Saturday, December 24, 2011

Your timeout angst

Dear sweet Doodle, you are such a drama king sometimes. And I feel a little guilty for laughing at you, but cannot resist when I overhear this from your timeout:
 
"I DON'T LIKE ANYTHING! I DON'T LIKE ANYONE! I DON'T LIKE BOOKS! Oh. But I love God."

Saturday, October 8, 2011

2nd Gen Mutton Buster

We went to the OK state fair a couple weeks ago and you found a new interest... mutton bustin. You watched about 12 kids get thrown from sheep but were determined to get out there and do it. So I took you back two days after you turned 4 and became eligible. You eagerly told the emcee that you were going to be a cowboy when you grow up and that as soon as you have some money you'll buy a horse that you can ride. When a volunteer was requested, you insisted that you go first.
 
About a second out of the chute, your sheep started to spin. About four seconds out of the chute, you hit the ground hard. Not bad for your first time mutton bustin, but my heart stopped as I recognized the combination of shock and fear cross your face. It was at that moment I realized that you had never pictured yourself hitting the ground. Even though every other child fell off at some point, you saw yourself riding that sheep all the way around the arena and stepping off in a very dignified manner. You never even considered the fact that you would be like every other child and fall off.
 
The burly and slightly crusty emcee ran over to you and helped you up. He saw your lip quiver and whispered to you, "Son, you don't want to cry in front of all these folks. Show them you're a cowboy and give them a wave." Sure enough, his words of encouragement stopped those tears before they left the ducts. You marched back to me with your head held high even though you were still a bit shell schocked.
 
I was so incredibly proud of you! Not just for being brave, but for never even taking into consideration the fact that you might fail like all the others. You saw yourself triumphing where everyone else didn't, and I hope that no amount of hitting the ground ever takes that from you. And just so you know, within an hour you were ready to get back on that sheep and show him who was boss.
 
(The picture of you in the gear was pre-sheep. The picture of you looking shell shocked was post-sheep.)

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Odd bird

You are a curious little creature. You're such a fascinating mix of tough but tender, aggressive but compassionate. I admire your determination almost as much as I love seeing the empathy you display. With much older kids, you automatically fall in line and are willing to yield to their superior age and wisdom. However, with shy children or little people your own age, you take charge. I love watching you lead your peers in a game and even smile inwardly when I see you telling one of your friends that it's not ok to bully another child or leave the playground boundaries.
 
I think all parents beam with pride when their child does something remarkable, but it seems as if you are constantly giving me new beam material. We've had our moments of frustration, and they seem natural when dealing with a child that has such brilliance paired with a strong will. None of those moments of frustration hold a candle to the overall joy of watching you develop and grow. You are going to be such an incredible man.
 
Oh! And I promise to never doubt you again when you tell me you can climb a tree! You knew you could do it.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Date night?

We were leaving Ikea today when you offered to take me on a date. You said, "Well mommy, if you want to go to a fun place, I can take you to Seaworld or to the park. But if you just want to go to the store, I can take you to the store. Or if you want to go to a building and work in the office, I can take you to a building and work with you. Then you and I can climb a tree and jump into a pool from the tree. Then I can buy you frozen yogurt with my money. You can do whatever you want with me."
 
Oh Doodle, your future girlfriends are so very lucky. And in trouble, because you're a little spoiled.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Aliens in your nose

Somewhere along the way, you decided that when you are sick, it is just becase the aliens in your nose are not doing their job. Ther job seems to be to control your mucous production and kill germs.
 
You've been having a lot of nosebleeds over the last couple days, a combination of a cold + nose picking. I talked you into allowing me to put Vaseline in your nostrils before bed last night. That was when you pulled the alien trick and told me that the Vaseline is full of extra aliens to stop nosebleeds.
 
Times like this, I know for sure that you are my child. I adore you Doodle.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The glass is half full

Thank goodness you woke up in a much better mood this morning. You woke me up witht the most pitiful cries last night, you seemed to have been picking your nose, which triggered a bloody nose. I hate seeing you uncomfortable or in pain - it actually causes me pain as well. So I calmed you down and coaxed you into leaning your head forward while I pinched the bridge of your nose. I had extreme nosebleeds at your age and until about age 6 - I used to hemmorhage from the nose until the blood vessels were cauterized.
 
Your version of events this morning were, "Fred came into my room. I decided I wanted to play with him! See! I wanted to play with that kitty!" I love how much of an optimist you are, the important event last night was not the fact that your nose bled, but that your beloved cat pushed his way into your room.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Poor Fred...

On our way home today, our chihauhau (Lola) perched in your lap. Michael and I overheard the following conversation:
 
Doodle: "So Lola, did you have fun coming with us today?"
Doodle as Lola: "Nope, I would really rather stay home and chew on my cat."
 
Fred, our cat, is constantly being chewed on by Lola. As with many things, you have begun to copy Michael's Lola impressions.

Thumbs up!

You take after your mummy when it comes to cars. We play Name That Car rather frequently as we drive around town. Your favorite used to be any kind of Porsche, but now you've settled your fixation on Corvettes. You can even recognize the tail lights of a Corvette, in the dark, from blocks away. Today you spotted two gorgeous burgandy Corvettes on the freeway and yelled, "Mommy! I have to give him a thumbs up!" To make your mission possible, Michael sped up so that your open window was even with the driver... The driver quickly spotted your tiny upraised thumb, nudged his wife and gave you a very happy return. I believe he made your day and that you most likely made theirs.
 
*Here is a gratuitous zoo photo... you love the animal statues almost as much as the live things.*

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

As we drove down the road tonight, you insisted that you were scared of car washes. I reminded you that you are a big brave boy and told you that you are not afraid of anything. To which you replied after a moment's consideration, "Actually, I'm afraid of dinosaurs. But not little dinosaurs."

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

How to Raise a Strong-Willed Child

As the cashier was ringing up the book, Parenting a Strong-Willed Child, my strong willed child stood in an aisle and yelled "No mommy! I'm not leaving! I am staying RIGHT here!" The cashier very politely pretended not to notice but the other customers alternated between thinly veiled disgust and pity. It's remarkable how much you look like the little boy on the cover. And the fact that you chose that moment to assert your independence was rather amusing. I just smiled at the staring old ladies, completed the purchase, grabbed you by the hand and informed you in a very firm voice that we were leaving.
 
Ah, the joy of having a very intelligent, strong willed little boy. You will be an amazing man who is strong willed in a very positive way, we just have to survive the next 20 years to get to that point.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

My protector

You are my laundry helper. Today you escorted me to the laundry room. Since my hands were full, you carried the Dryel bag. You insisted that I walk behind you so that you could protect me from bad guys. Apparently our apartment complex is full of evil men that steal dirty laundry and lavender vanilla laundry detergent. As we walked, you checked every turn to keep me safe.