The Flash

As a parent, there are days when you are so proud of your child, and then there are days when you are, well, not so much.  Just imagine when you are watching a football or baseball game and the game is interrupted by an animal (or person) running wildly throught the field with the umpires, ushers and some players trying to catch him.  Now picture Sunday morning worship service at church.  Okay, I think I have the foundation for this story established.  Today was my day to teach children's church during worship.  Danny and a lady name Linda were my helpers.  We were all busy helping the children with their craft projects when Flash aka Grant bolted out the door.  I looked up in time to see a pink flash (Linda - she was wearing a pink dress) go out the door after him.  Grant was running down the hall with Linda on his heels.  I kept helping the rest of the kids oblivious to what chaos  my son was creating.  You see, he ran down the hallway to the sanctuary, across the stage, all the way through the sactuary to the office in the back DURING THE MIDDLE OF PREACHING!  Danny went outside and around to the front doors to get to Grant in the office, but by the time he got there, Flash was on the run again.  Back through the sanctuary, up on stage and through the back door - all the while, Brother David is still doing his best to keep everyone's attention.  Oh Flash wasn't happy with just running through and interrupting preaching TWICE but upon his exit he had to make sure EVERYONE knew he was there so he started making some kind of noise and racket just outside the sanctuary door which caused for yet another adult to get involved.  End of story - the wild Flash was contained and promptly put in time out.  Oh that boy... It sure is a good thing God made him so cute!

Bubba Grant

I am afraid that my child has inherited my grace (more like the lack thereof).  When I was young, my poor mother and I made more trips to the emergency room than I am sure she cares to tell you about.  I was hoping (and praying) that Grant would not follow in my footsteps.  Yesterday, Danny and I were in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher.  I had the dishwasher door open and Grant came running in (insert cringe here).  He, in all his grace, tripped and fell raking his face down the dishwasher door before hitting the floor.  I picked him up and Danny said the magic words "Ooooh blood"  There were two deep gashes on the inside of Grant's lip from his 2 top front teeth.  Luckily they didn't go all the way through but were still pretty deep.  I sent a picture of the wound to his former pediatrician and she suggested taking him to be looked at.  She thought he might need a stitch or two. (insert panic here). Off to urgent care we go!  While in the exam room waiting to be seen by the doctor, Danny and I were discussing the possibility of the stitches and how this was going to take place.  He gets woosey at the sight of needles.  I got woosey looking at Grant's wounds.  His palms were sweating.  I felt faint.  How on earth were we going to help hold this child (who is strong as an ox) while his lip was being stitched up.  Dr. Grover came in, looked at Grant's lip and said the following WONDERFUL words, "I would do more damage than good stitching the lip."  PRAISE THE LORD!  If the great doctor would have only known he was about to have 3 patients instead of one, he would be singing praises too!  Today, Grant's lip is all swollen and he looks kind of like Bubba Gump!  Oh that boy!

Pee!

Praise the Lord, I think we FINALLY have Grant potty trained (#1 anyway, #2 is still a work in progress).  I give the praise, honor and glory to God because it is only by His grace that I have survived potty training.  This last week I took Grant to his Angie's house (his sitter).  Poor Angie is having her house remodeled and it has been an ongoing process for some time now.  Bless her heart, the remodel is a blog all in itself.  Anyhow, that day, the contractor was working on her bathroom and he had the toilet sitting out in the front yard.  (Kinda made me think about Hillie's house on The Help).  We walked passed the toilet, and I wasn't sure if Grant had even noticed it sitting there.  I left and went to work.  When I went to pick him up that evening, Angie said that shortly after I left Grant was playing and all of a sudden he stopped, grabbed himself and yelled "PEE!" Then he ran to the front door and was trying to open it.  Angie couldn't for the life of her figure out what he was doing until she looked out the window and saw the toilet.  At least he knows where the pee goes... Oh that boy!

Infectious Fred

Grant recently came down with hand foot and mouth virus.  For those of you who are not familiar with it #1 No, it is not the same as hoof and mouth like the cows get; #2 It can be dangerous and #3It is highly contagious for a while.  Grant broke out first with a rash on his hands and feet, which then turned to blisters and then scabs,  He developed them on and in his mouth as well.  Juggling sitters during this time and keeping him from infecting other kids was and adventure as well, but we made it.  During the time that he was contagious, I lovingly referred to him as Infectious Fred.  Poor kid!  Mommy loves you!

zzzzzzzzz......

I know it is a little late to be talking about Christmas but was telling this story the other day and realized I hadn't blogged about it.  On Christmas day, we all went to church with Kim and Justin at Lone Grove.  Grant was sitting in my lap.  When Brother Artie started to close in prayer, we all bowed our heads and closed our eyes.  Brother Artie started to pray and Grant started to snore!  He was not asleep.  I guess he thought we were all playing like we were sleeping so, he was too!  It took all I had not to laugh out loud.  I also knew better than to look at my mom or my sister because we all would have busted out in laughter.  Oh that boy!

Potty Training Woes...

Need I say more than the title?  Oh my stubborn little boy.  He is doing better with potty training, but there are days... I know just be patient, mommy.  It will happen.  I just hope and pray it happens before he turns 5 so that he can go to school.  He can hold it for a while.  He knows he is supposed to pee pee in the potty.  He just won't tell us when he has to potty so it is up to us to make sure to take him often.  Recently, he was playing in my car while wearing just his underwear.  He had just gone potty, so I wasn't too concerned.  Never underestimate a toddler in underwear!  When he came walking out to me, he gave me reason to be concerned.  Yep, whet underwear.  My next thought was "Oh my.  I hope he didn't pee in my seat."  Well, a wet seat would have been easier than where he actually went.  Evidently he was sitting (or standing) on top of my center console when the dam broke.  There was pee down both sides of the console, in the console and under my seat.  Yet again, the joys of motherhood.  AND then, when you think he can't top that, you get a message like the following....

Larenda says:

I can top your son peeing in your console ---

shelley says:
uh oh....

Larenda says:
thought I had a pic to send you, but I didn't save it ...

shelley says:
dang

Larenda says:
was looking for him as I was backing back to the kitchen from the front door - thought he was in the chair wanting choo choo on the computer...

Larenda says:
but not there, turned around & found him standig in the fridge - thought that was funny till i went to help him down & saw pee all down the front of the fridge and on the floor...

shelley says:
IN the fridge?

Larenda says:
so, he PEED IN THE FRIDGE...

shelley says:
Oh my stars!

Larenda says:
ON TOP OF THE FREEZER DOOR & DOWN THE FRONT OF FREEZER

Larenda says:
big puddle on the floor and I had to clean out the rubber gasket in the freezer door

shelley says:
Oh mom!

Larenda says:
and standing up there eating cherry tomatoes the whole time

shelley says:
that child of mine.

Larenda says:
talk about kissing up now - i've gotten all sorts of kisses and loves. I told him no choochoo today and if he peed in his pants again, I was going to spank him. I told him I was upsaet with him cause he peed in my fridge!

shelley says:
ROFL!

Larenda says:
And he was doing so good - went in there all by himself and went when I told him to earlier - no help from me...

shelley says:
Well the little turkey!

Larenda says:
I just put pic on facebook

Meep Meep!

Grant and dad have been watching Loonie Toons a lot lately. The road runner and Wyle E. Coyote is one of Grant's favorites. (BTW dad pronounces it Willie Coyote - lol) Grant loves to mock the road runner "meep meep." This morning I was sitting in my recliner studying my Bible and the house was quiet. I have a baby monitor on the table next to my chair. I could hear him sleeping, then all of a sudden I hear "meep! meep!" He was talking in his sleep!

Ice Cream Anyone?

Yesterday, Grant and I had to run some errands in town. I had been craving ice cream and decided to go through the drive through at Braum's on our way home. I got each of us a cone, knowing full well that I would have a mess to clean up. Weeellllll, mess doesn't even begin to describe what I found in the back seat. But when I looked beyond that mess what I saw was my beautiful little boy, grinning from ear to ear, dimples shining, loudly proclaiming "MMMMM! MMMMM!" while enjoying his treat. Was it worth it? Would I do it again? WITHOUT A DOUBT!!

Yes, I had to bathe Grant, and I had to take the carseat apart and wash it. Danny's dinner was late. But the blessing I received just seeing the shear joy on that little boy's face far outweighs any extra work I had to do. Sometimes getting caught up in the messiness of life can be so much fun!

Get that bug!

As the weather is getting warmer, the bugs are coming out more and Grant is fascinated with them. He will point and say "Bo" which is "bug" in grantanese, but DO NOT make him touch them. Last night a flying creature of somesort landed on the ceiling and my little bug detective honed in on it. "BO!" he annuonced while pointing at it. Mommy to the rescue (yeah right). I came weilding my flyswat and with the awesome hand-eye coordination that I have, I swung and missed it. We tried to keep up with the "bo" as if flew around deliriously, but soon lost track of it - much to Grant's dismay. He was beside himself that we had let the bug get away. Never fear, the "bo" soon reappeared and daddy saved the day. This morning Grant and I were in the bathroom and "bo!" He had honed in on some ants. I told him to get them, and he went running out of the room yelling "I do it." I wasn't quite sure why he ran out until he returned with the flyswat. I couldn't help but laugh!

Rescue Me!

For the last week or two, Grant has been FULL of it! He has been climbing whatever he can get his little feet upon, getting into whatever he can and trying everyone's tolerance level. I just thought "terrible twos" were bad. Weeeelllll, hello TERRIBLE THREES! Just this evening I called my mother-in-law to check in and to let her know I was working late. My sister in law answered the phone. I could hear commotion in the background. It seems Mr. Terrible Three climbed into his bed, knocked all the board games down off of the shelf onto the floor and then proceeded to mix up all of the game pieces. I told one of my co-workers that I needed to go perform a rescue. I wasn't sure if I needed to rescue Grant from Nana's wrath or rescue Nana from Grant...

Movie night

Grant loves the chipmunks so tonight Danny and I took him to see Chipwrecked. He LOVED it! He danced, he giggled, he ooohed and aaahhhhed and even grunted with the chipmunks when they were working hard. He danced in his seat during all the music. At one point, he grabbed mine and Danny's hands and made us hold hands. (Grant was sitting between us). At one point in the movie, Simon is bit by a spider which causes him to have a French, brave, adventurous alter ego Simone. Well, at the end of the movie, Danny and I could have sworn Grant had been bitten by something. He was dancing to the music in his seat, then in our row and down the isle. Then he started dancing and giggling all the way down to the front of the theater, across the front, and back. All of a sudden I was sympathizing with Dave having to chase after the chipmunks and had the urge to yell "Graaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnt!" But I was giggling to hard.

Monkey see, monkey do!

All of a sudden, Grant has started doing some of the funniest things. For instance, recently when trying to wake me up he will grab my face and shake it. If that doesn't work, he will kiss me on the lips. If that doesn't work either, he will pry open my eyelids! He has started smothering me with kisses. ( I am not complaining) He will start kissing my hand and kiss all the way up my arm and then cover my face with kisses. Last night, I figured out who taught him these tricks. Tom and Jerry! Yep, he loves that old cat and mouse cartoon and is learning a lot from them.

I have also learned to be careful with the games I play with him. I am always nibbling on his little toes and tickling him. Wellll.... the other day I was sitting in my recliner with my leg draped over the side and chomp! Yoooou guessed it. He "nibbled" on my toes. Guess I asked for that one.

When I am darn good and ready, I will do it...

It's bath time. I am sitting here listening to one of the most awesome sounds... bubbles being blown in water. For at least 2 years I have done everything I can think of to get this child to blow bubbles in the water, to no avail. Now, all of a sudden, on January 3, in the bath tub, it's a fun thing to do. On his terms, only. Oh this boy!

Hopefully, sometime soon, it will be time to talk! Cross your fingers.