right off the doctor told me, "Well, we can tell for sure he has your eyes." I did have to chuckle at that, because I have always loved that Ben and Brian both have amazing brown eyes. Of course, he unfortunately meant that Ben had really poor vision, best case he is 20/50, maybe worse. Rather than traumatize him more by doing eye drops, which almost made Ben have a meltdown, we decided to come back in a week to dilate his eyes and try to get a good view of his eyes and a decent prescription. While I checked out, I had Ben do a treasure hunt around the office to find the kid size glasses. He was totally unwilling to try any on even to play around.

I was so nervous for Ben. I know how much I hated my glasses as a kid and how I felt I had no friends all through elementary school because I was ugly. It truly broke my heart to know what is coming in his life.

We talked endlessly about how brave Ben was going to be at the eye doctor on our next visit. There was nothing that seemed to calm him about the idea of glasses or the eye doctor or anything else. Morning of the second appointment, he was having tantrums anyway, not the way to go to the doctor. When we got to the office, he clammed up completely, rolled in a ball on my lap and held his doll Potsy against his eyes as tightly as he could. There was nothing we could do.

Dr. Kahn quickly decided the best thing to do was to let it go. He would do a prescription as best he could from the numbers he got the last visit. We hope it will be good enough to show him how much help glasses are and come back in a year. Maybe at 5 yrs old he'll be more cooperative.

We went to pick frames and Ben just threw them on the ground. He would have nothing to do with any of them. I was horrified and totally embarrassed. This child was not my child 3 months ago. He is so over the top with everything and a total baby about anything he isn't in the mood for. Some days I just want to strangle him or scream "Grow Up You Little Brat!" I bought the glasses the doctor recommended after he got one pair on him to get a reference point of what was the right size and left totally heartbroken that Ben won't let me help him.

More Pretties, Please?

Maddie brought me the bag of hair clips today and asked me to put a pretty in her hair. I did. "More pretties?" Okay. "More pretties?" And so it went until the entire bag of pretties was in her hair and she was the happiest princess in all the land. Doesn't she look great?

Not to be outdone...

Maddie peed on the floor two more times before the end of the night. Ben freaked out and had to take a bath because some of the pee got on his leg and foot. At least that part made me laugh, even if mopping the floor two more times didn't...

Potty Training

Maddie decided she wanted to use the potty two weeks ago. She does okay. I guess I should take her interest and regular successes as the sign to buckle down and do it before she looses interest, but I'm not sure I have the patience anymore right now. Today Maddie wanted to potty. We went in, stripped naked and then proceeded to get the her baby doll totally ready to potty too. Finally, the baby doll went first and was nicely sitting down waiting when Maddie, calmly watching baby try to potty, pees all over the floor. Ugh. After we got home from morning errands I mention we could try again and she decides okay. We strip her naked, because you know you can't potty with a single stitch of clothes on, it doesn't work that way. She sits for a while and gets bored. I have to run and help Ben in the kitchen. She leaves the bathroom and is leaning on the far side of the neighbors car seat in the entryway when I return, naked and smiling. I tell her she must wear a diaper if she isn't sitting on the potty. She tries to be cute and is giggling for a minute or so, hiding behind the car seat. Finally, I decide to get serious and put the diaper on. As I move around the car seat, I see she's pooped all over the ground. Double ugh. I take her in the bathroom to wipe off her legs and I stand her up on the stool. She says, "Potty." I say, "Yes, we poo poo in the potty." I reach to grab some toilet paper to clean her up and sure enough, she had to potty. She peed all over the stool and the bathroom floor. Triple ugh for the day. Anyone want to earn some extra money moping floors for a week or two? J-you need cash, right?