Life in the Boonies

Last night I forgot to put a diaper on his accidentally.  This morning he woke up and came to my bed and said, “mommy, you forgot to put a diaper on me.”  I thought oh no and asked him if his bed is all wet.  He said “no.  I got up and peed in the middle of the night.  I couldn’t find the rectangle that is a door.  So I used my flashlight truck and found it.  Did you hear me flush?”  No I did not.  WOW.  He said, “Let’s try that again mommy.  Don’t put a diaper on me.  I want to wear underpants.”  So tonight, very purposefully this time, he is in bed with underpants and PJs.  We’ll see tomorrow how it goes.

I have to say I had no idea how to train for no diaper at night time.  Everyone I asked said their child started waking up in the morning with a dry diaper and that indicated they were ready.  Every morning Frank’s diaper is completely full.  Sometimes it even leaked out so his pants and bed were wet, like the day before yesterday.

Update (10/6) - so far so good.  There were two nights where he was wet in the morning but otherwise he has gotten up to pee or held it til morning.  We are trying to have him not drink after 7pm and pee right before bedtime.  He does not want to wear diapers.  I wonder if he is sleeping enough though if he has to wake up to pee.

More words:

1. diaodiao - motorcycle.  I have no idea why.  Lots of diaodiao yesterday for Oyster Run.
2. upupup, downdowndow - says it over and over pointing up and then down.  for planes, for cats, for kites.
3. done - repeats while pulling on his tray until he is removed from highchair.
4. peepee - says it at random times so can have many meanings.  Did say it while pointing when he peed in the bathtub.
5. drain - for train
6. seashel - seatbelt - I was putting the car back in the garage so I didn’t buckle him in and he kept saying it in a panicky voice.
7. blueblue - still blueberry.  has requested to eat them every meal for the week.  I’m starting to just give him one.  Also calls blackberries that.  Ate a random berry on the bush next to the blackberry.  Our yard has one so I don’t think it is poisonous.
8. bowl
9. drink
10. bath - also says xizhao (chinese) and does the sign.  Loves it!  Once I was just telling Frank about bath and Timmy was all ready to go upstairs.  Once before dinner he said bathbathbath.  I ignored him.  Then he made the sign and said xizhao.  I told him after dinner.
11. ju - juice.  requested first thing this morning.  he said bowl, drink, ju ju.  No one got out of bed.  He left for the fridge but couldn’t open it.
12. aahh - apple
13. boat
14. nac - snack
15. airplane
16. didi - no longer means bird.  or still does but also means digger.
17. mostly everything is blue.  he will stay yaya repeating me saying yellow, and o o for orange.  Still does not identify correctly on his own.

Almost 4.

• No more daytime diapers.  As of yesterday he is going in the big toilet with the child seat.  Some reluctance but so far so good.
• Frank says “Are you for real mommy?”  “I’m teasing you.”  “Nice try”  “You can … if you want”
• Frank has new interest in Chinese.
• Loves to trace letters.  Especially ones in his name.  This week it is the letter ‘k’.  He goes through the book to find ks to trace.
• Still fighting preschool.  But now mostly just the me leaving part.  After I’m gone he has a great time.
• Showing interest in Lego toys, or just the neighbor’s toys.  We borrow it and I helped him build a house.  He did ok with the instructions.  Probably can’t focus without adult help.
• Goes down the zip line by himself
• Getting good on the scooter.  Using the break.  But often takes his other foot off the scooter when stepping on breaks.
• New dumptruck game where he sits in it on the top of the driveway and zooms down to the green car.  Luckily he will only do it if I have my arm out in front of the car to stop him from crashing into it.
• Now 30 is his default answer for when he wants lots.  Verses it used to be 10 or 11.
• Using mouthwash.  Loves it.  Cuz it’s pink.  Cuz Akamai uses it.
• No more naps except for the rare occasion when he is really tired and I bribe him into one.  Sometimes on garbage nights he will to in order to stay up late.
• Played Candyland with me and won.
• Built a brand new 24 piece floor puzzle by himself in a few minutes
• Now tell me “don’t look” when he writes a letter or drink his milk.  Doesn’t want me to help him.  I know how to do it!
• Said “Excellent”  When I asked him who taught him that, he said “you mommy”
• I got totally mad at Frank today.  He was drawing on his shirt.  At first it was accident so I told him to stop.  Then he did some more and started to laugh when I told him the second time.  Then he did some more and laughed more and that was when I grabbed the marker away and told him to go to his room.  He said I can’t walk up there by myself.  I picked him up and threw him in his room.  Later at bath time I refused to wait for him telling him I’m no longer in charge of him, only in charge of Timmy now.  He started to cry and said “mommy I want you to take care of me too.”

Another year of school and Frank went all 3 days in the first week. He was very excited to go but got scared as we got there. He asked me to stay a little bit. A big bit. Ok. I stayed almost 30 min before leaving. Second day went ok too. Third day he really didn’t want to go. I promised a trip to the swimming pool on Friday and that got him there. We read some stories and then I left. When I picked him up the teacher told me he was crying. Bringing out the “I’m thinking about you” necklace once more. Past few days he has been begging to sleep with me. It was especially hard the day when he got stung by a bee, on the top of his head. Not forehead. He was screaming so loud for so long the neighbors came to check what was wrong. He begged and begged and it was really hard but I said no. The necklace helped again. We both wear it all night. Tonight he asked again. Plleeeeaaasssse. No. Not even just one time? No.

Conversations with Frank:
Scene 1
me: Frank, come finish your milk.
Frank: How come?
me: You need to drink all your milk.
Frank: Can you say please.
me: Please drink all your milk.
Frank: ok. (proceeded to drink all his milk)

Scene 2
Frank is doing his hw. I’m doing things on my computer.
Frank: Mommy, you can color the tiger. What color are you going to pick.
Me: It is your hw. You need to work on it.
Frank: I want you to help me.
Me: I’m doing my hw on the computer.
Frank: If you want to tap on your computer, you have to do some of my homework, ok?
Me: Hmmm. (who taught him that)

Scene 3
Frank on scooter, Timmy on car.
Dad: Where are you going, Frank?
Frank: To skyline! Where grandma and grandpa’s boat is.
Dad: Oh, fun! But grandma and grandpa are in Lima, Peru.
Timmy: Rooo.
Dad: Purrr-Roo.
Timmy: Proooo.
Frank: That sounds like Roo.
Dad: What do you mean, Roo?
Frank: Roo. Like when someone is talking when you are. Rude!
Dad: heeeheheeeehhehehe

Scene 4
Timmy throws something.
Me: (Yelling) Timmy NO THROWING
Frank: mommy, you can say it nice.

Scene 5
After reading two Fancy Nancy stories from the library in the past 3 weeks
Frank: Is gadun a fancy word?
Me: No. That is just how Timmy says truck.

Scene 6
Dinner at Uncle Al’s. Dessert is blackberry pie and ice cream.
Aunt Ellen: Frank you want vanilla or mint.
Grandma: That is not mint. It is coffee flavored.
Frank: I want mint.
Grandma: It is not mint. You won’t like it.
Frank: Yes I would.
Grandma: You can try it. Is it yummy or is it disgusting?
Frank: It is disgousting. (he has never used that word before and pronounced it all funny).

Scene 7
Frank: mommy, do you want to see me …
Me: no.
Frank: Yes you do.
Me: not really.
Frank: Yes you do.
Me: Ok, I do.
Frank: Watch mommy. Are you watching?

Scene 8
Same beginning as scene 7 and Dad is there too
Dad: we are not watching. You are not going to do it. You are just talking about it.
Frank: Watch. Watch. I’m coming. One, two, three.
Nothing happens. No one is watching. A few seconds of silence passes
Frank: Four, five, here I come. (He zoomed down on his bike)

Today we went to the zipline park and Frank zipped by himself. He told Nat, “Let go, daddy. I’m ready.” The went again and again. Frank likes monkey bars. He can’t quite swing on them but he likes to get his legs up and then look upside down. At castle park he jumps from the step and reaches the rings that let’s him hang there. And he went down the tunnel slide! He is definitely growing up. We saw a coyote on our walk in WA park the other day and now he always talk about coyotes. “What is a coyote comes and takes that away?” “Is the door locked?” Coyotes can’t open doors. He is getting better with dogs. He still does not like them but will stand and wait for them to go pass instead of crying and screaming at the site of them. Now Timmy cries and screams at the site of them.

Timmy goes down the slide by himself in sitting position. I remember Frank going on his tummy for the longest time. Another difference in the boys. Timmy is now scared of loud noises. Once at the dock house an airplane flew by and it was so loud Timmy crouched down hugging his tricycle. Any noise, even if it is not loud, but unexpected or foreign, would get him upset. Another phase I think. Another thing Timmy is into is doors. He likes to close them. He would say doory and bye-bye, then close the door. Sometimes he locks himself in closets this way. Then he yells for me and often Frank goes rescue him but then he just close the door again. Frank says, “why is Timmy closing the door again?” I don’t know.

Timmy does not like to wear his helmet. He keeps trying to get away with riding without one and sometimes I can get it on his after chasing him down. Sometimes he will be so mad and when I tell him to get off the trike if he won’t wear the helmet, he gets off the trike. Stubborn?!?

Almost but not as peaceful as it sounds. Timmy woke up at 6am screaming. Nat patted him back to sleep. At 7:30am, I rushed out of my shower to the screaming fit of Timmy sprawled out at the top of the staircase (Nat in his meeting already). He feels warm. He smells stinky. Poopy diaper? Nope! He gets all quiet and snuggly on me so I carry him around for the rest of the morning. He drinks some OJ but won’t eat anything. Frank is doing something annoying and as I get up to go stop him, Timmy throws up. Some OJ on my back and chair. He is crying and I get up to get a sponge. On my way to the sink, more OJ comes out. Frank says, “I don’t like Timmy anymore.” Well, we make it to the sink and more is still coming. It was alot of OJ. I should have known. Hindsight is always 20/20. Now Nat manages to come back down to the very wet kitchen and a soaking mommy with a crying child. I must have sensed this cuz I put on the button shirt that Frank threw up on the last time I wore it more than a year ago. Of course upon inspection of his room, there is throwup on the bed. No wonder he stunk. Everything and everyone cleaned and quiet again. We are NOT going to the playdate! Instead we sit and read all the library books we borrowed yesterday. Timmy falls asleep on my shoulder. I get him up to his room and realize his bedsheets are being washed. Into Frank’s bed he goes.

Finally I get to brush my teeth and clean the kitchen. Frank is so bored he is motionless on the body pillow with bunny in one arm and thumb in his mouth. I assumed he was asleep so I took a picture of him =). He was not or the noise of the camera woke him. Soon Timmy was up and he was hungry. Bananas should be safe, I hoped. He kept it down. Some more OJ. Need to keep him hydrated. After lunch Frank napped. I snuggled with Timmy quietly but he never fell asleep. Then Frank was up and peed in his pants. So I left Timmy motionless in bed but still awake to deal with Frank. It took 2 minutes for Timmy to realize I was gone and started to scream. Then Timmy ate some Cheerios and kept that down too. More OJ.

We also had neighbors coming for a dinner party. It was fun but loud. Timmy got evicted soon and it got quieter. Then he was screaming again when we finished eating. Now he is grabbing his mouth and pulling on his gums so maybe teething? Then he peed and it leaked out onto my shirt. Some drugs and back to bed. Frank says, “Timmy can’t sleep with me tonight cuz he will scream and wake me up.” Timmy in the crib tonight and I will sleep in the bunk bed next to him. I have a feeling he will come to join me. Wonder how long the drug lasts. Oh, not very long apparently. He just screamed and was doing all the body language/hand signals and noises that indicated something in his mouth really really really hurts. He didn’t want the teether. Probably doesn’t know how to use it since we never had to use it before. A car in one hand and a motorcycle in the other seem to have appeased him enough to go back to his crib. Need 4 more hours before I can dose him again.

What a day! Threw-up on in the morning and peed on at night. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.