The Life Of The Doctor's Office

Sam and I just got home from his 2-year doctor's appointment. (Yes, he's 2 1/2. No, I don't want to hear about it.) I can now say with authority that the kid makes a blood draw fun.

We had to do a questionnaire in the waiting room. It tested several of Sam's language and gross motor skills. He loved it, and when we were done he asked, "More test?" (Go ahead and tell the story, Grandma Barb.) When we were called back to the exam room he was totally cooperative during the weighing and measuring. He's 3'3'' and weighs 37 pounds. He is still in the 95th percentile - he's nothing if not consistent!

I talked with the doctor for the first 15 minutes of our visit. Sam is at or above the normal range for all areas of development. When the doctor finally turned to Sam and told him he could get up on the table, Sam let out a little giggle of glee and climbed right up. He sat, solemn and still, as she checked his reflexes, eyes, ears, and mouth. He was happy to lay down and let her check his belly. She commented that she rarely sees a child his age handle an exam so well. She remarked that he was very mature. (Mature? The little kid with a big panther on his shirt?)

My heart sank a little when she ordered a blood test to check Sam's iron levels. We went over to the lab and I was hoping Sam would do okay. I am so afraid of needles, I have to lay down when I have blood drawn or else I pass out. We were called back and Sam sat on my lap. The nurse drawing Sam's blood talked with him the whole time. Sam watched with interest as she pricked his finger and filled a little vial. He was fascinated. Meanwhile, I had my eyes scrunched closed and was trying to stay upright. The nurse told Sam that he was very brave - much braver than his mom. Ha ha...she was a riot.

Sam ended up leaving the office with a band-aid and two stickers. He is delighted with all of them. Once again, I don't know what I ever did to get such a sweet, smart, and well-behaved kid!

Sam The Speedometer

Sam continues to prove that having a toddler can be pretty useful. Less than a week ago, he got me a pop for the first time. I felt bad for about a minute as I sat on the couch and listened to him pad into the kitchen, open the fridge, wrestle out a can, and slam the fridge shut. But he was so proud of himself! And really, how can I take that away from him?

Sam is also forcing me to keep my wits about me. Early Sunday morning, we were driving down Maryland Avenue. The speed limit there is 35 (or is it 30? Oh dear, I should probably know that). There are usually so many cars it is impossible to speed even if one was so inclined. There were several reports of Grandma Barb going 80 MPH down Maryland when I was about to deliver Sam, but I wasn't there to confirm that.

In any case, I usually go on auto-pilot when I'm on Maryland. There is a somewhat sharp downward hill near the end of it. I am used to automatically braking when I see all the brake lights going on in the cars in front of me.

On Sunday I was the only car on the road. I came to the hill and didn't move my foot off the gas pedal. I probably wouldn't even have known I was about to take flight if it hadn't been for Sam. Strapped into his carseat, he cried, "WHEEEE!" as we tore down the hill.

I looked at my speedometer and was immediately horrified. Sam continued to cheer until I slowed back down.

Thanks, Sam, for waking me up!

Worst Mom Ever

Sam and I have just had a very traumatic experience.

I was cleaning the kitchen cupboards and heard a sort of wearing, grinding noise from the living room. I ignored it as Sam never, ever does anything wrong. When I did wander out to see what he was up to, I found this:

Sam decided the best place to color (with a red crayon) was on the textured, impossible-to-clean living room walls. I wasn't really upset, as coloring on the walls is a requirement for toddlers. Still, I turned to Sam and said, "We don't color on the walls! That is naughty." Remember how I said Sam never does anything wrong? That makes this the first time I said something like that to him. That brought on this:

Picture of heartbroken Sam has been removed. It was just too sad!

Seriously. I felt like the worst mom in the world. But what should I have done? Told him to color away? I said over and over that I wasn't mad at him, we just don't color on walls. He was inconsolable.

Heartbroken picture 2 has also been deleted.

He was STILL crying when I had him stand next to the wall to show how big his picture was. These pictures just about break my heart. The worst part? I've been teaching him how to draw circles. He drew some pretty awesome circles!

He is a helper at heart, and all the tears stopped when I said he could help clean it. (His nose was still running, though.)

I got out the Magic Eraser and all traces of crayon are gone. Sam is happily playing.

So why do I still feel so terrible?

Those Blasted Bears - A Rant

Okay. I know I've always been thrilled with Sam's love of books. I have always dropped everything if Sam wants me to read to him. I never understood that the repetition of children's stories could make me feel so insane. Reading a book once is sweet. Reading it 1,264 times a week can wear on a person's soul. But there is one book that makes my blood run cold. I see him coming toward me, happily, carrying that horrible book. No amount of begging will change his mind, and I have to read it again: The Three Bears.

I never had a problem with Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear before this. They were just one of many little stories most people have memorized. But reading this book 20 times a day has changed me, and raised some questions in my mind.

Honestly, why is Goldilocks so rude? Who just wanders into a random house in the woods and starts busting up the place? What is wrong with her? And why doesn't she try the Baby Bear's things first? Why does she think she needs the biggest bowl, chair, and bed? YOU DON'T LIKE THEM, GOLDILOCKS!! You try them over and over and they never work. And only a sociopath can break into someone's house and feel so relaxed about it, she falls asleep.

I can almost believe that Papa and Mama Bear can tell a bite has been taken from their porridge. But how in the world can they tell someone has been sitting in their chairs? Just how obsessed with chairs can two people be? So obsessed they notice that before their child's chair, right next to them, broken to bits on the floor?

Nothing in this story makes sense, people. It completely drives me mad. I tried explaining this to Eric, who didn't understand. Then he noticed the crazed look in my eyes. He made the book go away. I don't want to know what happened to it. Last night Sam pulled all of his Little Golden Books off the shelf, looking for it. When he couldn't find it he simply brought me the entire pile. I didn't have to read The Three Bears. Instead, I had to read 14 other stories that are slowly making me lose touch with reality.

I am SO happy that Sam loves books!

Commanding Attention

Sam and I just got home from the grocery store. Sam was riding in one of those big plastic cars attached to the front of some carts. We were making our way down an aisle that was completely blocked on one side by boxes. Sam saw something interesting and jumped out of his car, which is a big no-no. As I repeatedly asked him to get back in the car, a line of people started building up behind me. Finally I just left Sam there and pushed ahead to the end of the aisle.

I expected to turn around to see Sam scrambling to catch up with me. Instead, I saw him grinning up at a group of retirees who were smiling right back at him. "Oh, HI!" Sam said to each of them, doing a little dance. He answered their questions and showed them the truck on his shirt. They were all so happy, I had to wait for their little meet-and-greet to be over before I could call Sam back over to me.

I honestly don't know how Sam turned out to be so social.

Creepy Crawly

Sam has a variety of interests. I wish he'd spend a little less time with his cars, simply because I am so bored with them, but we do play a lot of different things during the day. Lately, he has become obsessed with bugs.

Spending time outside really sparked his interest. He walks up and down the sidewalk, head down, looking for "ans." He'll spot an anthill and we'll have to squat there for ages watching the little bugs scurry around. He loves all flying insects but does not want them in his face (really, who does?).

Yesterday the theme of storytime was Bugs. Sam was in heaven. He listened to bug books, sang bug songs and got a bug stamp on the back of his hand when it was all over. He talked about the "buhs" at the "li-bee" the whole way home. He found a pack of bug stickers in his art supplies and I became his canvas. I had ladybugs and centipedes and grasshoppers stuck all over me.

I'm glad that Sam is interested in insects. I would hate for him to be really scared of them. I don't want to tell any secrets, but one of Sam's parents is absolutely terrified of spiders. TERRIFIED. There is dancing and shrieking and the other parent always has to run to smash them. I'm not going to reveal who the phobic one is...but I will say that I am pretty sick of having to kill spiders.

Sam is a true bug-lover. Once again, he proves that he is all boy!

A Few Sam-isms

Sam likes to remember where he got each of his toys. If it was a gift, he says the giver's name happily as he plays. We were in his room and I found a race car under his bed. I pulled it out and gave it to Sam, who was thrilled. "Sam, do you remember where that came from?" I asked. Sam looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "Under the bed."

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I was sitting rather close to Sam and he was studying my face. He started pointing out and naming my eyes, nose, teeth, cheeks, etc. He pointed at my forehead and said, "Morehead." I tried to correct him, but he just shook his head at me and repeated, "Morehead." Sadly, he is correct.

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We were having Jell-O for dessert one night. I had tried a new, hip flavor and it was kind of grossing me out. I asked Sam if he liked it and he said yes. Brightening at not having to throw it all away, I said, "Really, Sam? You like that?" He turned to me and pulled his spoon out of his mouth. "Uh...yeah," he said. "It's JELL-O!" I guess that's all he needs to know to like it!

Spelling Lessons

Sam really, really loves everything to do with the alphabet. We are always doing one of his (many) alphabet puzzles, reading books, or spelling words. This afternoon I was feeling pretty full of myself and the progress Sam was making. I thought I'd show off to Eric.

I got Sam's attention and said, "What does S-A-M spell?"

"Sau," he replied happily.

"What does S-T-O-P spell?" I continued.

"Stop!" he yelled.

Encouraged, I said, "Okay, what does D-O-G spell?"

Smiling broadly, Sam replied, "Mama!"

The kid is a traitor.

Vegetable Variety

Is it possible that I'm not feeding my son as well as I thought I was?

A few nights ago Sam was dancing around the kitchen, watching me cook dinner. He cheered when the pasta was drained and clapped when I filled his glass with milk. I started to scoop peas onto our plates. Absolutely delighted, Sam cried, "Oh! Green rocks!"

I think a trip to the farmer's market is in our near future.

Ramsey County Fair

Eric and I aren't big fans of the fair. The noise and people and smells and heat are usually too much for us anxiety-ridden folk. But now we have a kid who likes everything. So, on Sunday, Eric and I took Sam to the fair.

It comes as no surprise to anyone who has read this blog that Sam had a fantastic time. He loved the petting zoo but preferred to let Eric feed the animals. Sam won two prizes at the games and got to try cheese curds and cotton candy. But of course, the best part was the rides!

We were pleasantly surprised by the number of rides that Sam could go on. Eric took him on one of those huge slides that require a burlap sack to sit on. I stood at the bottom, watching Sam's panicked face turn into complete joy by the time they hit the bottom. Eric also took Sam through a kiddie maze (and ended up having to help another little girl through, too).

The one ride Sam could do by himself was the carousel-type ride with little motorcycles and 4-wheelers bolted to a huge circle. Eric went in with Sam to help him up and Sam went right to the pink sparkle 4-wheeler with pink and silver streamers on the handles. I saw Eric hesitate just one second before lifting Sam up onto his vehicle of choice. Sam was thrilled. The next ride was kind of a tilt-a-whirl, with the cars being huge cartoonish dragons. Sam was too short to go by himself, so again Eric went in with him. Sam went right to the pink dragon. I saw Eric actively trying to talk him out of it, gesturing at the purple dragon as a sort of compromise, but Sam wanted the pink one. I laughed until I cried watching Eric and Sam spin around in that pink dragon with a heart on the end of its tail!

We didn't stay long - just long enough to spend too much money and get a little too hot. But really, isn't that the point?

Rib Ticklin' Good

On Saturday Eric, Sam, and I went to our friend's birthday party. This week the birthday boy was 30, not 3, but it was still a blast for Sam!

Everyone there had kids - there were little bodies everywhere. Sam played with new toys, raced around the house, and spent quite a while in a little pool in the backyard. He loved the pool so much I'm afraid I'm going to have to buy one for our house!

During all of the fun, the birthday boy's father-in-law was grilling his famous ribs. He makes the barbecue sauce from scratch and disappears for hours into the smoke coming off the grill. He makes a mountain of ribs any man would be proud of. It is truly amazing, and we look forward to them every July!

This was Sam's first time with the famous ribs and he was really impressed. There were several of us sitting on blankets in the backyard eating and Sam was sharing with Eric. After Sam's first bite, he started getting impatient waiting for the next one. Eric was trying to get the meat off with a fork as fast as he could. Sam was told no several times for reaching in with his fingers and then trying to get some with his own fork. Finally Sam just went face-down on the plate, cutting out the middle man, getting the ribs right into his mouth.

Eric had to go back for a huge pile of seconds because Sam ate nearly everything he had intended for them to share. When he went inside, another guest stood and followed him in, leaving his plate sitting on the blanket. The second Sam noticed his unattended ribs, he took off for the plate. I'd have been embarrassed if it hadn't been so funny. The other guests shouted with laughter when I had to physically restrain Sam from stealing another man's meat.

It's just one more clear reminder that I am raising a little ball of testosterone - Sam will do anything for barbecued ribs!

He Knows Who He Is

While Sam's language is right where it should be for a two-and-a-half-year-old, he still has some pronounciation problems. For example, he calls himself Sau. That is FINE with me - I'm just thrilled he's talking! He still chooses quiet a lot of the time, so he constantly surprises me when he blurts out new ideas.

We were playing the other day and I grabbed him and held him tight. I held him like a baby, rocking really fast, saying, "Awww...are you my little baby?"

His face got very serious. "I Sau," he said. "I a bih boy."

I stand corrected!

A Flair For The Dramatic

For the most part, Sam is a really calm, level-headed kid. Recently he has been doing a LOT more imaginary play. Those imaginary situations have shown a whole new side of Sam.

Yesterday I was cleaning the bathroom and Sam wandered in. I handed him the orange matchbox car I'd found behind the shower curtain. "Oooooh!" Sam said excitedly and turned to run out. He tripped, dropping the car, making it bounce and skid into the hallway. Things like that happen all day, every day, and I've never seen him care - before yesterday.

Sam put a hand on the wall to brace himself. "Orange!" he cried. He ran to the car and threw himself on his knees. He scooped it up and cradled it in his hands. "Orange, you 'kay?" He stood up and carried the wounded car into the living room, still talking to it soothingly.

He really, REALLY, loves his cars.


(Sam says Happy Birthday, Koko! We love you!)

Happy Birthday To Lou

Sam, Eric and I went to a three-year-old's birthday party yesterday. It was for Eric's friend's son, Lucas, who Sam has played with before. Sam had so much fun. To put it in context, Sam will jump, with both hands in the air, and shout, "Hoo-RAY!" when we walk into the bank. The party just about blew his mind.

There were four little boys, all around Sam's age, and they played really well together. Lucas had a new water table and all of them gathered around it playing happily. Sam also rode a scooter (correctly!) for the first time. There was a play tent and balls and a tunnel to crawl through. Not to mention pasta salad and lemonade and a bowl of animal crackers set out at Sam's height.

One of the highlights was the pinata. The boys took turns whacking at it. We all had to wonder what they thought of this game - hitting a big car with a stick as it hung from a tree. (Because Sam is his father's son, he had his shirt off as he swung at the pinata.) Finally, Lucas' dad had to break it open and then the yard was just covered with candy! Each boy got a treat bag and they ended up being stuffed with goodies. Sam's experience at the parade helped him here. He just picked up suckers and Laffy Taffys and stuffed them into his bag without looking.

Lucas' mom made an adorable birthday cake in the shape of a bear. The boys trooped back to the backyard to eat it. I had to laugh when I saw Sam. He was sitting at the little picnic table with his friends, sweating, wearing a cone hat complete with elastic strap under his chin. The kids with normal appetites took bites of their cake and ran off to play with cars. Sam sat and scooped cake until his was gone. THEN it was time to play.

When Lucas opened his presents, his mom brought out gift bags for the rest of the boys. It was amazing! They all got so much fun stuff - bubbles and stickers and glow sticks and an echo microphone! It was all so generous! The whole ride home, Sam talked about "Lou" and the balloons and the pinata.

We got home around 5:30 for dinner. Suddenly, at 6:00, Sam was flat on the floor crying. He had had too much fun and he just couldn't take it any more. He was tucked off to bed - and I stayed up to eat his candy.

Happy Birthday, Lucas!

T-Ball

Along with flying a kite, Eric decided that it was time Sam started swinging a bat. He bought a t-ball set and gave Sam some lessons in batting.

The big swing...

...watching the ball fall to the ground...

...and proudly posing.

Only quitters drop the bat before running to first!

Let's Go Fly A Kite

Eric and I have a pretty good balance in our parenting styles. I focus on the day-to-day things: sharing, reading, counting, playing, and general care and upkeep. Eric does things on a bigger scale. If he takes Sam for the afternoon, it involves a Twins game, or going to the splash pool...or flying a kite. Sam is lucky, because those are things it wouldn't even occur to me to do!

Yes, the last one was taken by Sam, and yes, it was done without Eric's knowledge. Sam got bored and ran away from him. To take surprisingly well-framed pictures, apparently.

Playdates Are Good

Judging by my title, and the fact that this is being posted about 6 hours later than usual, it is apparent I'm just not in a writing mood. Today's update will be brief...

Sam and I went to a playdate at Karen's house this morning and had a blast. Sam was sweaty and happy and I was able to snack and chat with some awesome moms. I LOVE going to Karen's house! Being a part of such a positive, fun group has been such a blessing for me.

Oh, and Sam went to bed at 6:25 last night! He wouldn't even get in the tub. He just kept repeating, "Bed...bed...bed..." I put him to bed, he cried hysterically for 30 seconds, and then he was asleep. He didn't wake up until 5:00 this morning. Bliss!

If I have a greater control of my brain, I will be back with a regular post tomorrow!

Sleeping In

I really worked at putting Sam on a schedule when he was little. That meant I lost some flexibility when making plans for myself, but having some control over the day made it worth it to me. Sam still really likes his little schedule. He is in bed at 7:00 and wakes up between 5:00 and 6:00. He takes a nap at 11:00 and wakes up between 1:00 and 2:00.

Two days ago, he didn't get to lay down for his nap until 11:30 and he slept until nearly 3:00. Variations have never changed the schedule before so I still put him to bed at 7:00. I heard him in there, talking and playing, until he finally fell asleep around 8:00. That caused him to sleep until 7:00 yesterday. THAT caused him to take a nap at 11:00 but wake up at 12:00. I figured he'd be tired after his short nap, so again I put him to bed at 7:00. He was talking and rolling around his bed until 8:00 again!

His late bedtime made both of us sleep until 7:00 this morning. I feel very 'off,' as I like my mornings and feel like I have lost so much of it already. I am going to try one more time to put him to bed at 7:00 tonight, but if it doesn't work, bedtime is going to have to move. That makes me very sad, as it just means I lose an hour of my evening alone time.

Join me in hoping for a very tired boy tonight!

What Talent!

I must have been one of the last people on Earth who didn't know that not everyone could roll his/her tongue. I have always been able to, and my family has always been able to. Alas, not everyone is so lucky.

Eric and I were puttering around the garage when I noticed Sam rolling his tongue. I laughed and pointed it out to Eric. He was amazed! I wasn't as impressed until Eric showed me that he is NOT able to roll his tongue. THAT shocked me.

I have to admit that I'm a little proud of my kid. I documented the stages of Sam's tongue roll.

Step One: Prepare

Step Two: Concentrate

Step Three: Success!