This is why it takes 15 mintues to leave the house in the morning....

Sometimes, friends or family will forget that it takes me longer to get somewhere.  For instance, a 5 minute drive to daycare actually takes a 15 minute "prep time".  I'm not talking about getting clothes on, going to the bathroom, or eating breakfast.  I'm talking about from the time my hand touches the doorknob to the garage to the time I start the car and drive.  15 minutes.  Part of this is the frequent stops we take on the way to the car - part of this is that he has to walk himself - and molasses moves faster.

Each morning we go outside to head to my car.  As we near the door this is how the conversation goes:

"There door.  We go Tia's?  We go Tia's?"  Yes, we're seeing Tia.
"*gasp* Mama!  We go outside?  Outside?  We go outside?"  Yes, we have to go get in the car.
"Mama!  Door open!  It open? (garage door)"  Yes, I opened it.
"*gasp* there Mama's car.  There's Oma's car.  There's Maw's car.  There's truck."  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.
"Mama!  It rain outside?  It rain outside?"  Yep, it rained outside yesterday.  It's still wet.  See the water?
"YEAH!  It water.  It rain outside.  See aqua?  See water?"  Yep, I see it.  Okay, time to get in your chair.
"Mama! (sees a bird) There birdie!!! AHAHAHA there birdie!!!"  Yes, honey, that's a bird. 
"Mama!  Where doggie?  Doggie sleeping!  Doggie sleeping!"  That's right. The doggie's inside, he's sleeping.
"(sees neighbor) HI!!!  HellLOO!  Mama!  You see? You see?"  Yes, that's Tim and Kris, did you say hi?
"YEAH!!! HIIIIII!"  Okay.  Let's sit in your chair.
"*gasp* Mama!  Where my bubbles?"  The bubbles are inside the garage.  We'll play with them later.
"But why, Mama?"  We have to go see Tia, Abram.  Come on.  Sit in your chair.
"Okay.  *gasp* MAMA!  There plane! There plane!" Yep, I hear it too honey.  There's a plane up there.
"YEAH!  A PLANE!!!"  Okay, time to sit in your chair.
"Okay. (climbs in himself and pretends  to fall) OWWWW!"  Did you fall down, Abram?
"YEAH!  Mama.  It hurt me.  I fall down and hurt me"  Oh.  Are you okay?
"yeah.  I okay."  Well that's good.  Let's sit in your chair.
"Okay.  Whoaaaa Whoaaa Whoaaa (pretends to loose balance)"  Abram, don't fall down.  Just sit, okay?
"I fall!  I fall!!"  No, you won't fall.  Let me help you.
"NOOOOO!  I help.  It's MY chair"  Yes, it's your chair.  You can do it.

I start to buckle Abram in his car seat

"Kiss Mama?"  Awww sure!  You can give me a kiss.
"(licks my cheek) Mama!  *snicker snicker*"  Eww!  That's gross.  You're silly.
"I lick!  I lick!"  Yes, you licked Mama.  It's time to go now.
"Okay."

So, in conclusion, if I'm ever 15 minutes late somewhere?  I blame this entirely on my child.  Although, I realize, that this will mostly likely create a complex.

"Why Mama?"

I never thought it would be like this.  I always pictured myself as the loving, patient, sweet and caring Mother who always explained everything a child was curious about.  I really am all of these things.  I just happen to be these things prior to the 9th "why mama?".  It must be some kind of mathematical, statistical, calculative equation (obviously I'm a math genius).  Eight "why mama?"s and lower - and I'm awesome.  Better than awesome - superb.

But, something inside me snaps at the 9th.  I think it's because "nine" sounds like "nein" which is no in German, and I'm something like 60% German and at the 9th "why mama?" my head starts screaming NOOOOOOO!  I know, very scientific.  I plan on publishing it in the Journal of American Medical Association.  

The conversation goes something like this....
"Abram, you can't have another popsicle"
"Why Mama?"
"Because we already had one and it was your dessert."
"But why Mama?"
"Because that's what you asked for, for dessert, and you already ate it."
"But why Mama?"
"Because you like popsicles."
"Why Mama?"
"Because they're sweet and cold, and feel good on your teeth."
"Why Mama?"
"Because you're getting some new teeth in your mouth"
"But why Mama?"
"Because you're getting older, and that's what happens to big boys."
"But why Mama?"
"Because big boys are strong, and they need all of their teeth."
"But why Mama?"
"*exaggerated sigh* Because I said so"
"But why Mama?"
"Enough discussion.  We're done talking about this.  Look!  There's your Lightening car!*****"

I figure, if I last 8 "why mama?"s then I'm doing okay.  It's the parents who can't last one, right?


****see previous post

Late nights? God, hope this is a phase..

Gosh!  It's been a long time since I've posted.  The reason is this:  late nights with Abram.  He has been staying up, more like refusing to sleep, until 9:00, 9:30, even 10pm some nights!  After that ordeal is over with I'm wayyyy to exhausted to clean, get ready for the next day AND write a post.

I don't understand it.  He sleeps only 1-2 hours for nap time and we play outside as often as we can and yet, 830 his normal bedtime rolls around and he is not having it.  I preform the whole ritual.  The reading of the books, the kissing every toy goodnight, the singing.  He'll lay there in bed and say, "nigh nigh mama".  But, after 10 minutes of being upstairs my "mom ears" prick up and I can here him getting out of bed and playing.

In fact, last night he didn't go to sleep until 9:45.  I found him nearly passed out on the bottom step of the stairs at 9:30.  He held up his little Cars Lightening McQueen figurine and didn't have the strength to say, "li ning" like he always does.

I put him to bed and his eyes were half-closed in a semi-conscious state.  What I usually call "drunk baby" because he has this silly half-smile and he's all wobbly.

So, what gives?  My sitter said all kids go through this.  But, that's usually her answer for everything (just to make me feel better and not like a complete parenting failure).  I suggested eliminate nap time, but state requires that she put the kids under a certain age down for nap.  Or that's her story.  Personally, she (like any human) would probably loose her marbles it if the kids never went down for nap time.