No One on the Planet Can Drag Out a Project Longer than Me.

I was surfing my favorite blogs a few months ago when I came across this, and I thought to myself, Man...I want those for my kid, too! (Alright, while searching for that link, I realized it was more like six months ago. I am a champion procrastinator.) I decided I could totally make those, and then I realized I didn't own a sewing machine. But maybe I could could sew them by hand? Turns out I can't hand sew a straight line. BUT! My aunt is a professional, and she agreed to make these for him for Christmas. Except I never sent her the material in time. So then they were going to be for Easter! Except I never sent her the material in time for that either. It was looking like perhaps he'd graduate high school before I took myself off the fabric store and picked out the flannel. I finally sent her my choice of fabrics and today the mail man dropped of a box filled with fun! It's his entire name, filled with dried corn kernels, and he LOVES them!

Thanks a million, Aunt Mary!

Awesome!

Dramatic? We Wrote the BOOK on Dramatic.

Me (Standing in the checkout line): You're such a silly goose.

Lucas: What did you just say to me?

Me (Realizing I may need to answer carefully.): Huh? I didn't say anything. (Back pedal back pedal back pedal...)

Lucas: Yeah you did...you just said something to me...what was it?

Me (Hurriedly stuffing my money into the cashiers hand): You must be mistaken pal, I didn't say a word.

Lucas (Face positively filled with incredulity, like maybe I had just called him a four letter word right there in the checkout.): Did you just call me a GOOSE?

Me (Giving up and fessing up.): Yeah, okay, I called you a silly goose, but really bud, it's no big deal.

Lucas: HOW DARE YOU TRY TO DECEIVE ME! You need to apologize to your little boy RIGHT NOW!

I wonder if his kindergarten will have a theater department...

Chocolate: It's What's for Dinner

One of the many perks of being the only parent: sometimes chocolate, strawberries and pound cake sounds like it'd be good for dinner, and there's no one around to argue that perhaps something more sensible would be better. Lucas announced that it was the "tastiest" meal he's ever had, and the "fanciest dinner he's ever had in long months". It was so good, I'm thinking about serving it again tonight.

Coming Soon to a Road Near You:

He likes to unlock the car for me when we go anywhere, and I'll be honest, it's nice to walk out the door with your arms full and not have to struggle to get the doors unlocked, so I let him do it. But today he took an extra little liberty he's never tried before: when I came out he had buckled himself into the driver's seat and he was positively thrilled with his work. I wonder if I'd taken any longer if he'd have managed to get the car started. I'm sure that would increase my premiums.

Busted

My laptop is broken. It keeps showing me the Blue Screen of Death every time I boot it up. It's a blessing and a curse, all rolled into one. I MISS checking my favorite blogs and hunting for bargains and trolling facebook, but HEY LOOK! I HAVE KID! Who knew?! He's been getting an awful lot of my undivided attention lately, and he likes it. A happy kid makes for a happy mama. But I really miss my laptop...like REALLY miss it.

Why He's Hoarse, of Course

We had a lovely but quickity-quick Easter Sunday, thanks to the fact that I cram 25 of my 40 work hours into every weekend, most of them in the night. It doesn't leave a lot of time for holiday activities in the middle of day. Or maybe it just doesn't leave a lot time for me to sleep. Whatever.

Lucas had a lovely day dueling his Uncle Ben with their new light sabers. Like he really needed another one...one that makes action sounds and light displays and hurts like the dickens when it comes in contact with a finger or two. Lately all his days are spent reenacting looong battle scenes he's seen in the movies, and others he's made up on the go. By the time my son's head hits the pillow at night, he's talked himself hoarse...and that's no joke. I call to say goodnight from work and his little raspy voice answers and tells me, "Mommy? I love you a thousand. Here's Grandma." And I have to laugh...because even though he can't be bothered to linger on the phone with me for more than a second, it's because he can't shut off the Star Wars movie that's constantly running in his mind. I can hear him pick right up where he left off in the background, narrating as he goes and begging for his Grandma's attention.

I get these babycenter.com updates every week that offer up ideas of where your child might/should be developmentally for their age. I started getting them when I was pregnant. I lived for those updates and the pictures of how big your baby probably was on that day. I haven't ever figured out how to stop those updates...I'll probably still be receiving them when he's 18; This week's update: Your child is off to college! Today's email told me that in order for my son to become a good listener, I have to model that behavior for him. He needs my undivided attention when telling me something, so that he'll in turn model that behavior towards others. While I agree with that wholeheartedly, there's is no way on earth that I could stare into his eyes and listen intently to his words when they simply never stop. I can't figure out how to redirect him to a silent different activity. He is a man on mission and can not be deterred. I'm thinking kindergarten is going to be tough at first. I'd like to wish his teacher good luck.

Men Boys At Work

"It's hard being five, you know. Way harder than it was when I was four. And I mean that."

A Responsible Mother Probably Would Have Called a Stop to it Instead of Running Inside for a Camera

My son has found his people. He, like most little boys, is in awe of the big boys. We have a fair number of them in our apartment complex and they let him run in their pack. There's one particular boy who's sort of the pack leader, and Lucas idolizes him. In return, BigKid lets Lucas be his shadow, his team mate, and he protects him from the rougher games. Yesterday the boys decided to play some insane version of leapfrog and basketball. BidKid was leaping over boys, even boys who were standing straight up. It blew my mind. And I ran inside for my camera instead of making them stop. Bad parent.

And I let him do it Lucas, after I'd seen him jump over much taller kids. It made Luke's day.

And he let Lucas "jump" over him, because he's a really sweet kid.