Finally Warm

So I love the Northeast. Love it. But I'm not a big fan of the cold. Last week we were still in the 30's! But Monday, it was nearly 90. (And because it's so early in the year, not humid. Yay!) Ethan and I celebrated by going to the zoo. The rest of the week has been in the 60s and just beautiful. (It did rain once, but I'm trying to block it out.)

Besides being more fun for Ethan to be out, it's making me feel so good. We can have all the windows open and feel less cooped up when we are at home. It's re motivated me to do a thorough clean and purge of our house. (Why do we have so much crap???) It's even made me want to eat more fresh fruits and veggies. And all the time we're spending outside is going to give me a great tan!

Green Bean Screams

Ethan loves green beans. LOVES them. They've begun taking part in little games. While eating dinner last night, Ethan started by "biting their mouths off" (meaning their heads.) Then, the green beans started screaming because a monster was eating them. John and I were cracking up while Ethan alternately screamed and viciously tore off bites of green bean. I wish we'd gotten it on video, but we were laughing too hard.

Growth!

Finally, Ethan has gained enough weight and added enough height for the drs to back off a little. He's jumped on the growth charts this last month so we don't have to go for another weigh in until August. Yay!

Ahhhhhhhhh........

Ethan is at Grandpa's house for a few days. He's loving it b/c his uncle Bryson (7) has just as much energy as he does. We're loving it for the above reasons. Don't call before 10am!

Enunciate

Ethan has been working on e-nun-ci-at-ing. He can say just about anything now and only has trouble communicating when he's upset. (Who doesn't?) He is actually very clear, but apparently he felt like he wasn't saying his l's right. So now when he says them, he very deliberatly pushes out his tounge. It's hilarious to hear him talking along and then all of a sudden (when he comes to a hard 'l') sound like his tounge has swollen up. It kind of freaked me out the first few times, but now I have a hard time talking to him without laughing! Try it. Read this post outloud to someone, pushing out your tounge on the l's, and see if they can keep a straight face.

No really. Whose child is this?

A little before lunchtime, Ethan came up and asked "Can I have some lunch, mom?" So we had lunch. While we were watching a little post-lunch TV, he said "Can I sit with you, mom?" So we snuggled. And when I turned the TV off, he asked for some milk (a little less nicely, but more like his normal self). When I gave it to him he walked into his room, sat on his couch, and asked me to turn off the light. He was starting his naptime routine!! So I turned off the light, read him a couple of books (a few more than usual b/c I couldn't believe how good he was being), and tucked him in. All about 15 minutes early!

This clearly isn't my child. But if he's yours, too bad. I'm not giving him back.

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. I spent several years working with autistic children and I wanted to pass on a little tribute to their mothers, from one of my favorite authors.

Ode to Special Moms

(by Erma Bombeck)

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. This year, nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint, Matthew. Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint, Cecilia.
"Rudledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint, give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child."

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," says God. "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.
"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word.' She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations.
"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, pen poised midair.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

15 min of play

On the living room floor: a bowling set, duplos, a firetruck puzzle, and a stuffed dragon. Now let me tell you about 15 minutes of playtime this morning.

Ethan asked me nicely if he could set up his bowling pins in the living room and then proceeded to stand them up very carefully. They weren't always in a triangle, but each time he stood them back up, he spent extra time making sure they were spaced evenly. (He's showing my random obsessive tendencies already!) After bowling, he moved on to the duplos. I now have a dog with a very large tail sitting on the couch next to me. Next, Ethan noticed his firetruck puzzle on the floor. It took him quite a while, but he did it! A real puzzle! All by himself! Finally, he "attacked" me with his dragon, then saved me. Because the dragon had scared me, he brought me some balls to make me feel better and then read me a story. What a cutie.

He seems to be growing up faster every day. I don't want to miss any of it, but I also can't wait to see what he'll do next!

Eragon - Two Thumbs Down

Let me start off by saying that I liked the book very much. No LOTR, but a good read. The movie on the other hand...I can't believe I actually finished watching it. I'm pretty convinced that the screenwriters never even read the book. They jumped through the story so much that it didn't make any sense. They threw in characters willy-nilly without explaining who they were or why they were important. Even though I knew the story, I was confused. They even changed the basic rules of the world!! And don't even get me started on the obvious changes they made simply to save money. (Human Urgles???)

So, don't see the movie. EVER. Not even if it's free and you're bored out of your mind. But do read the book.