Checkers

Played my first full game of checkers tonight with Tanner, and then a full game against Alex. It was so fun to see their little minds working so fast. I beat them both...but give it a few more rounds...I'm going to be in trouble I have a feeling. Tanner is especially good.

At 35, I've never played chess. I have a feeling I'm going to have to learn that next and be ready not to rule the board potentially :)

"Mom, we've learned our lesson!"

Yes...this is the desperate rationalization being provided by Tanner. The inseparable buddies want to share a bedroom again. Totally unprompted, they recall why they were split up and promised they have learned their lesson (they kept waking each other up early/staying up late!)

It wasn't just the sleeping issues...the two just lacked any sense of personal space. They shared all their clothes, dresser drawers, toothbrushes if I didn't hawk them - even now they don't blink at the idea of crossing streams in the bathroom! You'd think they'd like to have a little personal space or individual identify for heavens sake!

To cave or not to cave...that is the question...and Jim's opinions are not welcome on this topic...only family/friends! Daddy likes his sleep too much to for unbiased decision making :)

Football Fans

So we just left Uccello's Sports Bar & Grill where we enjoyed a pre-Super Bowl lunch with the Trents. I married a man that I loved dearly - but had absolutely no love of sports - let alone a slight inclination toward being jock when I met him. I always imagined I'd marry someone with my competitive drive and love of /participation in sports...but I guess it was that whole 'opposites attract' thing in motion when we met.

Now, our offspring I'm proud to say share Mom's love of sports. I'm not sure if they'll have athletic talent (might inherit Dad's side of the gene pool in that regard), but they at least LOVE sports! They have favorite teams and favorite players. They recognize most sports jerseys when out in public and are none to shy about approaching a fellow sports fan with a high five.

Case in point - Alex gave multiple random and excited high fives to a woman wearing a Spartan sweatshirt today at Uccello's (she was such an enthusiastic fellow fan and seemed to get a kick out of Alex's fascination with their newly found common love). When the cheese-heads starting pouring into Uccello's, there were plenty of cheers from Mr. AJ as well!

The funniest moment however was as we were leaving. Passing the large oval/island bar, there was a man sitting by himself with a navy football jersey labeled 'Brady'. Alex runs up asking, "Are you Tom Brady from the Patriots?". Without even waiting for the man to respond, Alex shouts "Mom- it's Tom Brady!". Jim was bringing up the tail with a smile on his face, and Mr. Brady responds to Jim, "Well, I wish I was Tom Brady!".

So, Mr. Chatty (that would be Alex) chats all the way out to the car about all the sports fans at Uccello's that were his friends and how exciting it was to meet Tom Brady. There was nothing I could say to convince him otherwise.

Now - if I only I could bring him out of his shell and make him comfortable talking to strangers. He doesn't take after me at all on that front :)

Oh AJ...

So the Wooden boys (including the 34 year old Wooden boy) have all been fighting a nasty cold for 10 days or so. Thankfully, they all feel better but still sound awful!! Somehow, I managed to escape this one it seems (famous last words?).

Mr. AJ is the best sick kiddo (or adult) ever. He rarely complains. He'll look miserable and sound miserable, but generally lays low and quiet (complete opposite of Tanner...but we'll save that for another post). The poor guy has had probably had 15 or so ear infections in his life, usually after a long cold so I'm always on the look-out for the tell-tale ear pulling.

The tugs started on Thursday at dinner. Upon noticing, the conversation went something like this:

Mom: Alex, you are pulling on your ear. Does it hurt?
Alex: No Mom, it's just fine.

Most parents would stop here, but if you know Alex, you'll understand sometimes his responses are really meant to allow him to disengage from conversation and go back to his own little world. So, I rarely take his first answers as final. I waited 60 seconds:

Mom: Alex - which ear hurts?
Alex: This one (tugging at the same ear)!
Mom: I thought you said it didn't hurt?
Alex: It doesn't.

I could tell this was going to be one of those Alex conversations where we go round and round and get nowhere. So, I repeated the same course of questoining above 2 more times with time in between with the same contradictory answers.

This morning, Alex was tugging on the same ear again.

Mom: Alex - do your ears hurt?
Alex: No Mom, they are just fine.
Mom: But which one hurts?
Alex: This one (tugging on the same ear).

So now after 48 hours of the same back and forth, I took him to the doctor today to have them checked.

Nurse: Alex, what's wrong today?
Alex: Nothing. There is nothing wrong with my ears.
Nurse: (looking at me like I'm a crazy overprotective mom) So, what makes you think he might have an ear infection?
Mom: He keeps pulling on it, has a history of them, and sometimes struggles to communicate clearly.

Now, "clearly" is an understatement! The kid is worse than a politician talking out both sides of his mouth!!!

Thankfully, the doctor comes in and before she even looks at his ears says, 'I'm glad you came. That's what we are here for. It's very common for kids on the spectrum not to be able to clearly communicate how they are feeling.' She gets it.

So - no ear infection. But a very nice doctor at least made sure I wasn't going to feel like a fool. As for AJ...what can I say...he's just so sweet and innocent I can't really get frustrated. I just shake my head and smile :)

Maybe not so alike...

Reactions to the second snow day this week (meaning the kiddos have gone to school only 1 out of the last 8 days due to other planned days off school and a sick day).

Mom: What do we think guys? Another snow day!
Monster #1: (with fist up on in the air) Woo hooooo!
Monster #2: Mom, it's a blizzard day. It's not a snow day. And they better let me go to school this weekend instead.
Monster #1: (silence...just a looking at me frightfully for a response confirming he wouldn't be required to go to school on the weekend).
Mom: No way dude. No school on the weekend.
Monster #1: (with fist up in the air again) YYEEEESSSSSSS!
Monster #2: Then somebody better let me see my friends. And if I have another blizzard day tomorrow I'm going to be SO mad! This is so not fair!

I'm sure you can guess who is who...if you know these boys well at all :)

And So It Begins...

(Tanner and I are laying on his bed on our tummies...looking at his yearbook from last year...he's giving me the run down of which class all the kids ended up in this year)

Tanner: So this is my friend Logan. He is Luke's BFF.
Mom: What does BFF mean?
Tanner: It's like...best friends forever...you know.
Mom: Ok - got it.
Tanner: And this is (blank). She is evil.
Mom: Why is she evil?
Tanner: Well, that's what her brother says anyway. I don't really know why.
Mom: Well, sometimes brothers and sisters don't get along. It doesn't mean she is evil.
Tanner: Mom - let's not fight about it, ok? It's just what we like to call her.
Mom: Ok - got it.
Tanner: And this is XXX. She is totally cute.
Mom: (quizical look...thinking to myself...did I just hear that right?)
Tanner: And this is...
Mom: Hold up. Back up to XXX. You think she is cute?
Tanner: Well Mom, did you look at her?
Mom: (smiling)
Tanner: Isn't she totally cute?
Mom: I guess so. Why do you think she is cute?
Tanner: Did you see her big eyes?
Mom: Yes, she does have very pretty eyes. Why else do you think she is cute?
Tanner: I like her kind of hair.
Mom: And what kind of hair is that?
Tanner: You know...like light color. Doesn't she just look happy?
Mom: Yes, she looks happy.
Tanner: She's just little and adorable. Ok - now - this is Max...
(several minutes later as I get up to leave)
Tanner: Thanks for snuggling with me Mom. I love you.
Mom: I love you too buddy.

And so...I think I just had my first conversation with my little dude about a girl. "Totally cute"...to use his words :) For now, I'm happy to remain his #1 girl...but clearly he has a wandering eye now. It's only a matter of time .