Hooray!  For two days now, I’ve kept the house unusually clean.  Go me.  But, it’s not without that acid-reflux sheen that gives everything a warm glow. I don’t expect to do a lot of posting this week, while getting my act together for Ian’s birthday “party”.  The boys helped me make some gingerbread men and trees, a few of which I might use on his cake. I don’t intend to do any real, invite-all-the-friends parties for as long as I can get away with it. Is that Scroogey?  He’s so thrilled with family parties now, why mess with what works? He’s been having us read his Thomas the Tank Engine story about Thomas’ birthday — Thomas wanted presents, balloons and silly hats, so that’s what Ian wants too.

Yesterday wasn’t so special.  I was a grump.  Sure, I’m tired and feeling huge and uncomfortable, but I never feel justified in snapping at the boys so much.  It seemed like things were constantly being inappropriately spilled out, splashed in, stomped on, torn up, wadded up, knocked over, thrown down and whatnot, and I think each time I had a nuclear meltdown.  Why did it seem like my 3-y/o was the grownup here?  He kept softly cooling my jets with little phrases like, “Mommy, do you feel frustrated? I’m here.”  “Mommy, you are soooo sorry for yelling.”  “Yes, I am so sorry for yelling at you,” I’d say.  “I’m soooo sorry too.  I love you sooo much,” he’d reply.  “I’m sooo sorry about that, Mom. It was and acc’ent” I felt like an even bigger monster after all his cuteness. [Sigh.] Today will be better.

The boys had me read a couple stories before breakfast. Isaac wanted a truck book. He points to one and says “Car pa-po-ter,” correctly labeling the car transporter. He also recognized the “duh truck,” “deer [skid steer],”loader,” and “tra-ter [tractor].”  These boys know more about trucks than I do.

We recently made hand puppets with paper bags, glue sticks, googly eyes, pom-poms & crayons.  Glue was a new concept for them. Isaac kept trying to disassemble his before it would dry. Ian felt he had a bad start and said his puppet was Isaac’s and traded bags with him.  They turned out pretty cute.  Ian still liked Isaac’s better in the end, but he had fun making them talk and dance.  The next day, they took Isaac’s apart together.

It’s a rainy, chilly day.  Ian keeps taking off his robe and then telling me how cold he is. Then he tells me, “I want the green blanket.  I want a green tent, actu-wy.”  I see lots of story-reading in my near future.