Music in the Wooden House

The boys love music, and seem to come by it naturally based on talent for and love of music on Jimmy's side of the family. The boys CD player is in constant use. If they had their choice - so would Mommy's Ipod. In their perfect world, both would be playing simultaneously in different rooms and they would just hop back and forth from one room to the next.

Here's the scooop - based on my non-expert clinical and motherly opinion of course. Music feeds their need for routine/familiarity. They can memorize it, recognize it, and repeat it which can be very comforting (especially for Alex). Music is something they can hyperfocus on because it is complex in nature, but can interestingly feed their need for constant motion (through dancing, jumping, etc). Music tolerates their lacking attention span (they can skip from one CD or song to the next without finishing one completely). It's not a toy they can break. It's not a game that must be finished. It's not a building that the other is likely to knock over. It's not an imaginary play scheme in which they will lose interest. Music meets them wherever their mood (happy, sad, agitated, wiggly, giggly) and takes them to a calm place.

So - for you music lovers out there - this is no surprise. To their very non-music oriented mother, it's all a bit fascinating.

And then - even with their love of music - we see flashes of mommy. The athletic, super competitive, opinionated tendencies so rudely invade their peaceful happy music time. What happens when Little Boy #1 (guess who) wants to play the music on shuffle and Little Boy #2 (guess who) insists that it be played in order? Hint: Guessing which is which may be easy at first glance, but think hard before you answer. What intrigues one about the shuffle?

Anyhow - when love of shuffle meets love of repeat...it's an all out brawl. Wrestlemania Wooden Boy style. Tickets on sale daily...same fight...same cause...same sides of the ring. Come see the tackles, shirt grabbing, hair pulling, hip checking, yelling, screeching fun. Or better yet, post with a solution that does not require this non-music lover to tolerate childrens CDs in multiple rooms of the house. Ear buds or head phones not an option (for neither me nor the boys). Alcohol optional (for me). Oh yeah - and they are four years old. Uncle Jack???? Good luck.

They Get It From Dad

A love of music. Sensitive skin. Goofy sense of humor. Bigger ears (sorry Tan-man). Technical genious. Golf bug. Fascination with the computer. Dance moves (or lack thereof). Love of football. Grumpy with low blood sugar. Book worm. Big heart. Short fuse. Love their mom.

Double Trouble?

Plans are underway for kindergarten next year. The boys remain in need of the support of a special education classroom. In Forest Hills (our rather large school district), there is one "diagnostic kindergarten" (special ed) classroom. It runs only in the AM. I'm rather surprised that there is only one class of 12 kids for the whole district, but I guess it's a sign that kids with special needs are being included more and more into the 'normal' classrooms. Hopefully that will be a choice for Alex and Tanner someday.

Anyhow...back to the dilemma. Last year, the boys were in the same class of 6 kids. It was a center based classroom that served the children of Kent County with the most severe needs. This year, moving from the center based program back to our home district, was a big sign of improvement! Forest Hills wanted to separate the boys into 2 different classrooms. That was fine by me, as I thought they might be treated more as individuals.

As we near the end of this school year, Forest Hills feels the current placement in our home district is appropriate and moving back to a center based classroom is not necessary. Yeah! I know the boys are some of the more energetic and difficult to manage, but the staff has been wonderful.

So - for next year - it appears that the boys will be back in the same classroom by default. Staff has been rather concerned about the dynamic of putting them together in the same room and if the teacher and aide can handle both of them as well as the other special needs kids. I think they have in their mind that if you combine both boys in the same room that there will be some sort of spontaneous combustion of sorts! Honestly, I think they might be easier to manage in the same room because they will gravitate toward each other a bit. Also, Tanner loves to tattle on Alex which can be a big help ;)

Yesterday at school they decided to put the boys in the same room for a trial run for next year and it went really well. The teachers were pleasantly surprised...and I'm kind of excited to have them back in the same room this coming fall.

Snuggle Bugs

We're quickly approaching their 5th birthday...and these little dudes are as snuggly as they were when they came home from NICU! As tiny babies, they were little heat seeking munchkins. They shared a crib, and we'd put them at opposite ends. A few hours later we'd check on them and they'd be all cuddled up together.

Fast forward 5 years...and nothing has changed. We routinely find them sound asleep/all cuddled up together in the same bed or the same couch (naps). Each time I catch the little monsters snoozing together, my heart melts, I smile, and then grab a camera. What can I say...they work hard, play hard...tucker each other out (tucker me out)...and crash. Take a look...these pics are bound to embarrass them at some point down the road. By the way - they do have their own beds in case you were wondering...though I'm not sure why :)

"Hatching" Easter Eggs

Instead of 'breaking' an egg or 'peeling an egg' - the boys are 'hatching them'. Not sure where that one came from- but it's too cute.

Tanner: "Mommy - Alex is hatching an Easter egg!" (aka he peeled an egg on the floor in front of the fridge without asking)

Alex: "Tanner - do NOT HATCH YOUR EGG!" (aka don't break your egg...exclaimed while coloring easter eggs last night)

I don't think I'll correct them...it puts a smile on my face every time they say it.

Easter and Snow?

We got about 4 inches of snow on the ground last night. Looks like we'll be doing an Easter egg hunt in the white fluffy stuff! For the next 24 hours, I can threaten the little monsters into good behavior with reminders that the Easter bunny does not bring candy to naughty boys. It's bound to be a good day! ;)

Snow Much Fun!

It's winter - my least favorite season for sure. However, it's gotten easier over the past few years as the boys can now bundle themselves and find plenty of fun in the fluffy white.

We've had 5 times as much snow so far this winter as we did all of last winter (per the trusty weatherman)! We had the most snow on record for the month of February (glad we closed the book on that month!) The boys have had 5 snow days and 5 2 hour delays. It's been an absolute winter mess around here! Initially, they were so sad when there was a snow day (they like school). I wonder at what age you move from being sad about snow days to wishing for them? By the end of February, they would just wake up, look outside and state matter of fact like - "It's a snow day".