We are currently in the throes of a weapons ban at our home. I never dreamed withholding toys shooters could invoke such drama from small boys. But it has.
A few days ago, we ventured out to find a costume for Danny and a "real" bat costume that met Jack's expectations. As we browsed the store, I watch the boys swing between excited glee and fright. The big highlight of our outing was the discovery of a complete arsenal of pretend weapons — ultimately, the selection of toy guns completely fascinated all four of the boys (yes, that includes dad).
Now, for five years I have managed not buy one single toy gun for any of the boys. We do have a few water guns, a blow up machine gun or two, and a pretend assault riffle from friends and family, so we are not weaponless to say the least. I really have no problem with toy guns and gun gift giving. I completely understand that, for what it's worth, this toy is part of boyhood and most likely childhood in general. I remember playing "guns" with my sisters and have found that the boys can morph lots of everyday objects into weapons whenever imagination dictate.
So as our visit to the store came to an end, I found myself face to face with all four boys. The three younger boys each presenting a toy gun for purchase and the older male, nodding in agreement and saying, " I told them it was okay."
We left with one UPS costume, an assault riffle and two handguns with ammo. That was two days ago. The cache is safely hidden in the house. As the head negotiator of my household, I have made it very clear that I will hold the guns hostage until all three little men can go to bed and stay in bed without hassle.
I never would have dreamed that I would be using this tactic to motivate my sons. The question now, is how long with this arms agreement last. Any bets?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Gifts for the Queen (of Bedtime)
Bedtime has always been a bit of challenge in our household – okay, for Jack. Jack is a good sleeper, just not so good at going to bed. He will sleep 10-12 hours easily, but since he was a tiny baby falling asleep has been his least favorite activity. In fact, going to bed is the worse punishment imaginable for Jack.
Lately, he has gotten very creative in his approach to postponing going to bed. And, to frustrate his parents even more, he now has a sleep dodging side kick – Nate.
So, to give you an idea of what we’re up against, I, the Queen of Bedtime, will tell you the tale of the Knights of Owlwood Drive.
First, I must preface this tale with a parenting disclaimer. My little guys are very busy. We are not a coach potato family and according to our pediatricians and countless parenting sources, all three of the boys should be exhausted and ready for sleep by 8 p.m.
Each night the Knights start out with a traditional approach to prolonging their day. For decades, maybe even centuries, children have asked for water, snacks, and made extra trips to the bathroom. So, after shuffling through “small” cups of water, a reminder that they had a snack already and final tinkle for the day, the boys and I knelt down for prayers. At this time Jack, remembers every person in his life by name, he thanks God for the ice cream party at school, for his barn and a myriad of other memories from the day. He insists on extra prayer time for the sick – namely, friend and neighbor Maddie who was home from school sick that day. As a mother, it’s really hard to argue with or rush prayers, so we pray as long as things are sensible.
One duck, one bunny, two blankies, and all three boys were in now in bed. The bathroom light was on as promised, and I finally settled into bed with a really great book, but the Knights were on a crusade.
First Jack politely inquired if I need a back rub. Nice try. Good night Jack. Back to bed. Off he storms.
Next he is convinced he has not eaten in “fifty years.” -- this a very long time for a five year old. Since, I am certain he is not in danger of malnutrition he is ushered back to bed.
Within minutes Jack and Nate are beside my bed (with their bathrobes on no less) each holding a framed picture of themselves as infants.
“Here mom, these are for you,” they impishly chime.
“How sweet. Thank you. Now, off to bed,” I kindly command, from behind my book.
And so, for several minutes, they each took turns presenting me with a variety of gifts or bribes depending on how you look at it. Since they are only 5 and 3 and were not about to venture into the darken rooms of the house, my gifts were limited to whatever they could find in their room or the bathroom. I was given a tooth brush (not my own), a towel, a t-ball trophy, an engraved baby cup, some baby lotion, a few stuffed animals, comb, and several other items I can’t recall. When I finally put an end to the gift giving, I had accumulated a considerable collection of items at the foot of my bed.
And so the Knights won. I put down the book. Patted the bed and turned out the light as Sir Nathan and Sir Jackson climbed into bed to cuddle. With in minutes they were sound asleep. Apparently, being crusaders is extremely tiring.
Lately, he has gotten very creative in his approach to postponing going to bed. And, to frustrate his parents even more, he now has a sleep dodging side kick – Nate.
So, to give you an idea of what we’re up against, I, the Queen of Bedtime, will tell you the tale of the Knights of Owlwood Drive.
First, I must preface this tale with a parenting disclaimer. My little guys are very busy. We are not a coach potato family and according to our pediatricians and countless parenting sources, all three of the boys should be exhausted and ready for sleep by 8 p.m.
Each night the Knights start out with a traditional approach to prolonging their day. For decades, maybe even centuries, children have asked for water, snacks, and made extra trips to the bathroom. So, after shuffling through “small” cups of water, a reminder that they had a snack already and final tinkle for the day, the boys and I knelt down for prayers. At this time Jack, remembers every person in his life by name, he thanks God for the ice cream party at school, for his barn and a myriad of other memories from the day. He insists on extra prayer time for the sick – namely, friend and neighbor Maddie who was home from school sick that day. As a mother, it’s really hard to argue with or rush prayers, so we pray as long as things are sensible.
One duck, one bunny, two blankies, and all three boys were in now in bed. The bathroom light was on as promised, and I finally settled into bed with a really great book, but the Knights were on a crusade.
First Jack politely inquired if I need a back rub. Nice try. Good night Jack. Back to bed. Off he storms.
Next he is convinced he has not eaten in “fifty years.” -- this a very long time for a five year old. Since, I am certain he is not in danger of malnutrition he is ushered back to bed.
Within minutes Jack and Nate are beside my bed (with their bathrobes on no less) each holding a framed picture of themselves as infants.
“Here mom, these are for you,” they impishly chime.
“How sweet. Thank you. Now, off to bed,” I kindly command, from behind my book.
And so, for several minutes, they each took turns presenting me with a variety of gifts or bribes depending on how you look at it. Since they are only 5 and 3 and were not about to venture into the darken rooms of the house, my gifts were limited to whatever they could find in their room or the bathroom. I was given a tooth brush (not my own), a towel, a t-ball trophy, an engraved baby cup, some baby lotion, a few stuffed animals, comb, and several other items I can’t recall. When I finally put an end to the gift giving, I had accumulated a considerable collection of items at the foot of my bed.
And so the Knights won. I put down the book. Patted the bed and turned out the light as Sir Nathan and Sir Jackson climbed into bed to cuddle. With in minutes they were sound asleep. Apparently, being crusaders is extremely tiring.
Let's Catch Up
Three months in one post . . . here goes.
We did not win the home improvement contest. We came in 11 th. Olivia’s Potty Project won. No one was greatly concerned with our defeat. However, I think the front landscaping and all updates and renovations to the front of our house won’t be finished this year. (Okay, I know this for a fact. It’s just really hard to accept).
However, we did undertake some big home improvement projects indoors. Scott did a fabulous job installing hard wood in two rooms. We painted the entire downstairs including the kitchen cabinets, replaced all base boards, had new bathroom and kitchen floors installed, and by the grace of God managed to do all this without losing our minds or incurring any major injuries.
Aunt Roberta and Uncle Ryan will be welcoming a baby boy in December. Aunt Beth and Uncle Pete will be adding a baby girl to their family in January.
Nathan has a new friend named Jo Jo. Jo Jo is a fireman. He has no brothers. He has an orange cat for a pet. He rides a school bus, plays basketball, likes to run to first base, and has, on occasion, been sent home for hitting. Last night at the park, Nate was pretty certain he saw Jo Jo, but it turned out it was just a boy in an orange shirt.
Nate started preschool. He loves it. He was the only 3 year old who cried when his mother picked him up after the first day. He was devastated that the bus was not taking him home. His teacher reports that he is sweet, polite and an excellent listener.
Jack started kindergarten. He loves it. His entire attitude about school has changed. Everyday he has something to share. He likes his teacher and especially loves to ride the bus home. He has decided that he wants to be a tractor man when he gets older. He is a complete ball of energy when he gets homes both physically and verbally. He says his teacher thinks his class is smarter than a fifth grader and this makes Jack very happy. He looks adorable in his school uniform.
Danny continues to master his language skills. His favorite phrases and words, truly depict his third child status and include:
“I mad at you.”
“Right here.” In response, to where’s Danny?
“I pee pee potty.”
“Mommy/Daddy where are you?”
“No mine.”
“Jack bus.”
He participates in every activity or adventure his brothers include him in. He can push Jack around in the wagon, climb the playground equipment, color/draw, and help out mom and dad. He has all his teeth, except for his four eye teeth which he has been working on all summer. He absolutely loves VW beetles and goes crazy when he sees a love bug of any color.
We survived hurricane Ike. We lost power for about 36 hours and had two trees topple. The boys were relatively unfazed by the event.
We did not win the home improvement contest. We came in 11 th. Olivia’s Potty Project won. No one was greatly concerned with our defeat. However, I think the front landscaping and all updates and renovations to the front of our house won’t be finished this year. (Okay, I know this for a fact. It’s just really hard to accept).
However, we did undertake some big home improvement projects indoors. Scott did a fabulous job installing hard wood in two rooms. We painted the entire downstairs including the kitchen cabinets, replaced all base boards, had new bathroom and kitchen floors installed, and by the grace of God managed to do all this without losing our minds or incurring any major injuries.
Aunt Roberta and Uncle Ryan will be welcoming a baby boy in December. Aunt Beth and Uncle Pete will be adding a baby girl to their family in January.
Nathan has a new friend named Jo Jo. Jo Jo is a fireman. He has no brothers. He has an orange cat for a pet. He rides a school bus, plays basketball, likes to run to first base, and has, on occasion, been sent home for hitting. Last night at the park, Nate was pretty certain he saw Jo Jo, but it turned out it was just a boy in an orange shirt.
Nate started preschool. He loves it. He was the only 3 year old who cried when his mother picked him up after the first day. He was devastated that the bus was not taking him home. His teacher reports that he is sweet, polite and an excellent listener.
Jack started kindergarten. He loves it. His entire attitude about school has changed. Everyday he has something to share. He likes his teacher and especially loves to ride the bus home. He has decided that he wants to be a tractor man when he gets older. He is a complete ball of energy when he gets homes both physically and verbally. He says his teacher thinks his class is smarter than a fifth grader and this makes Jack very happy. He looks adorable in his school uniform.
Danny continues to master his language skills. His favorite phrases and words, truly depict his third child status and include:
“I mad at you.”
“Right here.” In response, to where’s Danny?
“I pee pee potty.”
“Mommy/Daddy where are you?”
“No mine.”
“Jack bus.”
He participates in every activity or adventure his brothers include him in. He can push Jack around in the wagon, climb the playground equipment, color/draw, and help out mom and dad. He has all his teeth, except for his four eye teeth which he has been working on all summer. He absolutely loves VW beetles and goes crazy when he sees a love bug of any color.
We survived hurricane Ike. We lost power for about 36 hours and had two trees topple. The boys were relatively unfazed by the event.
Whew. Those are the highlights. Thanks for hanging in there.
I Blinked and It Was Gone
Summer is gone. Poof. One day it was July and now here we are in September.
I apologize for the lack of blog materials. It’s not that their hasn't been anything to share. On the contrary, I've been too busy preparing for life, adjusting to life, and managing life, to actually find the lap top and document life. Kinda, defeats the purpose of a blog. So, I promise to at least try and update the blog more regularly.
I apologize for the lack of blog materials. It’s not that their hasn't been anything to share. On the contrary, I've been too busy preparing for life, adjusting to life, and managing life, to actually find the lap top and document life. Kinda, defeats the purpose of a blog. So, I promise to at least try and update the blog more regularly.
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