A rite of passage

Evan lost his first tooth Saturday night! He was brushing his teeth and started crying, "My tooth is really loose and it's gonna hurt!" I got him to come to me and calm down and sure enough, his tooth could wiggle almost 90 degrees forward. It didn't really hurt him, it just kind of scared him. We were not expecting this to happen so soon, so we hadn't really talked about it a lot. Anyway, he calmed down and I asked him if he wanted me to pull it and he said yes. The first time I pulled it I thought I got it, but not completely. Another little tug and it was out. He didn't cry or complain or anything. I told him he was very brave, and he was very excited about the tooth and the hole in his mouth.

He asked what we would do the tooth and I told him about the tooth fairy before checking with Steve. (Again, we weren't quite prepared for this.) He was asking about the tooth fairy a few minutes later and I looked at Steve like, "Are we going to do this? Sorry I didn't ask before." I don't know if Evan noticed the hesitancy or not, but he asked, "Is the tooth fairy real?" I just looked at Steve and laughed. Apparently Evan decided he didn't need the answer to that question, because he went on with other questions like, "How does the tooth fairy know where it is?", and "When does the tooth fairy come?", and my favorite, "How many dollars does the tooth fairy leave?" I told him he may be expecting too much if he expects dollars.

As for the hole, he kept running his tongue through it and sticking his finger through it while we read before bed. One of the first things he did, though, was practicing the "l" sound, just to be sure he could still do it.

So, we put the tooth in the tooth fairy pillow that Steve used and left it on Evan's bed. In the morning he found lots of coins instead of the tooth. He had a dollar, but felt so rich that he shared with everyone! I thought that was so sweet. He found out later that he gave away more money than he meant to, but I have kept most of it for him. I was sick all day yesterday, but I heard him telling Steve, "I wonder when the tooth fairy did come. I thought I saw money in there (the pillow) when it was still night." Ahhh, always questioning and wondering. That is life with Evan.

More fun conversations

On the way home from community group last night I asked Steve if he wanted to stop at the video store. Evan and Joel immediately said yes, but Steve didn’t answer right away. Evan decided he needed to make a case so he said, “If we go to the video store it will fill up my joy spot.” He then showed us where his joy spot was. It looked like his shoulder, but he said it was right outside his heart, so apparently his aim was a little off.

Later in the van he was asking for a carrot and bread when we got home. Again, he made a case by stating, “I need a carrot and bread because it will make me strong and make me go to sleep.” He knows which levers to pull, huh.

Again in the van Joel was singing to himself and Evan got irritated. Evan was tired so he was fussing at Joel to stop. Steve tried to talk to Joel about it, but he just kept on singing. I said, “Joel, your dad is trying to talk to you, and you aren’t answering him.” Joel said, “I can’t right now. I am busy singing.” Kind of missed the point, huh.

Just because you're grumpy, it's no reason not to pray

That's probably not grammatically correct, but I think you get the point - or you will in a minute.

I served the boys dinner this evening and grumpy Joel promptly declared that he didn't like it - any of it. After they settled down a little it was time to pray. They both wanted to pray but Evan went first. I forgot that Joel was supposed to pray, too, but he reminded me, albeit with a whine. I apologized for forgetting and told him to pray. His prayer went something like this:

Thank you for our food and for our wonderful day. Thank you for this that I don't like and for this that I don't like. Precious name. (which is an abbreviated form of "in Your precious name, Amen.")

Evan enjoyed his dinner much more. His bedtime prayer went like this:

Thank you for our day and our wonderful dinner and that it had pasta and sausage and chicken and bread. In your precious name, Amen.

It has begun!

While eating breakfast this morning, Evan said to me (completely out of the blue), "A girl told Ty and me that she was going to give us so many kisses." Hmmmm. This had to be at school. I asked who this girl was, and at first he couldn't remember, but then he came up with a name. Unfortunately it's one of the kids I don't know. Hey, he may be 5, but I still want to know the girl. So then I asked what he and Ty said. "You have to catch us." I asked if she did catch them, but she didn't. So, no kisses for Evan yet. Whew! :)

The remains of the storm

Ike passed through our part of the world yesterday, but it was quieter than predicted. We got some rain, but only about an inch and a half. We also got some winds, but we had stronger winds earlier in the summer. So, we were thankful that we got some rain but didn't have damage to go with it.

With rain comes mud and the boys had fun playing in it today. They were told not, too, but Joel couldn't resist the temptation. We were trying to think of a "natural consequence" for him, when he got some mud in his eyes. We decided that was enough of a consequence.

Evan started out doing well, and even got in the peach tree for a little bit. But, eventually he started digging around, too. He was able to keep himself mostly clean, except his hands.

Learning social graces

Yesterday I needed to do some stuff up at our church while Evan was in school. I figured that I would see Ms. Tammy, our friend and the church's children's director, while we were there. I was telling Evan that and asked if he would like for me to tell her "Hi!" for him. He said, "Why?" I tried to explain that sometimes you can pass along a hello to someone that you are not going to see, but that someone else is going to see. So, I asked again if he wanted me to tell her hi for him, and he replied, "But I am not going to be there." This seemed to be a very puzzling concept to him, so I let it drop.

By the time we finished up at church, it was almost noon so I asked Ms. Tammy if she would like to have lunch with Joel and me. She agreed and we headed off to Chick-fil-a, where we had a great time. After Joel ate, he headed to the play area while Ms. Tammy and I finished eating and "visiting". Towards the end Joel started coming in and out of the play area at an increased rate. One of those times I noticed that he and another little boy (maybe 4-5 years old), were having "words" at the door. The other boy's mom started talking to him, and I was trying to get Joel's attention. Then Joel ran over to me, visibly upset, and said, "Mommy, he said poo-poo pants." The other mom explained that her son had smelled something and thought Joel had a poopy diaper. Well, he did. I hadn't smelled it earlier, so I am guessing that it was new. I told Joel to go back into the play area to get his shoes, and we would go to the van and change his diaper. Joel tried to obey, but he was having trouble getting the door opened. Then I noticed that the other boy was holding it from the inside so that Joel couldn't get in. The other boy's mom saw, too, and went to the door and told him to open it so that Joel could get his shoes and leave. Poor Joel! It was kind of funny, but he also seemed to be upset at this playmate rejection. Granted, he was already tired and that contributed to his emotions, but it still made me sad for him. Steve thought that the "peer pressure" might help him decide to completely potty train, but I don't think it will. He just doesn't usually seem to mind having a dirty diaper (or underwear, for that matter), and he just gets so busy he doesn't think to go to the bathroom when we are out (or sometimes when we are home, for that matter).

Third time's the charm

So, then came dinner and I heard that familiar sound ... a cup crashing to the floor. I haven't seen any of these crashes while they were occurring, so I don't know for sure how they are happening. I think this one was the result of a misplaced elbow. At least this cup was mostly empty. There was some ice, which he proceeded to eat instead of pick up. But he started the clean up without any prompting this time. That sounds like progress, huh.

Two wrongs can make a right (or at least a "better")

Joel seems to be having a bad day. At lunch he was disgruntled with his food and spilled his apple juice. I am not sure if it was an accident or not. The juice and cup landed on the floor. The cup did not survive the fall (thankfully it was plastic), and the spill covered quite a large area. I cleaned it up through gritted teeth, because I wasn't sure if it was an accident and because I had a really bad sinus headache.

So, I hadn't mopped the floor, and I kept sticking to it. I figured I would wait until after dinner so that the clean floor would last a little longer (at least overnight). But the sticking was getting irritating, and mopping is the only way to get that up, right? Apparently not. If you continue with your bad-day-ways and spill water in the exact same spot at snack time, it can get the rid of the stickiness! I will mop, but for now it is nice to not be sticking to the floor between the refrigerator and table.

When the theology lessons are over their heads

Evan started singing a song at the house that he has learned at school. It goes, "Clap your hands if you love God. Clap your hands if you love God. Clap your hands if you love God. He surely loves you." It's a sweet little song. As he started it tonight I told Steve to listen to him singing. Evan decided to shake things up the second time through. He sang, "Clap your hands if you love baby God." Hmmm, what to say about that? Jesus is God and did come to earth as a baby. But the concept of calling God "baby God" is not something that Steve and I are comfortable with. It wouldn't have been so bad if Joel hadn't picked up on it and started singing some made up song about "baby God".

They are just so much easier when they are asleep.

Help!

**Update** I have found my keys! I knew that I would feel sheepish when I found them, and I do. They were on the dryer. Not really sure why they would have been there at all, but that's where they were. Apparently I checked everywhere but there 2 -4 times this morning. At least I now have them, and I get to run errands by myself when Steve gets home. Although I was a little frazzled this morning, it all worked out in the end.

I can't find my keys and I'm stuck in the house!

Okay, I have checked all over the house (including the trash can and recycle bin, under the cushions of the couch, under the couch, and under the bed) and I can't find them anywhere. I was not feeling well when I got home yesterday, so I can't remember what I did with them. If anyone has any ideas of other places to look, please let me know. I have been looking off and on for over 1-1/2 hours and haven't come up with anything yet!

An update on our week

We are slowly adjusting to this new school schedule. Actually, the boys have gotten up late the last two days, and we have been hurrying to make it to school just a little late (instead of a lot late). But Evan has had two good days so far, so that is good. Joel and I have been doing pretty good, except that I got sick yesterday. I seem to have a stomach bug or something, which is better today, but I still feel a little nauseous and weak. I am also slightly less "together" today. My patience is a little less and I am not as much as fun. Keep that in mind when I share the following conversation from the van this morning, which is more humurous to me now than it was then:

Joel: Mommy, do trains live on train tracks?
Me: Well, they ride on train tracks, like our car rides on the road, but they don't live there. Cars and trains aren't really alive.
Evan: Actually, they are.
Me: Evan, why are you arguing with me? They are not alive.
Evan: Yes they are. We have a car.
Me: Yes, they are real, but they aren't alive. To be alive means that you are breathing and moving on your own and stuff like that.
Evan: (slight pause) Oh yeah, I forgot.

Usually Evan doesn't even acknowledge that we (the more experience parents) are right in these arguments, but today he did. Maybe that is progress.

Just for fun I thought I would share another conversation from this week. Yesterday, after dropping Evan off at school, Joel and I were headed home when we started to pass a field with two horses grazing. Joel still loves cows and horses, so I said, "Joel, look out the window! What is that?" He calmly replied, "I can't talk right now. I am busy." "Oh," I said, "and what are you doing?" He said, just as calmly, "Nothing." I tried to explain that you can't bu busy if you are doing nothing, but he didn't seem to get it. I do tell them I can't talk sometimes when I am driving, but I am pretty sure that I have never told them that I can't talk to them because I am busy. He has been saying this to me a lot lately though.

Well, my energy is quickly waning, so it is time for me to close this post. I will try to get some pictures of the boys to share in the next post.

First Day of School

A fond farewell to summer

We had taken a break from the swimming pools because of a local outbreak of crypto (a really nasty stomach bug). But, today we went back to celebrate the last day of the pool's season and the last day before school starts for Evan.

Evan had a great time and even made some friends. Joel didn't like it as much today, for some reason. He kept asking to go home. I didn't really get in the pool (except to take some pictures), so he and I sat out for a while and ate some boiled peanuts. What a yummy pool snack!

After we got home Steve and I finished cleaning out and organizing the boys' toys and clothes. The boys are now resting and we are just puttering around the house. We are planning on going to a friends house after naptime for some grilled burgers, and that should end our summer celebrations. All in all, not a bad way to do it.