The Things We Say...

Recently Dylan has said a few things that aren't really brag worthy, just interesting and noteworthy for the books. Kids are so much smarter than we give them credit for. I need to really start paying attention to what he is learning from his surroundings.

1. While watching footage of the tsunami in Japan a few weeks ago, Dylan woke up and walked in (while I wasn't paying attention) and said,

D:"Oh wow, that looks really bad, is this real life? Are lots of people dying?"

Me: Yes, a lot of people are going to die from this, but you don't have to worry. It is far away from here. in Japan. Maybe we should pray for these people and their families.

D: No, it's not a big deal, and I'm not worried. People die in Star Wars all the time.

2. I have never been much of a spanker, but I do occasionally spank when my children induce harm on others. I know that there are many reason s against this, and apparently Dylan does too.

Me: I am sorry that I spanked you, but you need to learn that it is not ok to hurt others. Think of the lesson that you are teaching Sydney when you hit her, she might think it's ok to hit Macey.

Dylan: Well, you are the one teaching me a bad lesson. When you spank me it teaches me that I can hurt other people.

GREAT! Lesson learned.

3. Lately Dylan has been telling me and Cameron that he doesn't like his daddy as much as his mommy. Today for the first time in months Dylan asked to sit next to Cameron. When I asked him why he said, "because daddy was fun today. I just don't like people that aren't fun."
We still got it! We are still the "fun couple"!

4. "Dang it!" So apparently Dylan has been getting into trouble for saying this at school, (probably more for how he ways it than the actual words). Lately when I catch him saying it I try and get him to think of something else he could say.

Dylan: but you say it all the time mommy

Me: No I don't. And If I do, I don't think I am ever that angry when I say it.

Sydney: (pees on the floor (we are potty training) and Macey walks in it)

Me: Dang it Sydney!

Dylan 1 Mom 0

5. Dylan overheard me tell Cameron that all I wanted for my birthday was a new purse (not a diaper bag!). Dylan came home with this:

Dylan: It took me two whole days to make at school, and it is big enough to carry your keys and your wallet

She walks!

Macey began walking about two weeks ago. I think today she has officially mastered it! She might just be my first child to walk before her first birthday, which is tomorrow!

She is clapping and waving too!

She (along with mama and dada), says Grandma (nana), when she sees Grammalaine.

She also likes to play "baby" with Sydney. Not so much the part where Sydney shoves a bottle down her throat, or when Sydney tries to get her dressed, just the part where she gets to be the baby in the bed and go nigh nigh.

(And yes, I really do dress my child...for the most part)

Miracles

I was picking up Sydney from nursery today after church and was reminded once again of the miracle that our family has encountered this year. Her teacher, with tears in her eyes, went on and on about the amazing transformation that she has seen in Sydney. "The screaming has stopped. The discomfort has stopped. And she is so happy and delightful, never making so much as a whine in class..." She went on reminding me of the days where Sydney just screamed and couldn't ever be consoled. "I felt so sorry for you Brit, we all did" she said. And again with tears she said, "It is amazing. I am so happy for her, and for YOU. You have to know that this is nothing short of a miracle."

I do. Believe me, I do.

Just yesterday Dylan ran her over Syd with his toy car. 6 months ago this would have resulted in 30 minutes of blood curdling screams, but yesterday only resulted in about 2 minutes tops. I find myself saying, "well, there it is" (expecting a screamfest) when little things happen such as her milk spilling, her toy being taken away, or her shoe not fitting right. But it has stopped. Almost completely. She only cries now when it is really warranted, and it does not last long when she does, she can be consoled now. Yesterday she got hurt and came running to me. I rocked her in my arms in the rocker and she layed quietly, head on my shoulder for about 20 minutes. She hasn't let me do this since she was a baby. I cried of course, like I always do when I am reminded of her progress. She is an amazing little girl, and now that the screaming has stopped, and the sleeping has begun, I have more patience with her and I am able to see all the wonderful things that she has to offer. I find myself all the time saying, "isn't she great?", "she is so cute and so much fun!" Sadly, with everything going on, I could never see through her, I never really knew how great she was. What a miracle indeed!

Monetize

Quotes of the day

Here are a few recent Dylan quotes and events.

Dylan has a favorite song, called the Bong song. I turned it on for him today on the way home from church.

Dylan: I know where they made this song mommy

Me: Where?

Dylan: At my baseball field

Me: Why do you think that?

Dylan: Because there are a lot of people cheering at the end of the song

Last week Dylan gave his first prayer in primary. I asked him if he needed help and he very bluntly said no. I went and stood in the back and watched. It was amazing. The best prayer I have ever heard! He prayed for about 5 minutes, no joke, thanking Heavenly Father for everything including his sisters and their toys, school, church, school, for mommy and daddy, friends, and school, his teachers, his cousins, school, etc. He then went on to ask for blessings, to be good at school, be nice for mommy and daddy and his sisters, to feel the spirit, to repent, to be good at school, to be happy, oh yeah, and to be good at school. He went on and on and surprisingly had very neat things to say in between all the school talk. At one point I was wondering if he remembered how to end the prayer because he just kept going. I wanted to run up and say, "Amen" but I couldn't. He just kept going and going and when he was done, all the teachers looked at me in amazement and two people turned and said that was the sweetest prayer they had ever heard. One even said, "and that is why I love primary". It was sweet. I am not trying to brag about it, I just thought it was so neat how it was his first time and he was so comfortable and open and vulnerable. I was one proud mama!

On the way home from church today Dylan saw a small house on the side of the road.

Dylan: Mommy I just saw the smallest house in the world. It's as wide as our family in a row.

Me: Really? How many people do you think live there?

Dylan: Maybe just two, but they don't have so much things. Should we give them some of our things? I have some toys that I don't ever play with anymore.

Me: That is a great idea! Maybe we could make some cookies and go over there and see if there are any kids that would like some toys.

Dylan: Yeah, and I have two coins. I could even give them one of them and I can keep one. That way we could all buy some things. They can have the quarter and I'll keep the small one, (a nickel). They could even buy a new house!

Me: Oh we would have to give them a lot of money to buy a new house. They are very expensive.

Dylan: Well maybe I can just get a job like daddy. You could even help me get a job, even maybe work too!

Spring is here!

Spring is here which means baseball has begun! This is Dylan's first year playing coach pitch (not t-ball), and boy is it tough. I don't know who it s harder on, Dylan or myself. I have come to realize that I am not the parent that can just sit by at and watch. I have to help. It is really becoming a problem. A BIG problem. I can't stop myself from yelling out tips and reminders to these kids. I can tell that the coaches are annoyed. Am I really becoming "THAT" parent? UGH! I'm not negative in anyway, let me be clear of that, I am just overstepping my bounds. I just want to help in every way possible. I have been playing softball for as long as I can remember. It is my sport, my best sport, the one that I have spent the most time playing and practicing throughout my life. I love it and I honestly feel that I know everything there is to know about it, (at least the technical stuff for young kids). So, when there are parents just making up drills and trying to pass time, I want to run out there and show them how its done right. Is that so bad? Yes I know, i should have just signed up to be a coach, but i didn't and now I am stuck! (Which means I have to coach next year, or at least be an assistant. Cameron has already let me know that this has to happen.)

In the time being, I have to swallow my pride and let it all go. Our team is not going to be good, and my son is not going to be the best, or even close to it. It kills me! I know Dylan is young, but they all are, and he just doesn't seem to have the coordination yet. It is so hard to watch everyone else pass him up on skills while he struggles with the "easy" stuff. He might get it, or he might not, but I was surprised by how it took such a blow to my pride though. It makes me laugh thinking about it because I never thought that I would feel that way, but seriously, the first game when Dylan didn't touch the ball on the field or at bat, I was in a serious funk. (He didn't know that, but Cameron did...he just laughed at me, as I did myself later on.) I just want him to love it like I did, and you know what...he does. He is all smiles after the games. So I need to just LET IT GO! Let it go. "Goosfrabba".

Here he is in his uniform, the Yankees. Could I be any prouder of this kid? Athlete or not, he is the sweetest kid on the planet. I love him to pieces!

Dylan didn't get any hits his first game (he was only up to bat once, and three pitches he was out). Here he is in his second game. He struck out the first time and then got a hit to third base on his last at bat. Check out his stride, and that enormous smile on his face! Who cares if he is the next Babe Ruth, he is having a ball and this picture just makes me grin from ear to ear. I am so proud of this kid!

Quotes of the week

-Dylan saw that my back was really hurting yesterday. When I started to cry he went downstairs only to return with two of his favorite toys (power ranger motorcycle and transformer) saying, "mommy, you can have these two toys for a whole month ok? Will that make you feel better?" Throughout the day he continued giving me toys that he didn't play with saying, "you can even have these toys for two months, but can I still play with my motorcycle even though its yours now?"

-Sydney has been potty training this week. I know when she has an accident because she squeals, "oh no, a poop on the floor!" (She calls everything poop)

-Dylan has been having a hard time on the bus these days due to a boy that he is not too fond of. The other day he came in upset and said, "the bus driver wouldn't even write me up, I don't even know why... I was being so bad".

-Sydney calls grandma "bamma" and grandpa "bammpa". I love it! "I wanna go to bamma's house", or "Hewow bamma?" (Meaning she wants to talk to grandma on the phone.)

-Macey is all laughs these days. She laughs at a look, when the dog licks her face, and when she is about to eat. (That laugh more of a grunt of excitement though, her body even shakes because she is so excited!. )

A Forger at 5

"Mommy, the bus driver didn't believe me that this note was real!"

(FYI, Dylan and I had a talk the day before this happened about possibly having his friend get off the bus with him...when he got to school and found no note from me, he had thought that I had forgotten to send one, and so, he decided to write one up himself (with spelling help from his big buddy of course)).