That is the question I was presented with from Bennett this morning. Nice way to start the day, huh? We were having a nice little time reading about animals that live in the desert when out of nowhere Bennett asks me, "Mommy, do bees pee?" This answer was not in the book nor was it in my cirriculum notes. Hmmm, what to do...I know, call Daddy! So, I go call Daddy and he shares all his bee wisdom with me. He asks me, "Do they drink?" I answer, "I think so". "Well then," the wise one says, "they must pee." I knew that answer wouldn't fly with the boys. The next logical question would be "where". No help there, now what do I do? Like any good parent/teacher would do, I admitted that I had no clue but would research that topic and get back to him. When I was 3, not once did I think of asking if bees pee. Goodness, I never even thought to ask that question as a grown-up. But I guess someone, somewhere has and I will find out and get back to you with the correct answer!
ANSWER: Can you believe that bees don't pee?! My research consisted of going on-line (www.askjeeves.com) and typing in the question: do bee's pee? Where was this site when I was in college???
We have this wonderful little tradition whenever we sit down to eat, we call it: doing our thankfuls. For whatever reason this is a VERY important thing to Bennett. He refuses to eat until we have said 'thankfuls'. Even if we are out in public, at someone else's house or just eating a snack...whenever we sit at a table you have to be thankful for something. He thinks everybody does this. He is always the first one to initate it as well. Some nights, I don't really feel like being thankful. But how can you say that to a little 3 year old who always has something to be thankful about, especially when he poses the question so sweet and innocently, "Mommy, what wu dankful bout?". I wouldn't be a very good role model if I responded with "nothing". But you know what, it always gets me out of my funk. It gets my mind off me and my little problem of the moment and reminds me that 'its not about me'. Thank you, Bennett, for always reminding me to be thankful - despite my circumstances.
Tonite, both boys could tell I was in a funk and decided that it would be a good time to pull out all the stops with their thankfuls. Bennett comes out with "I dankful wu my mommy" and reaches out to give me the sweetest hug. But mind you, this thankful came at a time when he didn't really want to eat anymore of the food on his plate like he was told. So, I'm not sure if he was trying to butter me up or what. But it started working immediately. What parent can resist when their child initiates the love - not me! Then, Gavin, seeing that the moment is ripe with opportunity, decides to be thankful for me as well (poor Daddy, nobody was thankful for him tonite - although, they were thankful for the steaks he cooked on the grill). Gavin did have all the food eaten off of his plate, unlike Bennett. He also comes over to give me a sweet hug then whispers in my ear, "I'm still hungry. What can I have?" I knew what he wanted (Cheetos), so I started giving him a list of typical mommy items such as an apple, more veggies, etc.. I then caved and let him have his Cheetos. Afterall, he was just thankful for me. :)
We have this crazy game called "Read My Lips" that we enjoy playing. I'm sure you can deduce from the title what the game is about. The kids think it's hilarious and love to play it all day long with me. Bennett will come up to me at random points in the day and say, "Mommy, read my yips" and then he normally mouths the exact same thing every time "I wuv woo". It stretches my lip reading ability when I have to decode his three year old language skills and turn them into 'real words'. It's hard enough to understand him sometimes when he speaks aLOUD (which he does all the time - nonstop). Now try reading lips of someone who doesn't really speak English properly. The game stops being fun at that point, at least for me. He thinks its hilarious, of course.
Often, while we're driving, the boys will be in the backseat playing this lovely game together. It's fine by me, because then the noise level in the van decreases dramatically! But the funny thing is how they play. First, I must explain their obsession with role playing. My children are forever Batman and Robin. Gavin being Batman, a.k.a, Bruce and Bennett always wanting to be Robin, a.k.a, Dick. They even go so far as to call each other by their alter ego names out in public. So, they're in the backseat saying things like, "Dick, hey Dick, read my lips: I love Batman". Then Bennett decides to join in the game and plays along dutifully be responding, "Bruce, hey Bruce, read my yips: I love Robin". You'd think they would change what they 'love' every once in a while - but no, consistency is the name of the game here.
Oh how I love Bruce and Dick! Bennett has informed me though, that sometimes he is called Richard, because Dick is just a nick-name for Richard. So, at any given point in the day he could be Richard, Dick or Bennett. Gavin is normally Bruce Wayne, but can suddenly and without notice, change into Clark Kent. This really helps my perpetual state of confusion. I never know who to call or what to call them. By the time I finally get them to respond, I have forgotten what it was I needed Bruce or Dick to do. So are the trials of my day....
I just got done tucking in my 3 year old, Bennett. How fun that is! Every night, when I pray for him, I thank God for giving me such a special gift in Bennett. Then I go on to pray for all the typical things like monsters and shadows and yucky noises. I always thank God that He's teaching Bennett to trust Him at such a young age. You know, when you pray, or even talk to your kids for that matter, you never know how much they pick up or if they are even listening. Well, I found out tonite...
A while after I left his room, I heard him in there talking. He was alone in there, so I was curious as to who he was talking to. I heard all kinds of names: Bapchie (his great-grandma), Robert (a friend who is moving to Austrailia), Nana, Vama, Vampa (Grandma & Grandpa). I decided to poke my head in and ask him if he was calling me. He said "No". I said, "Well, I heard you talking. Did you need anything?" He answered, "I was just danking Dod (God) that he made me your pe-hal (special) present." :) My heart melted instantly! Then he went on to say that he was thanking God for all those people he was listing. I just love moments like that. I think I'll go bask in that for the next few hours. :)
Well, we're off to a good start on the socialization scence in the new neighborhood. In two months, so far we've only met 1 neighbor. I even made a batch of cookies to bring her. However, everyday I walked over to her house to bring them to her, she wasn't home. And I didn't feel it was polite to just leave them on her door step. So, I kept waiting until I saw her car at home to bring them to her. I felt kinda like a stalker. Anyways, to make a long story short. All those delicious cookies sitting around my house and no one would ever know if I just didn't give her all of them. So I started taking a few here and there to munch on. Boy am I glad she finally came home. She ended up with all of 4 cookies. How pathetic am I?!? Nice neighbor. Did I mention I'm also a cookie monster?
So, tonite another neighbor decides it would be a nice time to drop in on us and introduce themselves. How incredibly sweet and nice they were. I just feel bad for the scene they walked into. They had no way of knowing that my boys wanted to be indians today. So, they were dressed up as indians, including the whole face make-up and feather indian hat thing. I think Bennett had his pants on, but I can't be sure. And since we've been studying the Rain Forest and the Amazon River in geography, they decided to be indians that lived in the rain forest. That meant they had to build houses in trees. What, in our house could possibly substitute for a tree? Ah yes, the stairway. So, as these sweet, unsuspecting people entered my house, they are welcomed by my two make-up clad, crazy-dressing, tree-house living children whose blankets, pillows and stuffed animals liter the entire stairway. They then think the neighbors came by to watch them jump off their "tree house", so they put on quite the show.
There is no second chance now. Their opinions are already completely formed about me and my clan. I can only work on damage control from here on out. I better make them a really big batch of cookies and bring them over right away!!
The boys and Chuck and I were all in the boys' room playing Transformers tonight having a lovely time. We were looking through the pamphlet that comes with the toy that shows all the other Transformers there are that we can spend our money on. Then we noticed that we had yet to read the intriguing story they also include in the pamphlet. What an oversight! We always read the story right away - how could we have missed this one! Well, we immediately got into formation to read the nail biting story. That's when it all happend....
As I go to lay in the ever so comfy position on the floor squeezed between the bunk bed ladder and Bennett, I begin to realize there is not enough space for Gavin to cram himself in (as he is currently doing). So, Bennett starts pushing him and inadvertantly pushing on me as well as I'm being pushed against the ladder. I think you can deduce that my patience level and mood are both declining rather quickly. But once I get a little body laying across my face I officially loose it. That is because I still have my glasses on and they have just tried to take on a new form.
I push Bennett off of me a little too quickly and vent my frustration a little too loudly and the poor kid ends up in tears. I leave the room to tend to my glasses and end up just around the corner. I hear Chuck and Bennett talking and its the sweetest thing. Of course Bennett felt that I was mad at him, so I knew I was going to have to go back and apologize, but Chuck was trying to explain to him why Mommy got so frustrated. Then Bennett tells Chuck, "But I like Mommy. I tink Mommy boo-ti-ful!". I got tears in my eyes and realized a pair of glasses are nothing compared to the love of my child.
Bennett comes around the corner to find me sitting there and tells me what he just told his Daddy and we have a wonderful time talking and loving on each other. We both apologized for how our actions caused each other hurt and promised to look out for each other's glasses (cuz he said the same thing happens to his sunglasses). :)
To think my son thinks I'm boo-ti-ful....wow...what a compliment!
