More snow, more whining!

Dec. 10th
Nixon's first school pictures! I'm biased, but he is adorable!!
Day 344

* We had another band of snow come through today. It was predicted to bring 3-6 inches of snow, we ended up with about 2 inches which quickly melted after it stopped falling around 1pm.
    It did come down pretty hard a times and Nixon was fascinated by the giant snowflakes.

* Nixon had a serious issue today with whining and talking back. I don't know what the problem was, but I'd had enough! He was just being rude for no reason. At one point, I sent him to his room and Mac decided the spare bedroom was a better place for him no toys.

* But he also had his sweet moments too. He cuddled under the blanket on the sofa with me, laying down on my chest and watching TV with me. He was being totally adorable and very loving. I'll take these moments when I get them.

Let the sickies leave the house!!! Please?!?!?!

* Day 3 of this pesky cold found Nixon awake around 7am, which I quickly informed him was too early and he needed to go back to sleep. He did, without much of a fuss, and we both finally got out of bed around 930am. He was still subdued this morning and didn't really show he was feeling substantially better until after his (our) 4 hour nap on the futon this afternoon. I could hear him breathing more clearly in his sleep, which made me hopeful he'd have a full night's sleep tonight.
   So far so good!

   As long as he sleeps through the night, without any night terrors or waking up because he can't breath, he's going to school tomorrow. He's asking to go, because he misses it and he's very upset he missed one day already this week.

no photo tonight because I don't want the flash to possibly wake him up. he sleeps lighter when he's sick....but trust me, he is still adorable, just a little crusty around the nose area! 

I can only help him get over one fear at a time, today was his fear of thunder!

* Ah, rainy boring thunder-filled day! What a wonderful Thursday! Nixon and I spent the day laying around playing a matching game on his iTouch together and watching Phineas and Ferb together. Pure awesomeness!
   Did I mention thunder? Because there was plenty of that and Nixon is not a fan of thunder...at all. He was just starting to get freaked out when I came up with a most brilliant explanation to take his fear away. That explanation is far from conventional, but you know what? It worked, because after I told Nixon, he was laughing and totally unafraid of thunder.
   The magical explanation? It's not thunder, it's clouds farting! And Nixon found this hilarious! He'd start saying "Eww...the clouds just farted, Mommy! That's stinky!" and laugh! So much better than the crying and the screeching that he'd had previously.
    Just one more example of me being mom, less perfect more real and doing what I now will work for my son and helping him get over a fear.

* Nixon's telling me today he doesn't want to go back to school "because the kids are mean and hurt me." I know this is all over the block incident yesterday but I can't let him start developing a fear of school now over one bad day.
   I tell him there are bad days but we can't let them ruin our good days. I also told him that the other kid apologized so Nixon has to move past it and put it behind him, like it was an accident. I hope it works, because it's only the 2nd week of school and I don't want anything to dampen his enthusiasm.

What else do you do at 3am with a child wide awake, but go for a drive and sit by the water to look at the moon?

* Ah, Nixon....woke up at 2am. We decided to see if Mac was busy and drove to the Academy. We were able to sit by the water at almost 3am, with Mac, and look at the sky and boats and just enjoy the quiet. It was amazing! It's something I'll cherish, a moment unexpectedly given to me and something that will never be duplicated.

* On the drive home, at 3am, Nixon and I were talking about his newest cousin due to arrive today. He's super excited about this and I asked him, because my sister hasn't decided on a name yet, if there was a name he likes for the baby.
Nixon: I don't know.
me: Any name you like a lot?
Nixon: Like what?
me: Well, something you like. Like your hamsters on your learning path.
Nixon: Oh no, they have names already!
me: Okay, if you got a new hamster what would you name it?
Nixon: Mom, can you list names and I'll tell you if I like it?
me: OKay. Captain?
Nixon: no
me: Tony
Nixon: no. Stark, I like Stark
me: Aunt Snotface should name her baby Stark?
Nixon: yes!
me: You don't think we should save that for our next pet?
Nixon: Yes. And for aunt Snotface's baby!
me: You want a pet and a cousin with the same name?
Nixon: Yes, it's perfect!

* We came home and went back to bed a little after 3:30am. Nixon slept in until after 8am,and then he just wanted to snuggle with me. He kept giving me kisses and hugs, which I adore, but dude I just fell asleep 4.5 hours ago! haha
   We had a lovely morning together. Breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, running errands together, laughing and just a great day. We just had a hilariously good time together. No tantrums, no fits, no bad moods.
   It was a rare but cherished good day all around!

"I have light yellow skin"

* (I was lightly tickling Nixon's nose this morning)
Nixon: What are you doing Mom?
me: Just looking at you, and your cute nose.
Nixon: Why?
me: Because I'm your mom and moms do silly things like that. Do you have my nose or Daddy's nose?
Nixon: Duh! I have my nose...Nixon's nose.
me: You do, huh?
Nixon: Yes, and I have light yellow skin.
me: Well, okay then.

* Watching TV, Nixon sees the Dawn commercial which shows the oil spill animal victims getting cleaned up.
Nixon: Mommy, I want a animal.
me: Huh? *then I get what he's saying* Oh, baby, those aren't animals to be pets, those are animals who are sick and need to be cleaned.
Nixon: I'll save them!
me: Nixon, I promise you. If there's ever something like that nearby, I'll take you and we'll go help save animals, okay?
Nixon: Really?
me: Yes baby, I would love to do that with you. Saving animals is very important and it'd be great to do that together with you.

* I told Nixon his newest cousin is expected to be born tomorrow. He says "Really? From Aunt Snotface's tummy?"
   Then I tell him we'll see the new baby next month when we go home to visit. He has the most amazing idea! "I'm going to meet my baby cousin and put him to sleep for a nap before the moon is up to keep him safe. Because you always put me to sleep when the moon is up and I'm always safe."
   He is too much, isn't he?!

* By the way, Nixon took a nap at 5pm....at 8:15pm I took him upstairs to his bed. He's asleep for the night, I hope. But I'm afraid it's going to be an early morning for me tomorrow....

Yeah, he might be going to college with those fingers in his mouth :(

One ant, relocate....three or more, it's time to die!

* Nixon....my little ant sympathiser. He says to me "Mommy, I need to help this one ant find a better home. He's lost." The ant was in the living room. When he sees more ants he says to me, "Mommy, it's time to get the killing spray, they are out of control!" haha

* Nixon: I'm never going to see my cousin J again.
me: Baby, you'll see him again. Not soon, but he's not gone forever.
Nixon: No, Mommy, he's gone forever. He left me.
me: Nixon, you're breaking my heart.
Nixon: Mine hurts too Mommy.

* Mac had the night off. We decided to get Taco Bell for dinner tonight. Nixon was so awesome in the car! He had Star Wars Angry Birds on Mac's iTouch and was content to quietly play that game the entire trip. It was wonderful and made me hopeful for any future road trips we may take, that we have that game with us at the ready for any traffic jams we hit.

"maybe there's a baby in you belly?"

* Nixon has never showed any interest in having or requested a sibling. It's been a great perk in our simple life.
   Tonight, I was lying on the sofa nursing some cursed cramps.
Nixon: Mommy, you hurt?
me: Yes. My belly hurts.
Nixon: Maybe because there's a baby in it?
me: NO! There's NO baby! *pause* Nixon, my belly hurts because there's not a baby in it. That's how I know there's no baby.
Nixon: Really?
me: Yep. Girls bodies do this thing almost monthly if there's no baby. It hurts but its not serious.
Nixon: Okay.
me: Nixon, you know we're never having another baby right? Our family is complete. There's nothing missing since we had you. You're the only baby we ever need.
Nixon: Aww...that's so sweet!
Mac: Yeah, he's pretty over it.

"...best surprise ever!"

* Nixon and I had a date this morning. I set my alarm for 8:50am and at 9am we were watching My Little Pony in bed together, for our mommy & me date. He was so excited last night when I told him we'd have a date in the morning to watch My Little Pony together.

* Mac and I bought Nixon a used bike. (Yes he has one already, but it's a little too big for him and has hand breaks so too much going on for him) Nixon didn't see me put it in the back of my car, when we got home I opened the trunk and he saw it and said "Mommy, this is the best surprise you and Daddy gave to me ever!"
  He working on the peddling but he'll get it. We lowered the seat and he liked it better as soon as the seat was lowered.

* After our rough last 2 days, Nixon fell asleep in my arms tonight...watching Star Wars: Ep.3
I even got to carry him to bed, cradled in my arms, with his head lying on my shoulder. All was right and forgiven at that moment in time.

sometimes it really is the calm before the (emotional) storm.

* Nixon was so chill today that I was able to finish reading a book, which I started reading over 9 months ago! How did that happen? He was enthralled with his squinkies and his other small action-like figures. I was laid out on the sofa and he was playing on the living room floor.

* Are you a child of the 80's/90's? Can you complete this phrase: "Thunder, Thunder, Thunder.....", because Nixon can! He loves him some Thundercats!

* My poor baby boy. He freaked out after his bath, crying (sloppy, snotty, messy real tears crying!) saying he missed Daddy. Instead of trying to calm him down, I let him call Daddy and tell him he missed him. Between the phone call, hearing Daddy's voice and me letting him snuggle in my bed with me and watch an episode of Bob's Burgers while he calmed down enough to go to bed, he was finally ready for bed minus the tears. What a rough night for him...it came out of nowhere!