Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Just like any other day.

It has been a terrible day. Tyler peed on me. I never thought I would be potty training little boys before I had a 2-year-old and before I had a little boy. And yet here I was sitting on the rim of the bathtub with a little boy perched over the toilet seat and a wet ankle. Well, a couple paper towels and some disinfectant later, no harm done right?
"Why is Tyler time out?"
"Because he went potty in his diaper and not in the toilet."
"Oh. Play outside?"
"We can when Tyler is done in timeout."
"Done in timeout?"
"Yes, when Tyler is done in timeout."
I hear Tyler call from the other room, "peeeeeeease." 30 more seconds and we can go outside. I tell Rahel to put his sandals on so we can go out.
He kicks one instead. "Me can't!"
For some reason this particular 2-year-old phrase is enough to set my teeth on edge. I try for the 122nd unsuccessful time to correct his grammar. Rahel decides instead to kick his other sandal. "Me can't." He says again. I tell him to try (since I have seen him successfully put his own shoes on several times before) and go get Tyler out of time out. When I get back Rahel is kicking his sandals around the room whining. I hate whining more than bad grammar.
20 minutes and some intense cohersion later, Rahel remembers "me can" put his shoes on, and we head out to the tennis court where we kick balls and run around like banshees for an hour.
It starts to rain.
"Time for lunch!"
Juliet has woken up from her nap. She and Tyler munch happily on peanut butter sandwiches. Rahel is crying. "Juice!" he says.
No juice until he takes a big bite of his sandwich.
"Pear!" he says. No pear until he takes a big bite of his sandwich.
"Timeout!" he says. Rahel prefers timeout to lunch time. I let him sit in time out for a minute and then it is back to the peanut butter sandwich. Tyler has finished his sandwich by now and is happily eating his pears.
"Pear!" Rahel says. Not until he takes a big bite of his sandwich. Finally, he takes the bait. I have to watch him chew and swallow before he is allowed to have his pear. Several times I have left the room and come back to an empty mouth, only to find a completely masticated bite of chicken, or fish stick or peanut butter and mush all over the floor. The avocado was the worst (he had been working that one for about 5 minutes before it greenly dribbled all over my carpet). I give him his prize, a browning pear slice. I can't convince him to take another bite, not for banana nor juice nor pear. He asks to go in timeout again.
"You can go in timeout if you take a big bite of sandwich." He miraculously, takes a gigantic bite of sandwich. I let him chew and swallow in time out. All in all, a very successful lunch. I give the rest of his sandwich to Juliet. She is bottomless these days.
Tyler is cleaned up and throwing flash cards all around the living room. I start to unload the dish washer. "What you doing mommy?"
"My name is Kristina."
"What you doing tia?"
"I'm doing the dishes."
"Dishes?"
"Yes dishes."
2 minutes pass, several more cards fly behind the television set, lost forever.
"What you doing mommy?"
"My name is Kristina."
"What you doing tia?"
"I'm doing the dishes."
"Dishes?"
"Yes dishes."
Rahel joins the discussion.
"What are doing Kister?"
"I'm still doing the dishes."
"Dishes?"
Suddenly I'm tired of doing dishes. "Let's read a book."
'There's a wocket in my pocket' is one of our favorites.
"Did you ever have the feeling there's a zamp behind the lamp?"
"What you doing tia?"
"I'm reading a story."
(Several little voices) "Story!"

Finally Rahel is taking a nap. Tyler has been picked up (only a little late) and it's just me and the Juj.
I know the day will come when she is peeing on my ankle, or spitting peanut butter onto the carpet, or asking what I am up to at every possible moment, but right now she is playing and laughing all by herself on the floor. Sometimes she whispers nonsense words and I know she is plotting our bumpy future, and sometimes she brings me a toy and we look at how it works together. Sometimes I tickle her and always we laugh and hug and give each other kisses. Sometimes we even fight, but there is always a snuggle and a kiss afterward.

2 comments:

Havilah said...

As someone who has experienced days like that, I find this post very entertaining. You are a good writer. You should write a book.

Dan said...

if you wrote a book i might read it:) this is how every day is with cade anymore. you are wise in recognizing that the juj's sweetness will fade as the twos take root.