Learning As We Go

We are in a playgroup that meets every Wednesday so the Wednesday before his birthday we had cake to celebrate.  This is party Number 1. 

On his actual birthday had chicken and mac and cheese and opened presents from Grandma and Grandpa in South Carolina.  This is his new art desk he opened at Party Number 2.

Then on Sunday we had his “big party” with my parents, Anna, my grandparents and Candice and Aidan.  It was lots of fun.  Between Christmas and his birthday, he has a toy store in his room now…This is Party Number 3

Three years old.  Where did the time go?!  He is so curious, smart, talkative, funny and sweet.  I just love the little person he is becoming.   I am eager for this next year to take shape; Parker will go to preschool and start making his own little life that I am not directly a part of.  Not that I am excited to have him away; but I am so excited for him to get to do all of the three year old things; preschool, tball, vacation bible school, sunday school.  It is so amazing to realize that heis not a baby  and watch him handle the responsibility that comes with being more grown up.  He takes his plate to the sink after dinner.  Puts on his own clothes (most of the time anyway), brushes his teeth, can go to the bathroom whenever he feels like he needs to without our help, no diapers at night, cleans up his toys (most of the time…er some of the time).  Anyway, I am just so proud of him!

Parker has been sick since Tuesday!!  He had croup and now has a horrible cough and congestion and high fever…he is miserable.  Please say some prayers that he is feeling better tomorrow!

This is a funny picture because we generally assume Wrigely does not like Parker.  I guess we were wrong…he has been pretty sensitive to Parker all day!

It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL today so we took some pizza to the park for a picnic with Candice and Aidan.  Aidan and Parker are best buddies and really have started to play pretend games and do their own thing.  It is hard pulling them apart these days! They like to play trains, pirates and monsters.  They LOVE to play outside and can spend HOURS in Candice’s yard.

My sunday school class consists of 11 boys (4 year old boys) and 2 girls.  I’m sure you can imagine that our boys can easily get out of control and it takes a lot of planning to make sure we do not have any down time in our lesson otherwise we see lots of “sword fighting”, pretend running into the wall and falling, making absurd noises, ect.  Well, lately we have lots of problems with name calling and competition (thank you Mr. Testosterone).  And though my memory is fuzzy,  when I think back to the days when I enjoyed a little name calling myself, the names were as immature as the practice: Doodie Head, Stupid Baby Face, ect.  Yesterday though, I heard something that made me thinking maybe times were changing? 

Boy 1: I’m taller than you

Boy 2: No you’re not.  I’m taller than you.

Boy 1 (while pointing his finger condemning this child): HEATHEN!!!

See what I mean?

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN ABOUT 4 DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS, BUT I FORGOT TO ACTUALLY POST IT…IT IS RELAVENT TO TODAY’S POST SO PLEASE, TAKE IT ALL IN!

Ok – no one get too excited or too comfortable with the idea that I might just make it through this “phase” Parker is dragging his feet through without losing my mind altogether.   It started yesterday; I was in my kitchen unloading the dishwasher.  I had brought his stool out so that he could help me as I always do when it is time to do this chore…usually the clinking of the glasses gets his attention and he is at my feet in 2 seconds or so…but not this time.  I actually finished.  In fact, I unloaded the dishwasher, switched the laundry, checked my email and MADE LUNCH and Parker never came.  Where was he?  IN HIS BEDROOM PLAYING.  He was playing with his trains, the kitchen, who knows – all I do know is that I had 25 minutes of concentrated “gettin’ stuff done” time.  It was huge for me, but not noteworthy because I knew that he would get over his toys and we’d be back playing “lets be mom’s shadow” before bedtime.

I was wrong guys!  Last night he didn’t want to go to bed because he was playing with his toys.  This morning he played in his room and Jon and I stayed in bed for an HOUR after he woke up! Around 10 Jon and I didn’t know what to do with ourselves so we went in and asked if we could play for a bit.  Around lunch time Jon and I sat nervously watching TV – The Office; nothing on Noggin or Sprout wondering how long it would last.  We watched 2 whole hilarious episodes! I don’t know how long this is going to last, but my house is spotless, I am up to date on my Mary Kay stuff, and I am enjoying sitting here with my feet up for a bit!

NOW FOR TODAY’S ENTRY AND UPDATE

Well, Jon and I have bid farewell to Parker’s little..what shall we call it?  Terror Phase? I don’t know what happen, he just woke up one morning and was completely pleasant again.  Reasonable.  Sweet. Well behaved. A delightful kid to be around.  It’s nothing I did, maybe he finally got tired of time out?  A good friend of mine (and a fantastic mom) gave me a wonderful idea and we have started and Parker is really into it.

I have a big bowl of “Parker Rocks!” Rocks and an empty glass jar.  Every time we catch him doing something good, he gets a rock (those little glass marble, pebble things they sell at craft stores).  Parker and I came up with 9 behaviors that would merit getting a rock; including good listening, helping mommy and daddy, cleaning up toys, using kind words, being gentle with Wrigley, ect.  We do not take rocks out and we don’t bribe with the rocks – they are just positive rewards and Parker is eating it up!  When he fills the whole jar he will get a fish tank and we will start over and when he fills it again we will go shopping for rocks, plants, ect and then start over to work on getting the actual fish.  He is quite pleased and so are we!

We are all doing well in this post holiday season.  Jon got a raise and is working several extra days this month which is just awesome!  School is about to start for me and I am hoping this is my last semester where I will physically have to go to campus; the rest can be done online!  We are looking for preschools for Parker for next year and we’re in the process of deciding between t-ball (actually called Bash Ball for 3 year olds) or soccer tots for fun this Spring.  Oh and lets not forget we are planning his 3rd birthday!  I definitely can’t believe he is almost 3 but thats a post for another day!

Yesterday we went to Aunt Suzy’s house in Austin and celebrated Christmas with all the Texas Hebdas.  We had a blast.  Parker and Genny had a great time playing Hungry Hungry Hippos and playdough! Parker loves to hear stories about Genny and was really excited to get to play with her!

Christmas was a very fun day here in Flower Mound!  Jesus! Family! Toys!  Food! and SNOW! It snowed all day Christmas Eve!  Some call it a Christmas miracle…I hate to be a scrooge about it but you know how I am about the cold.  At any rate it was magic to everyone else; especially Parker.  He asked me a few days ago when it was going to snow for Christmas and I told him it didn’t snow in Flower Mound!  When it did start snowing he said “NOW it is Christmas!”.  Santa decided Parker was a good boy after all and Parker quite pleased with what Santa brought.  I wanted to put some pictures up to share!

Christmas has always been something like magic but nothing compares to this year and watching Parker be so excited about what is coming.  He is excited on two levels.  He knows the story of Jesus and Mary and Joseph.  He gets the wisemen, the shepherds, and angels.  We went to the Gaylord last night to walk around and look at lights and before we got out of the car he said “Does the Gaylord have Jesus in it?”  I asked him to tell my grandmother about Christmas Eve – totally thinking about Santa ect and he said “well, an angel came and told Mary: you are going to have a baby in your tummy!….”  He is so sweet.   He is also totally psyched about Santa! He said “Can Santa bring me two presents?”  He has no idea the scope of what is coming, but he is excited.  We were taking presents out of the package from Jon’s parents in South Carolina and Parker said “Which one is mine?” and I showed him the four or five gifts that had his name on them and he got this HUGE smile on his face and said “I get to open ALL of these presents?!”.  He is so excited.

We are going to go to church this afternoon at 3:00 for the Children’s mass.  He is excited about this because he usually goes to the nursery while we are at mass and he LOVES to go with us to “big church” as he calls it.  Unfortunately, he is not well behaved at church – which is why he goes to the nursery – but I think he will like it tonight.  After church we are coming back to our apartment and opening presents with Jon’s parents on video chat – technology is just awesome!  Then we are headed to my parents to do milk and cookies for Santa and go to bed!  Ben, Aly and her husband, Adam will all be there and I’m so excited! I love love love Christmas!

I hope everyone has a merry Christmas and enjoys all the warmth and love of the season.  We will post pictures and maybe a video later!