It Must Run In The Family

I got my first call from the school today.  Sam had fallen and hurt his mouth, and he needed to be picked up. Said the secretary on the phone, "He may need a visit to the D-E-N-T-I-S-T." (spelled out so he wouldn't worry, of course).  Seeing as Julie was nearby and I wasn't, she headed right over to the school to get him.

*sidenote*
The secretary once again spelled out the D-word to Julie when she arrived, at which point Sam leaned over to whisper, "Mama, every time they spelled 'dentist' I knew they meant dentist."  That's my boy.
*end sidenote*

His upper gums were pretty cut up, but nothing seemed horribly out of place.  A quick trip to the dentist confirmed that he's probably just fine, though you can't always tell right away when there is dental nerve damage.  I think he'll just end up with a good story.

The Worst Game

Sometimes, children don't like their food.  They refuse to eat it, they spit it out, they yell, they cry.  My boy is a trend-setter.  When Joey doesn't want to eat - and it's not because he doesn't like the food, it's because he's decided that the current bite is somehow undesirable - he just lets the food sit in his mouth.

Forever.

He's only done it a handful of times, but tonight certainly takes the cake; he kept the same bite in his mouth for an hour.  Maybe more, but an hour minimum, all the way through desert, bedtime books, Sam brushing his teeth...  Do you know how much spit accumulates in the human mouth when food is present over the course of an hour?  A lot.  A LOT.

I've said it before; I respect his willpower.  I just wish he'd learn that he isn't going to out-will me.

Treachery!

The boys didn't have a bath tonight.

They've had some relatively late nights lately, Sam is a bit under the weather, and quite frankly their behaviour demonstrates that they need more sleep than they've been getting. I didn't think it was a big deal - there have been plenty of other bathless nights - but apparently I was wrong.

As I was getting PJs ready and Sam and Joey were in the bathroom, I heard Sam muttering to his brother. I tiptoed close to the bathroom door and heard, "...we never get to do what we want to do... 's not too late for a bath... have been getting to sleep early..." The spark of revolution has been struck!

Back to Life!

If I had to guess, that wasn't the last hiatus (intentional or otherwise) that this blog will see, but at least this one was for life-changing events; we're now in Halifax, and have been for a couple of months. I had originally thought that this wouldn't be as necessary once we were here - initially, this blog was intended as a way to keep faraway people in the loop, and now they aren't far away - but I think it's purpose as a memory box is still very much valid. As the boys get older, the things they do that are worth remembering are going to change, but I don't think there will be any less of them. :)

Justice Strikes Back!

The boys were playing in the front room when Sam started whimpering. Joey came tromping into the kitchen and sat down on the stairs, looking a bit downcast.

"Are you having a timeout?" I asked.
*nod*
"...Did you hit Sammy?"
"Yeah!" came the enthusiastic reply. "That's why I'm havin' a timeout!"

...at least he's honest.

Take That, Justice!

Overheard (while they were playing Good Guy/Bad Guy):

S *sneering*: Last time you stuck me in the chair. What are you gonna do this time?

J: I'm-a stick you inna mud!

S *taunting*: You're gonna stick me in the mud?? How are you gonna do that if we're not allowed to go outside by ourselves?

Zoology

We were playing in the backyard this afternoon and we found some rabbit poop. (Sidenote: I hope there are wild rabbits in Halifax, but I don't hold out much hope...) The boys - of course - were fascinated. Sam looked at it and pronounced, "It smells like carrots!"

Perhaps Overly Specific

Joey told me he wanted a snack. I said, "Do you want some fruit salad as a snack?" He looked offended, and angrily told me "Fruit salad isn't a snack! Only crackers is a snack!!"

Had To Happen Sometime

It's a momentous day; this morning with his mother, Sam recognized the logical absurdity of Dora the Explorer. While the characters onscreen were talking about their entirely ridiculous directions to the south pole, Sam looked at his mom and said, "That's a silly map, mama."

That's my boy.

It's All Relative

For months now Julie has been ending bedtime with "I love you big like the ocean." With Sam is escalated; he loves her big like the world, she loves him big like the sky, he loves her big like the universe. It's sweet.

Lately, Joey has started answering as well. Last night, it was "I love you big like the ocean, and like the sky. And like a bunny!", the last in a rush, like it was the important part. Tonight, ocean, sky, then "the fishes. And a whale! And a octopus! And a shark!!"

(After that, he says, "...and I love daddy big like a little whale.")