Because I Think I Should Post

Every two years, since a year after my blessed union with J---I have had a baby. Right around this time of year, I have a wrinkly, cry-ey, poopy, leechy, precious newborn.

Or I'm ready to pop.

This year is the first two year mark that this is not the case. Although, I just made some delish, made-from-scratch buttermilk pannycakes, and I feel like I'm finna pop.

Another thing we've done every two years, or less, is move.

So I'm spinning around my house, itching to nest, pack, weed out, (I'd call it spring cleaning but Super Happy Girl thinks that's stupid, and I live to please my friends) and there's really no need. My house, in general, is immaculate. I'm one of those people who can't let the ice melt in an empty glass on my counter. If it's not in someone's hand, serving it's purpose, I'm washing it and putting it away.

I hope nobody else got a puddle of sarcasm on their keyboard just now...

So, I've been nesting.

And yelling at my kids for things they've done every day until now, and haven't gotten yelled at.

"Really!?! You think it's okay to leave your popsicle stick on the table like that!? What is WRONG with you..."

That's really all I have to say about that.

Bo is home from school today. Pretty sure it's a mental health day, but shhhh---don't tell him that. He thinks his leg is broken. It broke in the night. When he was sleeping. And so brutal was this break, that he couldn't make it to the bathroom this morning and peed on the floor outside the bathroom.

I'm feeling a little more compassion for him than I normally would in this situation because one, I'm just a nice girl like that and two, he really believes all this. And that is entertaining for me. I'll do pretty much anything for good entertainment.

Last night as I was fighting with Danyo to get to sleep, Bo sighed loudly, oblivious to Danyo's screams and the sweat dripping off my brow, and said, "I am so tired of doing stuff at school that I am way too super smart for." See, that's cute and funny, but it sounds like this, "I'm so ty-ode of doing stuff at school that I am way too supoh smawt foh." which is like, 5x's funnier.

I wondered when the way he was feeling at school would catch up with his desire to say it out loud to me. I asked for some more specifics and his complaint was with the same papers he's bringing home, that immediately send me into a coma when I read them. I have a hard time believing more than 3 kids in that class need that level of learning.

On the other hand, he draws pictures of him and a couple of his friends racing go-karts, under the title "What I Want To Be When I Grow Up" because he wants to be Mario when he grows up. And right now, he's rocking himself on an ottoman and saying "pizzata" over and over. So really, how's a person to know that "learning" to read "I can run" is reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllly boring him.

And lastly, when Danyo was born, I told him probably 4 gazillion times, "You are false advertisement buddy, you make me think I can have 12 kids." He was so sweet and easy and snuggly, and has maintained that description for quite some time.

I know that kids change as they grow, but the changes he's making, I can't take. He used to ask to go to bed if J or I were ever taking too long to get him there. In fact, just two Sundays ago, as we were about to walk out the door to church (which is also, exactly his naptime) he took himself upstairs and climbed in his crib for a nap.

But something snapped about a week ago. Part of me thinks it's a delayed reaction to my 5 day absence (three weeks ago!), or I worked all day Saturday last week (which I never do) or, he's just growing and changing and this is the new him...

He screams. SCREAMS at naptime and bedtime. When I go in to deal with him, he reaches for me so pathetically that I have to call for backup because I want so desperately to pick him up. When J deals with him, he basically yells at him, gives him dirty looks, and talks back.

We have no idea what to do. I've tried letting him cry it out (worked for Bo, never worked for Avee) and he has gone as long as an hour and a half with no stop.

Last night I pulled him into bed with me to snuggle, hopping he'd just find relief and give it up. He humored me for about 4 minutes and then got up to go about his business of toodling around the house. I put him back in his crib.

The only thing that works, is J laying on the floor in his room. Which is great, for a quick-fix, but not a solution. We moved him in with the other kids, because I thought maybe he was lonely. Yeah, he couldn't care less.

So, if anyone's faced something like this, and has some insights--let me know. He's also completely given up milk. Which is actually fine by me---he's going to be 2 in a couple of weeks, so he doesn't really need it anymore---but it seems weird that he's gone cold turkey at the exact same time he's freaked out about sleeping.

In the daytime he's mostly delightful. He's still sweet, smiley, and snuggly. He does have more opinions, and some OCD tendencies (which we find hilarious and endearing), and he can't talk---so he gets really frustrated when he has a want or need we don't understand. Which sadly, happens a lot.

J's back and my sanity thank you in advance.

Avee just exclamed, "Oh my holy smokes!"

That's just cute.