Fork, anyone?

Wy is learning to dress himself. He really doesn't like to do it though. I tell him to put on his pants and he whines "I can't do iiiit" until we have him in his pants. I tell him to put on his shirt and he whines "I can't do iiiit" until he has his shirt on. The other morning he just stopped putting on his shirt when he reached this point. He laughed so much that he was slap happy about looking like a monkey. Every time I would call him "My little Monkey" he would dissolve into another fit of giggles. The next morning, he wanted to put his shirt on like this again.

The other day Wy sat watching the cats. He watched and watched them playing and after they took off for other parts of the house he began to play like them. He managed to tip over this hamper, crawl inside and tip it right side up again. I heard Wy giggling for the longest time so I finally came over for a picture.

My friend Shannon had a birthday this week. Happy Birthday, Shannon! Here is Jack writing his card to his Aunt Shan. John wrote out "I love you" on the card and Jack wrote it out below John's example. I stood there amazed. It just shows me how much the kids' homework books are helping.

Devon had her Rite of Acceptance last Sunday. (She is going through RCIA to be Confirmed.) I'm a schmo - I forgot to bring my camera for a few pictures. It wouldn't have done me any good though because I'm her sponsor and so I was up in the front of Church with her. My brother-in-law has his Rite of Acceptance today. (He is going through the process of becoming Catholic as an adult.) Congratulations to both of them!

Now this one is special to me. The thin little tree in the side of the picture here was a Mother's Day gift to me from John and the boys. John planted it in the front yard for me this fall. And what are he and Jack planting? They are planting the iris bulbs that we dug out of Gran's yard last year. I am going to be so happy when those irises come in.

Our week was far from fun and games though. As you saw in the last post - we have flaring tempers and streaks of stubbornness in each of us. Less than 24 hours after Jack nearly dropped the 'hate' bomb on me, he dropped it on Poppie. I believe the sequence of events went as follows: Beth brought the kids home and shortly after she left Jack hit Wy with a paint brush. Poppie and Jack had words and Jack was sent to time out. En route to the naughty step Jack dropped the bomb. I got home while Jack was in time out and asked why Jack was in trouble. Daddy told me about the paint brush and said "he was just being naughty." After time out, Jack and I talked about hitting and how it hurts people. He said "I promise not to hit anymore and I promise to not say 'I hate you' to Poppie again." I nearly cried. I just pointed at Daddy and Jack went over to apologize. It turns out that he and Jack had already made up and Dad wasn't going to drag out the incident so Jack and I had a short talk and I let it drop.

The following morning I was getting ready for work and the kids were eating breakfast when I heard shrieking and crying. Connie and Wy were fighting over a fork. I settled the dispute and 60 seconds later Connie came flying up the stairs crying that Jack had just poked her in the eye with a fork. Thank God, Connie was fine. Jack however had just stepped in it. I was so upset I couldn't even talk to him. He had to follow me from room to room and sit within 5 feet of me. I finally asked him what he thought his punishment should be and he said "Time out." I told him "A fork in the eye is serious business and time out doesn't cut it, Mr." I talked about taking away his trains or taking everyone out for pizza and he could have a salad. He cried and cried. By the time we got into the car to leave for Beth's house Wy had had enough. He sat there in his car seat and demanded that I "Paw-gize to my brudder! You don't be cross wiff my brudder, Mommy!" I was proud of Wy for sticking up for his brudder - I mean you gotta give the little guy props for defending Jack when he was in a tight spot - but I said I was not going to apologize to anyone when JACK was the one who stuck a FORK in Connie's EYE!

And Friday night, Connie and I had a meltdown in the bathroom. I was taking Jack to the show and she jumped all over my case about when was it going to be her turn and she never gets a turn and on and on. I started crying and yelling that I try to do special things with each of them but that as soon as I settle my attention on one of them, they all swarm around us and no one gets the special attention. I reminded her that she and Abby were in a Coterie class and the other kids weren't. I reminded her that they each got to go see U:BUG:ME and be in the booth with me but that it HAD to be 1 kid at a time. I told her it's hard for me too and not just her. I told her I want to do special things with my kids without making her and her sisters feel left out or feel like I don't love them - because I do love them. And of course as I was having this meltdown - everyone came in the bathroom. Connie was crying. I was crying and the rest of the kids were all just standing there. I felt like an ass because she is 6 and she can't understand and she shouldn't be expected to understand and I just unloaded on her. But I just felt so defeated in that moment. Connie said she is going to try to wait her turn and to let the other kids have their turn too. We ended this episode with hugs and I love you's and promises of everyone getting to go to the show with me.

I talked to John about what happened and he is going to do special things with each of the kids as individuals so all the pressure isn't on me and getting to go to my shows. I'll let you know how it goes this week. In the mean time, I really have to get ready for work.

Love,
Amy & the gang.

p.s. - it's raining today!!!