Something cool I just Learned How to Do

In His Own World

Grandma and Grandpa came over for dinner last night, to belatedlly celebrate Grandma LaVerne's birthday.  After dinner, Quinn asked if he could spend the night with G&G, and they said yes.  He went upstairs, got into bright red footie pajamas, and I loudly and repeatedly "reminded" him to brush his teeth, pack a bag of clothes for church in the morning, and get shoes on.   Colby was watching a cartoon on the computer, and Quinn - between his mother's incessant nagging - was watching with him.  When Grandma and Grandpa left (with Quinn), Colby said good bye.  Then he got ready for bed, brushed his teeth, and fell asleep in the room he shares with his brother.  This morning, he got up, got dressed, and we all piled in the car to go to church.

It was at THIS moment that Colby said .... "HEY!  We forgot Quinn!"

Rob and I looked at each other, thinking he MUST be joking.

Mom: "Well, if he's not ready for church, then he needs to be left here alone.  Keep driving dad." 

Colby was distraught.  So I eased up on him.

Mom: "Colby, did you see Quinn last night in your bedroom?"

Colby: "Yes."

Mom: "Did you see him when you woke up this morning?"

Colby: "Yes.  Well.... uh....."

Good Gracious.  It's called situational awareness, child.  Normally the boy can't go 30 seconds without being with his brother, and then the one time he is gone for an entire NIGHT, Colby doesn't even notice??? 

A Chip Off The Old Block

Colby brought some school work home that hadn't gotten done while at school.  I asked him why he didn't finish.

Colby: "We're supposed to write a story about a scarecrow."
Quinn: "I finished mine at school.  The scarecrow walked through the woods and scared the birds.  THE END."
Sounds like an easy-enough assignment. 
Colby: "Mom, I didn't have TIME to finish!"

COLBY'S story is about a scarecrow during a world war in 1922, who was really poor at firing a gun, but excellent with a knife.  During a battle he found a magic Power Stone which allowed him entrance into a Wizarding school.  CHAPTER TWO - the Power Stone was being sought by an evil villain........

Colby: "There's going to be 43 chapters, and I'm only on chapter TWO!  I couldn't finish that at school!"

Oh, little man.  You have inherited your mother's wordiness, and the curse of "dreaming bigger than you are capable of completing".  We're going to have to find a way to wrap up the evil villain's plot with the Power Stone pretty quickly, methinks. 

Secretly, though.... I'm really proud of his imagination.  What DOES happen with that scarecrow???

Big Heads

Quinn: "Mom, I'm so handsome."

Mom: "What??"

Colby: "We both are. I'm handsome, too. "

Mom: "Well you're definitely not humble. Who told you that you were handsome?"

Quinn: "Uhhhh, no one. I looked in the mirror. I can see my own reflection. "

Colby: "Sometimes I stare at myself for HOURS. I'm in LOVE with myself."

Mom: "Oh good grief. "

Independence

As much as I grieve the intractable aging of my children, I have to admit that I enjoy that they're now big enough to DO things. You know, like help me move a table, or climb a tree to pick the apples at the top.

This school year, the boys are making their own lunches, getting dressed independent, and feeding themselves breakfast. What before was a 35 minute nag-fest each morning is now a 15 minute "what do we do until the bus comes?" dream. Of course, it's only the second day of school, and evil snow clothes are not in the mix.... But I have hope!!!