Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

The time has finally come… Jack is in his new big boy room!  Last week, Jack’s new bedroom furniture was delivered.  It took about a month to arrive, and Jack asked just about every day when his new “room” was going to come.  The delivery guys were very kind and patient.  Jack watched them carry in each piece and assemble everything.  Jack was even lucky enough to help drill in a bolt.

This was just as exciting for me, since I love to decorate. I have been buying new bedding and other odds and ends.  The décor of this room is trains, of course.  I couldn’t bring myself to making it a “Thomas the train” room since Thomas seems to be taking over our house.  I must draw the line here.  This is a vintage train inspired themed room.  With a few more items to add to the walls his room will be finished, and I can start decorating the new nursery.  We are down to 3 months before the baby arrives… YIKES!

Jack was so excited to sleep in his new bed.  He loved his striped sheets and couldn’t believe how BIG his bed seemed.  He has so much room to spread out.  He quickly realized what a great trampoline it made, too.  I thought for sure he would sleep in late every morning now that he has this nice comfortable bed, but I was wrong.  Undoubtedly, he is a morning person and I’m going to have to face that fact.

This new room marks yet another milestone.  My baby is growing up.  Soon he’ll be three and off to preschool and before I know it high school.  Time really does fly when you are having fun!

During the month of March, Brady was invited to 5 birthday parties. He gets invited to play dates several days per week. We go to library storytime. Saturday mornings we often spend at Lowe’s doing the Build to Grow kid’s workshops. We frequently go swimming at the local YMCA. He attends a children’s gym once per week. Brady has two classes at our church. Last weekend we ran: YMCA, play date, 2 birthday parties, church, visit with great grandparents, and another play date. I felt like I was on activity overload. I can imagine Brady felt the same. I was thankful for today, a day that we spent in our PJs!!

How do you decide how much is too much? I think it is great to get your kid socialized (especially when they stay home with you all day), but how many sports/events/classes must a child be involved in? My personal rule is one “extra” at a time. So he did play soccer for a while, those who have been following my blog may remember…. Brady is not a fan of soccer. We are now doing gym classes at the local My Gym. He LOVES that, so I have not enrolled him in any other classes. One class as a time.

I don’t think it is the classes that get us on activity overload, it is all of the extras. I have made a new personal goal to have one PJ day each week! Ok, maybe I will get out of my pajamas. But my point is, we will stay home and lounge and play. No running, no errands, no classes, no play dates. As important as all of the socialization and fun can be… the quiet time is just as important.

I’m convinced you have to have a sense of humor to be a parent. It’s one of the things they should dole out in the hospital along with pain medication, immediately after you give birth. You know, it comes along with that instruction manual that comes with the kid…

Without a sense of humor, how would you deal with your kid having a meltdown in the middle of a crowded restaurant? Or any of those other memorable moments where you laugh because otherwise you just might cry in frustration…

The sun is finally shining after about 5 days of really horrific rainstorms. Earlier this week, we were faced with insane winds and monsoon like rain conditions. Andrew, of course, loved this because it meant he could wear his raincoat. Apparently, being yellow means that this jacket is AWESOME.

I picked him up on Tuesday, racing from my car to the front door, immediately getting drenched from head to toe. When I got Andrew outside – armed with his yellow raincoat – he was not phased by the pouring rain in the slightest. He ran around cackling, going up and down the hills.

And then he found the puddles. First he ran through them. Then he started tapping his foot in them. He looked up at me eager and said, “Mommy! You jump!”

I looked down at myself. My suit. My heels. And I decided who cares? That’s what dry cleaners are for…

I jumped into the hugest puddle, sending water spraying everywhere. I grabbed his hands and the two of us jumped repeatedly into the puddles, laughing hysterically. Other moms were checking us out, shaking their heads like we were crazy. A couple dads looked like they might actually want to join in.

Then we got home and Andrew proceeded to swim through a mud puddle. Oh yeah. He jumped in and tried to dog paddle right through the mud.

I finally got him inside. Removed the mud-caked shoes and pants. Then I went into the kitchen to make him dinner. He grabbed a container of pudding and wandered off into the other room to feed himself.

You know the feeling you get when things are a little too quiet for anything good to be going on? Well…Andrew had stripped off the rest of his clothes and covered himself head to toe in pudding. Chocolate pudding.

I raced after him, trying to keep him from touching anything. Little chocolate footprints covered the floor. I wrapped him in a towel and tried my best to wipe him down. That was right before he dumped half a container of macaroni and cheese on himself.

Did he make a total mess? Yes. Was it frustrating? Sure. But it was also hysterical. Because other than the inevitable bath, what else can you do but laugh?