Teething

This beautiful, lovable, fun-loving child is teething. Four molars are cutting in. He may also have a touch of a head cold...a gift from his Daddy. As a result, his mood is a bit unpredictable this weekend. I've taken to calling him lobster boy half of the time as he will randomly come up to me to bite or pinch for reasons that escape me most of the time. When told no, he then leans in to give me a kiss by way of making amends. However, the lean in to kiss move is extraordinarly similar to the lean in to bite move so its an exercise in trust to accept the kiss. It works out about 75% of the time though...the other 25% of the time is maddening.

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Indian Summer

Yesterday was one of those days that felt like a gift. The sun was shining and felt warm on our skin but it was cool in the shade, the trees danced in the breeze showing off their fall colors, birds were chirping, the squirrels were working at a frenzied pace, and we were all in the same place at the same time enjoying the sights and sounds together.

The boy fell asleep within minutes of our gathering in the car to find some lunch so we grabbed lunch to go and ate in the car at a nearby forested hiking park while he snoozed away in his carseat. When he awoke, rested and ready for action, we headed out on the paved trail...at toddler speed. We tasted (ugh) and crunched leaves, commented on barking dogs, said "bye" to strangers, stopped and listened to the birds tweet, watched the creek water roll by, and occasionally walked a few paces. There was even time to sit in the long grass and pull out fistfuls to throw into the wind and roll a ball between family members before heading back home.

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Plum tuckered

Wow am I tired tonight. The combination from stress from Connor being sick, sleeping on his floor..or spare room bed with him kicking and flailing about all night, and then last night staying up until 2 am working on a 750 piece jigsaw puzzle are starting to catch up to me (I know..I know..the puzzle was just dumb, but seriously I can't stop once I sit down and start working on it, it's a problem, and now I have done all the fun stuff and all that is left is a bunch of black sky)

Things have started to get back to normal though (yay!). Connor started feeling a lot better at almost exactly 24 hours after the antibiotic shot (which by the way...NEVER volunteer your children to receive unless absolutely necessary, that's one brutal shot with an enormous needle to the buttox area..my Connor is very brave with needles and cried, screamed, and walked like he was wearing a splint on his leg the rest of the day). I really felt that after that shot, he deserved to feel better far before the 24 hour mark..but sadly no, however he seems to be over the hump now. His glands are still really swollen, and eating/drinking is still somewhat challenging, but no more fevers, or throwing up..so I am very grateful. It was so good to see him out of his pajamas today, freshly bathed..wanting to play, and irritating his brother. He actually begged me to let him go to his final swim lesson today, which I of course rejected, but it was great he felt that good anyway.

Eric's brother Uncle Edmund was passing through town..so we also got to spend some time with him. I made Aunt Betty's famous lemon cake to celebrate Edmund's recently passed Bday, and he took Connor up to Target while Ethan and I were at swim so that he could let Connor pick something out for his. I love watching Edmund interact with the boys. He of course comes to see us too, but he is really all about the boys. Ethan loves how rough Edmund will play with him, and Connor will only attempt to play that way for a short period..so it was nice that he took Connor off by himself to get to relate one on one with Connor too. He is really excited to get to spend more time with them in CA..and I just feel blessed to have such good family on both sides who truly love my boys. Connor actually thanked me at bedtime for all that his Dad and I do "to make his life special"...my sweet boy. He is resting soundly, and now so will I!

Swimming fun.......

Isaac has been doing better and better in the water this summer which really excites me. Last year he was petrified of the water and swimming is a must in the AZ heat. We went over to the Overson's house 2 nights ago and this video is of Zeke and Daddy playing. Craig was probably sore the next day because Isaac made him do this about 100 times, but it was fun to watch. =)

Here's a pic of my boys before all the excitement..... Isaac always has to wear a matching "tamp top" when Daddy wears one. He really is a mini Craig!

Coordination.....

Today we went to Busy Bodies (one of my favorite places) and they had all kinds of new toys to play with. They try and have a different theme every month and they rotate the equipment so that the kids (and parents) don't get bored. This month must be coordination because they had out balance beams and different things along those lines. Isaac got on the balance beam the very first time and walked from one end to the next... I was shocked. He then got on a higher one, that was also thicker, and did the same thing. I was so proud... I even had a mom come up to me and ask if he was in gymnastics because he did so well?? =) Gotta love those moments! He also caught the ball for the very first time.... on purpose anyways. He has caught it before if we throw it in his arms and it happens to stick.... but this was an intentional, close hands and cup right as the ball is in your hands, kinda catch! He did it 3 times in a row.....

Fireworks

This is way after the fact, but I haven't blogged in a while and was looking thru my camera and saw pics from the 4th of July that I wanted to share. We had a great time. We went to Anthem on the 3rd to try and beat some of the crowds, which we're not sure if actually worked out or not?? Isaac's buddy Mason (and fam) came and the boys played as we passed the time until the fireworks.

Eye Appointment

The Boy had his second eye evaluation with the specialist this last Friday. She confirmed what we already knew: He will require surgery in order to open up his tear ducts. The actual surgery is not that invasive; putting him under will take longer than the procedure itself. It will be done as a day surgery at a local hospital. The doctor usually does surgery on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month and we are hoping for the 2nd week of August for him. We should hear from the scheduler later this week. We're unhappy this has to be done, but it is time. The older he gets the more invasive the procedure becomes and after age one it is very unlikely they will open up on their own. His eyes are chronically teary, tears stream down his face at all times, he is extra sensitive to light due to the extra moisture (reflects light) in his eyes, and he fights monthly eye infections (he's got one now, as a matter of fact). Oh, and he now greatly resents and fights us having to mess with his eyes several times a day. It is time.

Weekend Round Up

On Friday The Boy and I went for a really long hike on one of our local trails. He fell asleep pretty early on so I ended up doing SIX laps around the upper trail. I didn't want to try to transfer him into the hot car while he was asleep and it was such a great treat to have him sleeping and me be free to move around that I milked it for everything it was worth. It was about 95 degrees though...that's hot for the PacNW. I went through two bottles of Gatorade and he drained his juice cup shortly after he awoke. We were both in a great mood after the outing though.

Friday night we went out for Mexican food. The boy ate his weight in tortilla, shredded cheese, avocado, rice and beans. He was a sight to behold...two fisted eating at it's finest. We had to leave a big tip and avoided eye contact as we were exiting the building. The aftermath looked as though a small food bomb had exploded under our table. At least they had concrete floors...?

Saturday morning I was out watering and then photographing my container garden. Apparently I interrupted a rogue, hot headed bee while doing so. The sucker landed on my toe and stung me before I even knew it was there. It hurt like crazy for over an hour and my right foot swelled up. Two days later a couple of my toes are still swollen and itch like crazy and there's a faint rash half way up my foot. Not fun. The good news is, we now know for sure I'm not allergic to bee stings...so there's that. My morning plans of going to the farmer's market were thwarted and instead I sat around and complained and texted FB (facebook) about my misfortune. That afternoon I went and got my hair done while the guys played and napped. I then did a little shopping and treated myself to frozen yogurt for lunch. The Boy refused his afternoon nap so I packed him up and took him out shopping that evening for two hours instead...I think he learned a valuable lesson. If you don't want to be trapped in a stroller and forced to give opinions on whether or not ten different shirts will pass Fox family scrutiny you should take your nap. He did fine and I came away with four new shirts I think the women in my family will approve of (?). We'll soon find out, eh ladies?

Sunday was spent putzing around the house, grocery shopping, and wandering around our huge, local gardening store looking for some sort of hanging solution for my wonderfully humongous tomato plants. Also, The Boy had his first taste of real ice cream. He thoroughly enjoyed it (his face in these pictures does not reflect his joy over the dairy but trust me, he enjoyed it.).

Lesson of the day

All week I have been looking forward to taking zeke to pump it up. We've been a couple of times in the past and its a blast! You only pay for your kid to play in the bouncers but the parents get to play too. So fun! Craig took all week off of work to do projects on the house, but we had determined today would be a day to play. I made a bad mistake last night though and stayed at the folks house too late and didn't get him to bed until after 10. I thought Zeke would fall asleep on the way home, but I was mistaken....... I was determined to make it work though, so I woke him up at 9 to get ready (pop in time is only from 10- 11:30.) It's true what they say though.....you should never wake a sleeping baby! He seemed ok at first, but continued to melt down as time went on. He even said he wanted to leave half way thru and go home?? It was a bummer, but now I know. You can party at night or party in the morning, but you can't have both!

On a different note- Isaac is now addicted to the movie Cars. He has quite the extensive collection of the diecast cars and he plays with them from the time he wakes up until the minute he goes to bed. They, by far, keep his attention far longer than anything else ever has. He role plays with them and has them act out scenes from the movie. (Which funny enough- we don't even own yet.) He asks me everyday if we can go to Target to get some character he is missing..... I tend to oblige him more than I probably should because I think it's adorable how into he is. His first real passion! =)

Teething

This beautiful child is teething. He's currently cutting three new teeth, two on top (still? again?) and one on the bottom.

I am getting bit a lot. It's unpleasant but understandable.

Summer, Finally!

The PacNW finally got the memo about it being summer. I've been making a concerted effort to soak up the sunshine and get out and move around every chance I can get this week.

It's been lovely. The Boy is enjoying it too.

Toothless Birthday Boy

Connor is officially 8 now, and it seems his mouth had decided to celebrate the change...he has lost 3 teeth in one week. He has gone from super whimpy, let them fall out of natural causes even when you can no longer chew your food and you have the most un-attractive dangling by a thread tooth hanging from your mouth..to going into the bathroom and ripping one out that was barely loose a couple of days ago. My baby! Growing up. Love the new lisp, the way he gingerly chews his food with broken up bits of food on his back teeth, and of course the pride as he tells his story over and over to anyone who will listen..of how he bravely yanked all 3 teeth out un-assisted (because he screamed every time we came near him), how the toothfairy visited him even while camping..and of course "look, grown up teeth already coming in". He is so sweet, and innocent, and fun still!

All in all, Connor had a great Birthday, and we thoroughly enjoyed our camping trip up in Greer this weekend. Greer is absolutely breathtaking, the camp sight was amazing (especially as compared to last year when we camped right off the main road, and pretty much on top of our neighbors). The spots were big and luscious, there were several forms of water within a short drive distance including a couple of lakes and a river that is narrow enough to hop stones or broken tree limbs across. The boys had very little patience for fishing, and although I was really hoping that especially E would catch his first big fish..I found great enjoyment out of watching them be brave and explore their surroundings instead. They even crossed the river at a point that scared me. I had to get down on my hands and knees to cross the thin stick logs they had just journeyed over while Connor held them still and they both egged me on from the other side. I had absolutely no desire to cross the river myself, but the thought of my boys on the other side with no one to help should they need it overtook any hesitations. I felt two things 1. old 2. proud. I so remember camping at 8 years old and how old and independant I felt. I look at Connor now, and think..he's just a baby. I must have been much bigger and more mature at that age. Funny how perspectives change. I love how involved Grammy and Papa are..they seem to really enjoy re-creating some of our childhood memories, and although they may belly ache about sleeping on hard grounds from time to time..they are still so fun and active and cool. I have learned much from their let go, and let live style of parenting (not that I have perfected it, just that I have taken notes, and can occasionaly follow suite)

Now it is back to reality. I am trying desperately to get my house back in order. Stay cool. Connor had his first swim lesson today (E was supposed to go to, but has some type of bug..low grade fevers and belly aches), and continue getting a work system going.

Thanks Mom & Dad for a great weekend..wish you girls were there, and hope we can all go together sometime in the near future. I predict we will have some crazy boy cousin camp trips in our future. There will be lots of mud, talks of belching and farting, competitions on who is the bravest, strongest, fastest, and fire...lots of fire. Bring your medical kits. :)

Celebration

P has been studying for his 3rd of 4 CMA (certified management accounting) exams nonstop of late. The exam was this past Monday. He passed (of course he did). He's attempting to complete this course in 5 months when it usually takes about 18 months to do (of course he is) so he seems surprised each time he comes away with a passing grade. We decided to celebrate by going out for frozen yogurt. We loaded The Boy up in the car and headed over to the dinky mall...The Boy could show daddy his tricks while we enjoyed the fro yo. Perfect plan. And it was. The mall was pretty much empty, we enjoyed our snack, and The Boy had the run of the little play area. Good times.

(Did you know you can usually click on a photo to see it in enlarged form? Click your back arrow to get back to the blog once you're done inspecting the enlarged photo.)

Renaissance Market

I've made it a point to mill around my community's biggest farmer's market every Saturday this season. It's easier this year as I'm actually up early due to The Boy so I can get there before it gets too crowded and still get back in time for his first nap if necessary. Up until this last Saturday, I've gone alone. It's become my Me Time activity. I mill around, I buy a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade and a snack, sit on a bench and listen to whatever band is there that week while I munch on my bagel or crepe, and then I go back and make a couple of purchases (sometimes), and then walk the few blocks back to my car and head home. This last Saturday was a special market day though. It had a Renaissance theme. Folks walked around in costumes, there were special booths and activities, and instead of a live band there were dancers performing period dances. I brought The Boy along this time as I suspected he might really enjoy being out on a nice day and being a part of the activity. The market was busier than usual earlier than usual. I pushed him around in the Bob, which while comfortable for him, was not altogether easy to navigate through the crowds...it's a bit longer than a traditional stroller and it's easy to smack into people if they stop too suddenly in front of you. We sampled our way down the aisles, people watched, made a few small purchases, and then made our way to the crepe stand. Once snacks were in hand, we strolled over to the grassy area, spread out a blanket and lounged while watching the big kids play in the park and the Renaissance dancers practice their steps in the shade nearby. I had The Boy's attention for a while but once the crepe was gone he was unsatisfied with his comfortable spot on the blanket. The grassy perimeter required exploration. I pulled him back from the dirt and grass a few times and then decided to just let the kid tug at the grass already. He did. And then he tasted it before I could intervene. I think he was less than impressed. I then helped him walk with his bare feet in the grass...a sensation he was not altogether fond of. By then it was past nap time and he had had enough of the Bob. I ended up stuffing my bag and loot into the seat of the stroller and pushed it the many blocks back to the car while carrying The Boy on my hip. Why does that always happen? Anyway, it was a great way to spend the morning.

Life altering Changes

Well I am without picture tonight too..but felt I had much to share so I would anyway. Looking for any excuse really to use my new laptop (insert happy scream). It is the opposite of what most people would look for in a laptop..it is heavy, large, has to be crammed into a computer bag to fit properly, and I'm sure I am more then just a little hunched over as I try to carry it out the door..but to me it is dreamy! It symbolizes freedom to me. Freedom to work wherever the day may take Easy "E" and me. I needed one that was large to make it easier to stare at the screen all day and am glad I went for practical not cool. I am feeling truly blessed to have a real opportunity to work from home. It is something I have thought about..and attempted to do in several different fashions for many years now. Determined not to screw it up..I'm pretty sure I put in 10 hours today (and did eventually go into the office for a couple of hours, still have much to do to get set up), but I am happy. Just to prove I could "do it all" I also managed to play role of teacher today for a bit. I assigned E a couple of "homework" sheets out of a preschool readiness book. He listened to his interactive Nemo book that reads the words outloud as he follows along, and he worked on his fine motor skills on a printable color sheet off the computer. Now if only I could find an outlet for all that energy he has..must figure out a sport, or karate, or something really tiring soon.

Also I picked up my new glasses tonight. As usual, I was pretty sure they screwed up the prescription as things were blurry..but it seems my eyes have adjusted now, and maybe just maybe they do know what they are talking about. I will work on getting a picture to send, but not happening tonight. Eric said I look like a school girl (?) Connor said "yuck" (before actually even looking up at my face-he has been very upset at the possibility of something changing on my face..or of any change anywhere on anyone he knows really) and therefore Ethan said "yuck" too (although he later recanted in the privacy of the kitchen with Connor out of ear shot) So although not a glowing review so far..I like them, and I'm pretty sure they will grow on the boys too.

Ok..well time to put the laptop to bed..my legs are falling asleep, and so is my brain. Night all!

Sheesh, Touch It!

The Boy pretty much babbles nonstop these days. P describes the background noise to our days as a Cacophony of Nonsense now. We love it but are a bit leery of what it will be like when he can actually express what he's thinking and feeling, and oh yeah, wanting. I think he has a pretty lengthy list of things he'd like to say to us. In addition to the constant babble, he does have a list of words he can use appropriately and he tries to mimic the labels we give to objects around the house. For example, he'll hold up a plastic fish toy and make eye contact as if to ask, "what is this thing?" I'll say, "fish" and he'll repeat, "bish" (which can sound suspicious in his little accent if you're not aware of the word he's trying to repeat.).

On two occasions now, P has been interacting with The Boy and reacted to something by saying, "Sheesh," out loud but to himself. The Boy has looked up from his activity into Daddy's face and said, "Sheesh," right back at him. Hilarious. Also, it's time we start watching our language around him.

The Boy is also at the stage where he wants to touch everything. I carry him around the house and he has his little arm extended straight out as if he were blind and afraid to bump into something. In reality though he wants to bump into something, and to feel it up and have me label it for him. It can be the wall, the banister, the dog, a picture...it doesn't matter. Just run into it so he can touch it and we can talk about it. I took him to Costco a few days ago and he sat in the cart with his arm extended sideways trying to knock things over as we wheeled by. While there I started pulling up to items and asking him if he wanted to "touch it?" Then I'd put his hand on the item and say "touch." He picked up on this magical "touch" word around the fifth time and an hour later we were wheeling down the last aisle pulling over to cans of beans whenever he called out, "Touch!" The lesson here is, if you're holding the boy and he extends his arm and two fingers (as pictured in the previous post) and calls out, "Touch!," please pull over and allow him to fondle whatever is closest to you. You'll both be glad you did.

Just one of the boys........

Sunday was Connor's 8th Birthday party. There was swimming and all kinds of fun activities for the kids. I knew Isaac was growing up, but watching him interact with the kids and play all the games made me realize what a big boy he really is..........

Limbo:Pin the tail of the donkey:Poppers:It was a great party... great job Kori and Mom!

After all the kids went home I looked outside and saw a semi-truck parked across the street and knew Isaac would LOVE to see it up close. He always gets excited when we pass one on the street and he has a toy semi-truck that he has carried around for the past week without putting down except for nap and......nope just nap! Mom being the awesome Grammy she is decided looking at it wasn't enough and actually knocked on the neighbors door and got permission for Isaac to sit in it. So awesome! He sat up in the drivers seat and pretended to drive and played with the turning signals. After the photo session he made us close the door so he could be alone with the truck.......

Too much excitement......

Saturday was a very eventful day for us. Isaac started out by going to a wood working class at Lowes with Daddy. I had found the flyer a couple of weeks ago and it just seemed too good to be true. They have this class every 2 weeks and it is a different project every time. This weeks class was building a monster truck..... which is right up Zeke's alley. I was going to tag along just to watch, but decided at the last minute that it should just be a boys trip. I guess Zeke loved it though. The kids walk in and get an apron with name tag, then grab a bag that has all the supplies, and pick a spot to sit. The truck was several wood pieces that they had to hammer together and then they had stickers to decorate it with after it was complete. After they completed the project they all got a badge to sew on their apron. Saturday night was the much anticipated Elmo Live show. I hadn't told Zeke where we were going because I just wanted to see his reaction when he saw the characters. All day I was prepping him though because in past instances he has always been afraid of people in costumes. I kept saying stuff like "if you saw Elmo in person would you give him a hug?" To which he always responded "YES!" I also asked right before we left "If you could meet anyone in person from tv- who would you want to meet?" and he said "Big Bird!" I was very excited about that answer!! We tried very hard to get Zeke to take his nap so he would be well rested, but as usual when you really want it, they don't. The show was at 5:30 so we left around 4 to grab some dinner beforehand. We ate at My Big Fat Greek restaurant at Westgate, and just so you know, it's always SLOW!! We met Becky, Jordan and Maya there for dinner because they were going to the show with us. After dinner we hustled to the arena to find out seats.

I have found out that Zeke is not the type of kid to jump up and down when he gets excited- he is more of a silent observer- so it's never the reaction that I want, but he was still very excited when he saw the characters. He never looked away from the stage...... or for that matter blinked. He sat on my lap and just stared intensely.... and after I snapped this photo:

I realized he was almost asleep. =) At intermission it was my mission to fix that problem, so we sugared him up real good with a slushy and cotton candy (which I was surprised to find he didn't actually care for??) We also let him pick out his souvenir and he picked an Ernie stuffed animal. The second half of the show he stood up and danced with Ernie and was much more interective. At one point he pointed and exclaimed "I see Big Bird mama" and I said "yep you sure do" and he asked "does Big Bird see me??" I told him that he could and he was very excited at that.

The only thing I was really bummed about was that the characters didn't come out after the show. I thought that they would walk around and get pictures with the kids, but apparently that was not the case??

Lollipop

The Boy had his one-year physical examine and vaccines on Friday. Just as we expected, he was deemed very healthy and on track developmentally. He was not happy to be there though and that was before the shot. The doctor said he's at the age now where he'll remember their office so we should get a toy doctor's kit and practice on each other at home so he gets comfortable with the tools they use. Sounds like a fun idea so we'll be on the prowl for a doctor's bag someday soon. He's still on the delayed vaccination schedule and they actually seemed supportive of it this time. I was pleasantly surprised. Therefore, he only had one shot at this visit, for polio, and I'll bring him back next month to get the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella...it's a combined booster.). The MMR is the one I've been dreading in the first place...! Blah.

He's still a petite little guy with a big head...similar to a lollipop. Ha. He weighed 20 lb 7 oz (10th percentile), is 29 1/4 inches tall (15th percentile), and has a head circumference of 48 cm (85th percentile). We're supposed to start transitioning him away from formula and on to whole milk and he's allowed to eat from all of the food groups (which we've already been doing).

After the appointment I took him to a quiet, dinky little mall near home (the one we visited Santa at around Christmas time). They have a sad little play area which includes three little climbing/tunnel objects. No one ever goes there so it was the perfect place to let The Boy explore. He loved crawling through the tunnels and the bridge was also a slide so I lifted him up onto it several times and held his hands as he slid down. He'd giggle and screech each time he slid and then instantly turn around to do it again. While there, he was visited by two little girls. Each tried to kiss him and one swatted at him before being taken away by her grandmother. It made his day. We then shared a bowl of frozen yogurt...his first experience with the good stuff. He absolutely loved it.

That evening we went out for a quick bite to eat. The Boy had his bottle and then polished off several noodles, black beans, edamame, and pieces of carrot. He's petite but it's not from a lack of anything.

Sunshine and Push Trucks

This past Wednesday was sunny so we hung out in the backyard for a while and worked on our "garden."

The radishes are coming up nicely and the red flowers are recovering quickly from their extended stay in their little plastic pots.

I really want to be able to grow tomatoes and I've had limited success here. The one spot in our backyard that seems to get enough sun needs major work...the soil holds too much moisture. This year I decided to try one of those topsy-turvy planters. It's an interesting idea, if nothing else. I struggle with weight and dimension kinds of things though and this played out that afternoon as I tried to jimmy-rig some sort of acceptable arrangement for the planter. I thought my idea of a tall, wrought iron shepherds hook was brilliant. I'd stick the hook in the ground and hang the planter from it. Turns out just because something is wrought iron doesn't mean it's indestructible. Once I put the planter full of dirt on the hook and began to water the thing, the shepherd's hook began to slowly lean into the ground. I had a heavy watering can in one hand and The Boy in the other and my precious tomato plants were quickly headed for the dirt where they would surely snap in half upon impact. I instinctively made the right choice, I dropped the watering can instead of The Boy, caught the plant and stood there awkwardly for several minutes trying to figure out what to do. I couldn't put The Boy down in the dirt and grass as he'd wallow in it within seconds and I couldn't lean the planter down on the ground gracefully as the hook was still stuck in the ground. I ended up leaning into the thing and pushing it against the fence where it still sits. I'm going to need a new system and I think I'll wait until P can go with me to the garden center to make sure I pick the right equipment for the job this time.

And the evening was spent doing laps around the house. You may tire of seeing photos like this but his little walk is just so darn cute. I can't help myself; I'm trying to capture and memorize it.

Not Blue Puppy!

Tuck in did not go smoothly tonight. I had (so I thought) successfully tucked Ethan in, and had just moved on to finish off Connor when Ethan came walking in. Blood dripping from his little nose...another of his all too common bloody noses! It is not the worst mess he has made, but there is a spot on the carpet, several spots on the bathroom tile, his foot, chin, pillow case, sheets...and the horror of all horrors, blue puppy. I get all of this cleaned up. Deal with the nose (took several swabs of vasoline up the nose and many tissues) and think we are home free.

He has had many bloody noses in the past and they do not scare him, and typically he is not overly concerned of another incident, but tonight was not typical. He wants me to sleep with him.."all night" and watch to make sure it does not start again. I go to get my pajamas on (hoping he will fall asleep without me), answer a few emails back when he comes creeping into my room, nearly in tears."Mom, I thought you were going to sleep with me". "Don't cry" I tell him, "that will only make your nose runny and it might bleed again." He does his best to suck back the tears that are starting to form at his eyes and I reluctantly follow him back to his room preparing myself for a long night of one of my least favorite activities..sleeping with my children. Inevitably they touch me, get so turned around that I get a foot in the ribs, or worse..get their face so close to mine that I can feel their hot smelly night breath suffocating the very oxygen out of the room.

He gets up in bed, but is still reluctant to lay down even with me in the bed. This is when I notice that he is holding blue puppy way out in front of him and sitting straight up in bed refusing to lay down and on the verge of tears again. It hits me..it is not the bloody nose that concerns him..it is blue puppy! The spot of blood on blue puppy has tramatized him, and no matter how much I console him and assure him that blue puppy is actually a blanket that can be stain sprayed and washed, he is now literally losing sleep for fear of getting blue puppy dirty. It is OK..we have several backup blankets and a plan is forming. I reach into his stash of emergency blankets and pull one out, it is the blue lion. "Ethan what if we put blue puppy on the table over hear and you sleep with blue lion for the night so you won't have to worry"..He ponders for a moment, gets out of bed grabs blue lion and sets him on the table too. "No Mom, I like blue lion too" grabs the dog blanket with an actual head that has always disturbed him hops back into bed, lays down, and is out within minutes. Ha! Problem solved.