He so is

Tuesday, since it wasn't 1,000 degrees outside, we had playgroup in someone's backyard and the kids played in the pool. There were various pool toys around, including three watering cans. Ben had one and Alyssa had two and they were both dumping water into the pool and into the grass. After a while Ben looked at Alyssa, pointed to her watering cans and said, "Those are mine." He didn't try to take them, he just stated that they were his. Well, being three years old, this PISSED ALYSSA OFF. You would've thought Ben insulted Dora the Explorer. So she started whining and yelled, "No, they're mine!" Apparently Ben enjoyed that reaction because he said it again, "Those are mine." Then he started giggling, because Alyssa exploded again. This went on several more times, Alyssa getting mad and Ben giggling at her reaction.

Upon hearing this story Heath said, "Ben, you are so my son."

I have no idea where he learned that phrase

Saturday night we had our friends Sharon and David over for dinner and planned to play a board game after Ben went to bed. Well, lately Ben's bedtime routine has included three to five incidents of getting out of bed claiming he has to go to the bathroom, or he needs his covers or his Elmo slippers. But Saturday night he was in rare form. I think he was mad we were downstairs playing with friends and he wasn't included. He got out of bed at least seven times, for every imaginable reason. Heath put him to bed around 8pm, but he didn't go to sleep until almost 10. The highlight of the evening, though, was when he came out of his room and yelled down the stairs, "I'M TRYING TO SLEEP! KEEP IT DOWN!"

Conversations with a Toddler - Part 10

Me: Let's have apple slices for a snack.

Ben: I don't like apple slices.

Me: Even with peanut butter?

Ben: I want apple slices.

One month and counting

Ben starts preschool in a month. One measly month! I cannot believe it. We got a big packet of information and forms to fill out and it's all becoming so real. We're going to be parents of a kid in school. That means we have to contend with teachers and a schedule and (horror of horrors) other parents. It's bizarre. But I know we've done the right thing because Ben is so excited. Granted, he doesn't exactly know what he's getting into, but he's been talking about it since the beginning of summer. And he carries his little Buzz Lightyear backpack everywhere. It's so cute.

Thinking about it makes me want to cry, but at the same time I'm already daydreaming about what I can do with my nine free hours a week (minus pick up and drop off time). Doctors appointments and errands will become stress free. Work outs won't include five minutes of prying Ben away from whatever toy he's obsessed with in the playroom. It'll be like a fairy wonderland where things are... easy. For three months. And then that second one comes out and I'll barely be coherent enough to drive Ben to preschool and back, let alone navigate the grocery store. *sigh* It will have been nice while it lasted...

He'll never live down this story

On Tuesday we had playgroup at a children's resale shop near our house. They have a big play area and couches for the parents. They're also very lenient about kids running around the store, so I wasn't worried when I didn't see Ben for a few minutes. Eventually I did go looking for him and found him sitting on a potty they had for sale. I thought he was just sitting on it for fun, to make his friend laugh, but then I noticed his pants around his ankles. And THEN, through his legs I noticed a very LARGE pile of poop in the potty. The boy who asks me to turn my back when we're in a public restroom stall had pooped right there in the middle of the store.

Brothers

Most of you who read this blog already know, from phone calls and Facebook, but we're having another boy! I will admit to being a little disappointed I don't get to buy cute girls' clothes, but this way we don't have to buy any new clothes and the kids can share a room (which means a sweet Leave-Mommy-Alone room for me, eventually)!

The name discussion has begun, but there are no clear front runners yet. Heath vetoed my favorite name (Finn), but I'm not giving up the fight yet. I'll start whispering it into his ear as he sleeps, so it burrows into his subconscious. Then one day he'll wake up and say those words which he's almost physically incapable of uttering, "Katie, you were right." I'll keep you posted on my progress.

I never imagined I'd be the mother of two boys. I always pictured myself with a daughter. But life throws us curve balls and having Ben has been wonderful, so I know having As-Yet-Unnamed-Boy-2 will be wonderful, as well. And I still haven't ruled out a third child, so you never know. But if Heath's right about that one, too, I'm not sure my sanity will hold.

Pregnancy V. 2.0

Sorry, most of my posts lately have involved bathroom talk. Unfortunately, it's sort of the focus of my life right now. When and where Ben will use the bathroom is pretty much constantly on my mind. When I'm not thinking about that I'm usually sleeping.

Though this second pregnancy is very similar to my first in physical symptoms, the mental and emotional aspects are completely different. Last time I was totally focused on the pregnancy. That was constantly on my mind. With this one I just don't have the time to think about it all that much. I'm almost 19 weeks along, so it's getting harder and harder to "ignore" it. I'm starting to feel the pains of pregnancy such as swollen feet, achy hips and even less pleasant things which I will save for Heath's lucky ears.

The other thing I realized is that with a first pregnancy there are all these milestones: Registering for baby stuff. Going to a childbirth class. Having a baby shower. With a second pregnancy it's like old news. It's just 40 long weeks of waiting. We'll need a couple things for the baby's room, but I think we're either going to borrow them or get them at garage sales. Rather anti-climactic.

However, I've been feeling little pokes and kicks for a few weeks now and they're getting stronger. Even the second time around that's really exciting. It makes me feel much more connected to the baby.

You only have one week left to place your bets on the sex! You're either on Team Heath (boy) or Team Everyone Else (girl). I honestly would be happy with either one, but I do keep having girl thoughts and dreams. Whether that's wishful thinking, influence from everyone else or an actual connection to my child we'll find out on July 1.

Oh, the irony

Considering how creative and prolific a cusser Heath is, I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner... But this morning as I was cutting up an apple for a snack, Ben, out of nowhere started saying, "Oh, damn it. Oh, damn it. Oh, damn it."

The stupid thing is, I think he might have actually gotten that one from me. I know I've said it at least once in his presence in the recent past. How is it that Heath spouts off stuff like, "Fuckers from Hell" and yet somehow Ben's first cuss words come from me?!

Conversations with a Toddler - Part 9

Scene: Ben and I were walking down the stairs and he started hopping.

Me: Please don't hop on the stairs. You need to walk.

Ben: (Continues hopping)

Me: (More sternly) Stop hopping on the stairs. You need to walk down.

Ben: (Screams) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me: (Walks away, because often that's a very effective way to make Ben behave. He does not like to be alone. Ever.)

Ben: (Walks down the rest of the stairs, comes to me and gives me a hug) I'm sorry I yelled at you, Mom.

Me: (Heart melts)

The Poop Dance

One of my very first blog posts was about how Ben always pooped while I was in the shower. Well, it's over two years later and yet somehow I find myself once again in that same position. The very act of me turning on the water seems to get his bowels moving. But it can't be easy. No, it has to be a drawn-out back and forth with several fake outs (intentional or not I'm unsure), that may or may not result in him actually pooping. Multiple times in the past several weeks I've had to jump out mid-shower and assist him. Let me tell you, it's an absolute treat to wipe someone's butt while you're naked and dripping wet.

Ben's still not totally comfortable pooping on the potty. We haven't had an actual accident in a week, but it's always this exhausting dance. And if he doesn't poop in the morning then all day I feel like he's a time bomb waiting to go off. Where will the explosion happen? The playground? Target? It's like a disgusting game of Russian Roulette.

Luckily he seems to have mastered pulling down his shorts and underwear. Pulling them back up is a different story, but getting onto the potty by himself is all I care about right now. At least then I can finish my shower.