February 7, 2008

There are times when the boys will be trying to get my attention, to show me something or tell me something, and I am busy doing something and do not look at them immediately. When this happens here is the method each one uses to get my attention:

Nick: "Mommy, ellllllllooooo mommy!" (translation: helllllllo mommy)

Ben: "Mommy, arrrrrrre you mommy?!!!" (translation: where arrrrre you mommy - and he says this while standing right next to me.)

They are so funny. It cracks me up when they do this and it definitely gets my attention quickly because I find it so funny. I really must start writing down more of what they are saying these days because they are really talking a lot now....pretty much all the time, actually:)...and I love it.

Ben got his stitches out and everything went fine. The doctor said that everything looks really good so far. We are all glad that is over. We go back to the doctor on Monday so he will probably take the steri-strips off and we'll be able to see it then.

Ben knows every letter in the alphabet and numbers 0-10, meaning he can tell you what each letter and number is but he can't recite them in the correct order yet. He also knows tons of shapes and colors. The kid has an amazing memory. Nick knows most of them as well but not all.  It is very hard to tell with him though because he seems to know when he wants to know. We think he often likes to play like he doesn't know and give wrong answers. For instance, he'll point to his gray shirt and say "blue?" and then, before you can answer, he'll give a clever smile and say "gray!". He likes to be funny.

My issues with Ben and his whining have greatly improved. We have gotten to the point where I can simply tell him that, if he is going to whine or cry, he can go sit in the library until he is done. That normally has one of three results:
1. He stops immediately,
2. He keeps whining and I tell him to go sit in the library (he knows he can get up and come back as soon as he stops). He goes to the library, whining as he walks away, comes back in a few seconds, gives me a big smile and says "mommy, yay!", to show me that he has stopped and everything is ok now, or
3. I have to take him by the hand and walk him into the library, over to his little stool where he always sits when we have this issue, he cries louder for a few minutes and then stops and comes back to join us, sometimes saying "mommy, Yay" with a smile and sometimes just giving me a look to make sure I noticed.

Naturally I prefer the first option but that is probably the one we see the least of right now, although I am hopeful we will see more and more of that one as time goes by. If his whining fit happens as we are getting ready to eat, we always see the first option because he loves to eat and that trumps the fit any day:). Isn't that funny?

The boys are really getting into the rough-housing thing lately. They like to push each other down, which I really don't like. They think it is funny and will tell each other (by saying something I don't understand "brother, blah blah blah", while patting their own chest with their hand) and, next thing you know, they are chasing each other around the house and then, when the pursuer catches the pursuee, he pushes him down. Or, one will walk up to the other one, just out of the blue, and push him so hard he falls backwards on his bottom. I really don't like this because I think it is dangerous but they really think it is very funny, so it has been a challenge to stop.  I am looking forward to the day when I can send them outside to play, without having to go outside with them.

Yesterday I filled the ice trays again and put drops of food coloring in them so today we will have some water play time. I didn't get to see them do this last time so it will be fun to watch today. They love playing in the water so much and they are fascinated with ice.