It's Eight, Zero, Zero

This whole "fall back" thing has both boys all messed up.  How crazy it becomes when the light outside doesn't quite match to their normal routine.

Jacek was getting up early and being the only awake person in the house even before the whole set your clock back thing so Darren and I went out and got a small clock for his room.  Along with the clock we made a sign that showed what 8:00am will look like on the clock. 

The reasoning behind our madness: to keep the boy in his room until 8.

On Monday morning, the first morning with the clock, he was up at 6:45.  I hear him leave his room.  We have 2 staircases in our house and he goes down the main one which enters out into the parlor.  He comes around into the kitchen, presumably looking for life forms that resemble Mommy or Daddy, no such things at that hour!  "Jacek", I call from upstairs.  His footsteps quicken and he rushes up the staircase to our bedroom.  "Mommy", he says when he reaches the top, "My clock is never gonna say eight, eight, eight!"  Trying to hide my smile I say "It's eight, zero, zero and yes, it will."  "Oh", he says disappointed, knowing where I'm going to send him back to.  Off to his bedroom he goes and he stays for about 20 minutes until his brother, in the next room, begins to "screech".

It is still only just a little after 7 in the morning.  "Quiet", now only comes in waves as my sons have quite a back and forth battle of screeches.
Not to long after this Jacek leaves his room again.  He finds me in the living room writing out a shopping list.  "My clock is still the same"he says, meaning the 7 is still there.  "Yes Jacek, it's still early".  "Why don't you take those books back up" I say, pointing to a few he must have brought down with him the first time he came down.  "You can look at those while you wait PATIENTLY for eight, zero, zero"

"Yea", he exclaims.  "They will help my clock go faster".

At about 8:02 I head up the stairs and meet Jacek on his way down.  "Mommy, the clock, the clock has an 8".  "I did it, I did it, I stayed in my room till 8".

I sigh.

"Yep, good job Buddy"

Snot Rockets and Pound Cake

Yup. 
We are still sick.  Jacek is much better though, thankfully.  No fever, coughing less and has regained his appetite. 

Aidan had his worst day today.  He had these coughing spells where his eyes started watering and then he got nervous because he was coughing so much that he forgot to breathe.  When he finally did remember it was like a ragged haggard breath.  I hate seeing him so sick.

I also had my worst day today.  My right ear hurts.  I still have a low grade fever and I am stuffed up with

SNOT! 

SNOT SUCKS.

I wish I had more patience. I really do.  Granted, I'm sick with a low grade fever, aches, coughing spells of my own and a stuffy nose but still I know these boys are precious but let me tell you...I felt like a baby today with all the whining, yelling, and object throwing I did.  I surely did not teach my children anything valuable today, unless what they took away from today was to stay away from Momma when she don't feel good. 

Blah.  So, Totally Over This Being Sick Thing.

We did manage to have a few very nice cuddle sessions but Aidan's nose kept dripping and it was just gross trying to ignore the amount of snot that was coming out of it.  We are almost out of Kleenex and his poor little nose is red and right before bedtime I noticed it is now raw and a little bloody too.

Drum roll Please.  The highlight of the day....Breakfast.  I took my Aunt Mariannes suggestion and visited The Pioneer Womans blog and found this delicious recipe for Perfect Pound Cake.

Um.  Yup.  

Pretty Damn Perfect.  

Yum. 

Perfectly Perfect 

if I do say so myself.

We all ate it for breakfast. 
 

There's nothing wrong with that is there?    

Having cake for breakfast?

Yeah, I didn't think so either.

Disgustingly enough the boys and I (remember, Darren is working way late) had breakfast for dinner tonight.  I knew the boys would eat and they would eat well because they just love to eat pancakes, eggs and sausage for dinner.  So, why deny them the yumminess of a warm meal that I knew would fill them up and hopefully help them sleep.

After dinner er breakfast? er now I'm confused......I did bath for the boys.  Bathtime is totally a Daddy thing in our house but tonight Mommy ruled the roost...well I always do....but...yeah, just sayin.....I knew it would make them warm and help them sleep.

They need sleep.   

Boy do they ever.

So, my belly stuffed, clean and vicks vapor rubbed children are in bed. 

And it's not even Eight Zero Zero yet.

Now that

is

 Perfectly Perfect.

The Simple Woman's Daybook - Feb 23, 2010

Cards4Cancer

Team Royce

Click here to be taken to the sign up form and become a member of the team

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

FOR TODAY: Tuesday February 23, 2010

Outside my window is the same view.  The same houses sit surrounded by snow.  More snow fell last night but the road is not covered.  It actually looks really wet.  Maybe the temperature rose over night.  The trees are still cold and bare. 

I am thinking that I wasn't a very supportive Mommy when Jacek woke me up at 4:15am because two of his burpies (lovies) were lost.  In my half a wake mutterings I think I told him that it was silly.  Not having or thinking you don't have your security item is not silly to a toddler.  It's pretty serious business.  I wish I could just be less grumpy at 4:15 in the morning.

I am thankful for music.  Music helps me get the words out.  Last night I was struggling to put thought into words.  I put the headbuds in and turned on Yahoo radio's coffee shop channel.  I got another blog post written. 

From the kitchen the cupboards and the refrigerator are yelling at me.  They too, like the trees are cold and bare.  A shopping trip is desperately needed.  Darren keeps opening and closing them as if  he believes that the next time he opens them something will be in there.  That would be way cool if that could actually happen.  Teleportation grocery shopping.

I am wearing clothes for the day.  Since I was awoken at 4:15 to be BurpieFinder I could not really go back to sleep.  When the alarm went off at 6:30 I was up and at 'em.  I'm in jeans that fit me nicely and a thrift store find sweater.  It's quite a snugly sweater I might add.

I am creating blogs.  I have so many posts in my edit file that I overwhelm myself just looking in there.  You'd think that I would actually use one of them blogs to post rather then create from scratch another one but you have to write when the mood strikes.  I've been wanting to participate in this day book idea for a while now.  Isn't this called free writing?  When someone gives you a started idea and you finish it with thought? 

I am going grocery shopping.  Did I mention the look Darren has on his face when I told him teleportation doesn't actually work...no matter how many times you try.  I kind of like the clean and simple look the refrigerator has now without all the stuff in there.

I am reading The Dome by Stephen King.  I am almost half way through it and it's been and is getting really good.  I've had it almost three weeks already.  I warned the librarian I'd have it for a long time.

I am hoping that Jacek isn't a tired wreck today.  He was up at 7 this morning.  He's in his room still because of the eight zero zero rule we have in the house.  He's got school today on top of us running out first thing to grocery shop.  So, pair all that with no nap.  He'll be a tired little boy that's for sure.

I am hearing frozen gurgled chirps from the birds outside.  It gives me hope and reminds me that eventually winter will be over....right? 

Around the house there are toys.  Toys, toys, everywhere.  We did not enforce toy pick up last night.  I'm not sure why.  I barely remember what we had for dinner.

One of my favorite things is conversation with Jacek.  He'll ask me now to sit and talk.  I love it.  Then he'll say, "hmm, what should we talk about?"  He'll be 4 in just a few weeks.  I was telling my friend that I can't imagine having conversations with Aidan, who's 18 months and just beginning to babble.  I know it'll happen but right now I can't believe I'll have another little person to engage with.

A few plans for the rest of the week include story time tomorrow morning at "The Big Library" as Jacek calls it. I think on Thursday we'll probably stay home in the morning and Jacek goes to school in the afternoon.  Friday might include us joining playgroup for a bowling date for the kiddos.  It sounds like a lot of fun. I don't think we have plans for the weekend, which is actually a very nice plan to have.

Here is the picture for thought I am sharing.

A few pics of what is blooming on my porch

And this is what is outside my porch

Laughing all the way to Santa's Lap

I love the first snow of the season. I love it even more when it doesn't happen until December. And so, waking up on December 1st to snow was wonderful. I went into Jacek's room and snapped up his shade and he took in the view. He has a great view from his window. Both boys do. That makes me happy. Jacek was so excited and asked to go outside and build a snowman. When it was Aidan's turn he was all "whoah", over and over. I hope that like me, that wonder of seeing the first snow never fades. It makes the cold, drab winter landscape come to life the way changing a photo to black and white can sometimes do. Brilliant.

I had the luxury of taking Jacek out by himself tonight. We went to Santa storytime at the library. Conversing with Jacek alone is one of my favorite things. His views on how things work, his questions and his quiet pauses when I wonder what he is thinking about, are things I so look forward to in a moment shared by just us.

Here's a piece of our conversation in the van on the way to the library.

Me: Are you excited to see Santa Claus?

Jacek: Yes. I mean no, I don't like his beard.

Me: Why don't you like his beard?

Jacek: Ooooh look at those lights, wow they have a long fence...those are long lights.

Me: What are you going to ask Santa Claus to bring you for Christmas?

Jacek: A train table. Oh wait, no his sleigh isn't big enough. I'll ask him for something else and Grandma can bring me the train table.

Me: (laughing) Which Grandma? Grandma 4wheeler or Marshmellow?

Jacek: Um, whichever has the biggest car. Doesn't Grandma Marshmellow have a van?

Me: No, I think she has a truck.

Jacek: Oh. Then maybe Mrs. Woodrich can bring it. (Mrs. Woodrich is his teacher and apparently has a van)

When we got to the library he became a recluse. But he had his eyes peeled for any sight of a round bellied, white bearded man in a red suit. He must have asked me 30 times if Santa was there yet. Then we had this conversation.

Jacek: Is Santa here yet?

Me: Maybe. Do you hear him?

Jacek: I think he's late.

Me: Why do you think that?

Jacek: Does he have to wait until Eight, Zero, Zero?

Me: (Rolling on the floor in laughter)

This is Jacek's face when Santa entered the room.

I love the slight smirk and his eyes. He wasn't quite sure what to make of him but he was still totally excited.

However, as soon as Santa began to speak he became a skeptic. Santa sounded super young. Not quite what Jacek expected I don't think.

Jacek did great sitting through the story but Santa stuttered his way through it.

Jacek: Why isn't Santa turning the book so we can all see the pictures?

Me: I don't know buddy.

Jacek: I think maybe he shouldn't read anymore. Is he reading about Snowmen?

Me: I think so.

So the story part of the evening was over lickety-split. On to the "sitting on Santa's lap" fun. Of course, that's after you stand in line for almost an hour waiting for all the other kiddos to do their thing.

We sat. Jacek looked at books. He was very patient. I was growing weary. Thinking that I was wasting my time because certainly my little boy who immediately sticks his fingers in his mouth when approached by a stranger let a lone a man with a beard he didn't like would shy away as soon as it was his turn to sit on Santa's famous lap.

We sat in our chairs and waited for the line to get smaller.

We waited. Jacek looked at more books. Jacek went to the bathroom. Washed his hands.

Then we went and stood in line.

Jacek: I'm gonna tell him I don't like it.

Me: What...his beard?

Jacek: No, his outfit!

Me: (Choking back the laughter) Don't say that. That's not nice. Santa brings you presents, remember?

Jacek: Yeah.

We were 3 kids away from it being our turn. Jacek was becoming nervous.

Me: What are you going to ask for?

Jacek: A train table.

Jacek: I'm NOT sitting on his lap.

Santa was AMAZING!! Check out how he got my son to be comfortable. No fingers in mouth for my son. I was such a proud Mommy.

(sorry for the sideways video)

He went on to have quite a lengthy conversation with the I don't like his beard or his outfit man dressed in red. Jacek told him he wanted the train table with Thomas and Diesel. And that Diesel has a scooper thingy that gets other trains. He was so himself, the Jacek I know and love and am sooooo super proud of and amazed by.

When Jacek's turn was done he went and sat back in a chair to the side of Santa. He appeared to be waiting.

Me: What are you doing?

Jacek: Waiting.

Me: For what?

Jacek: For Santa to get the train table and Diesel.

Yes folks my son apparently was so brave and sat on Santa's lap only because he thought he was going to get the toys he asked for before we left the library.

That is better then the first snowfall of winter. Way better.