Time to Try Some New Tactics

We are all finally feeling better and this morning we went and hung out with some of Wyatt's little friends. It was great to get out of the house. What made it even BETTER was that of all the kids, Wyatt was the only one who did not succumb to a major meltdown. It was a triumphant day indeed. And after yesterday, we sure needed this one.

Yesterday, well it was one gigantic tantrum from sun-up to sun-down. And not just the usual whining, intermittent screaming which is the soundtrack to our lives. This gigantic tantrum involved a beet-red colonel waving his arms, stomping his feet, and repeatedly defying orders from the general. So we started employing "time-out", as nothing thus far has seemed to work.

The colonel is either a slow learner, or VERY persistent, and I think I know which one of THOSE it is. For instance; he seems to take some sort of twisted glee in double fisting the dog food. When there is no more room for it in his mouth. I only had to use 15 1-minute time outs for him to decide that I was serious. As I was hanging clothes up to dry, I spied him AGAIN eyeing the dog food. He looked at me, very s-l-o-w-l-y picked up a piece off the ground and put it BACK in the bowl. He preceded to clean up the rest of the scattered particles, and did not touch the dog food for the rest of the day.

That I know of. ;)

Happy 18 Months!

Our little man is 18 months today. Too bad he is celebrating with a cold (which I seem to be catching). Wyatt has hardly ever been sick, I can honestly say this is only the third or fourth time that he has had a runny nose. I was somewhat expecting it though, after our trip to the bookstore on Sunday to play with the trains.

Wyatt was having a great time at the train table and had been playing for almost THREE HOURS straight, when a little girl came over to play. Hacking up a lung. Now, I understand if you need to go the the store or something and can't leave your child home, but how irresponsible and plain RUDE to take them to a place to interact and play with other non-sick kids. If your child has a nasty case of whooping cough, please leave them home. (Am I the only one who has a problem with this? Sometimes it sure seems that way.) Anyhow, Eric and I exchanged a meaningful glance and grabbed Wyatt, but not before the girl thoroughly sprayed his face with mucus chunks. NICE.

Last night he was waking up often and crying. I knew he was having trouble breathing, so I brought him into our bed and rubbed his back when he awoke. After a few times of this, he sat up all the way, looked around, and let out a soft but maniacal chuckle that he was no longer in his crib. Soon after, he returned to the crib, and the rest of the night went better.

I found a box of tissues and Wyatt is now walking around with them, "blowing" his nose.

Terrible Twos

Hey dude, we need to have a little chat. Whoever said that the terrible twos start around 18 months was right on. While you have always been a somewhat *ahem* "tempermental" child, I have definitely noticed differences in the way you throw your tantrums with the past few weeks. Since you will be 18 months later this week, I can only assume you've been getting a head start.

For instance; your tantrums are more likely to be in response to me asking you to do something, or letting you know in no uncertain terms that you CANNOT do something. They are also more likely to include vigorous shaking of the head and clinging to my legs as if begging me NOT to throw you out the window. I thought I was being clever by substituting the word "Stop" for "No" when I needed to get your attention, so that "No" would not become your favorite word. I should have known better than to assume you wouldn't improvise.

You have been especially clingy lately, and I can only assume it is due to your teeth. You are currently experiencing the arrival of your LAST one year molar, yes, the same ones which have taken a grand total of FOUR MONTHS to arrive. But I have to admit, all this increased clinginess coupled with a new sense of desired independence has got me a little confused. Please clue me in.

The other day, your Daddy took off after work for a meeting. You proceeded to point with glee and say, "Mo-grrrrr", which is your word for motorcycle. You laughed and waved "bye-bye". Then I made the grave mistake of telling you to say "Bye-bye to Daddy". Well, that did it. Something changed. Your little face absolutely crumpled with realization as you frantically shouted, "Daddy go bye-bye? Daddy bye-bye??" You ran down the driveway after him shreiking hysterically, when you suddenly tripped and went down. Hard. I saw it as if in slow-motion. Your head hit the pavement while your little body simultaneously flipped in the air. I held my breath as I ran to you, in the eternal moment before you begain to wail. I picked you up, and you finally begain crying. I breathed a sigh of relief. It took me a bit longer to comfort you than usual, but you are tough. After a bit, you remembered what you had been doing and forgot all about the pain. "Daddy bye-bye?" your cried, "Daddy bye-bye!!" I could feel my heart break. I took you inside for a snuggle and some books, and eventually you forgot your sadness, amidst pointing out "Fi trucks! (fire trucks)" and "Piece cars! (police cars)".

On a separate note, you can now count from one to ten BY YOURSELF, and I often enter the room to find you doing just that. I have no idea where you got your affinity for numbers, but it certainly wasn't from me.

Yesterday when we picked you up from the church nursery, I fully expected to hear that you had been crying and throwing tantrums. It turns out you were great, and they couldn't believe you were not yet 18 months. Apparently you chattered the whole time, pointing out everything in the room.

Like father, like son. ;)

Photos from our Sailing Expedition

Smarty Pants

Wyatt has been starting to call us "Mommy" and "Daddy", instead of "Mama" and "Dada". In the last few weeks, he has also been starting to put a few words together, mostly adjectives, like "BIG truck", "RED car", and "MORE milk." He recognizes a few letters on signs and books, and even some shapes, especially triangle ("TRI"). Sometimes it takes me a minute to figure out what he means, but I am constantly amazed when I do.

This evening we were driving home and Eric was telling me about his hard day. "Oh baby...," he said with a sigh. From the back seat we hear this little voice say, "OH, BAY-BEE." Haha!!!

Does it make us bad parents...

that we gave Wyatt his 1st box of raisins, and bending down to pick it up the ONE he had dropped on the ground, he spilled the entire box and started having a meltdown and we thought the whole thing was hysterical?

Just wondering. ;)

Sail Away...

While I was in Maryland, Eric went to a boat show where he met a couple who work at a boat dealership and have lived on their boat for the past few years. They exchanged information and offered to take us sailing sometime. So yesterday, Eric left work early and we went went sailing for almost four hours.

I have been on boats before, but never a sailboat in particular and neither had Wyatt (obviously). It was just like I imagined it would be: very relaxing with only the wind and the water as a soundtrack. We had a great time and Wyatt loved it, especially when we sailed up close to a floating bouy (sp?) covered in seals. The ironic thing was that he seemed to have more trouble staying upright after we had docked and the boat was still than when we were actually sailing.

The whole time I kept thinking how great the rolling motion would be for a baby with colic, and how we should have met them a lot sooner. ;)

That's My Boy!

Tonight Wyatt participated in his first act of juvenile vandalism. I guess he is getting an early start.

I was outside talking on the phone and keeping one eye on Wyatt as he gathered lots of little rocks off the ground, when I noticed his hands were black. I went to retrieve him, and of course, thinking it was a game, he went in the opposite direction. Until he came to the back of Eric's motorcycle. Where he stuck one hand in each of the tailpipes. Great. So that's where all that grease came from.

Sensing a reprimand, he gave me a devious smirk and started taking off. Which is when I noticed the lemons. One in each tailpipe.

I was so proud.

Right up until the part where I had to stick my own hand in and actually REMOVE them.