Thief

We had a very bad day on Monday. I dont know if it's because he opted not to eat breakfast and just had some milk, or something else going on.. We did not mix very well. I literally could not take his obstinence and defiance any more and yelled (not at him, just that yelling at the wall in frustration) which made him cry and start screaming at me. He'd completely ignore what I would kindly tell or ask him to do, and it'd take yelling to get his attention. The beginning to the worst part started outside. I was working by the garden with Ted and saw Andrew try to put a dump truck of sand into the bottom of the stroller he pushed out there. I called to him and told him the sand does not go in the stroller. He yelled at me and then spit in my direction.  So I figured it must be time for nap (still earlier than usual). Of course this angered him and it all went downhill from there.  Every inch of the way was a war and we were both too tired to deal with it. (He would even fight me over my consenting to let him do something - nothing made sense.)  I had to leave his room for a few minutes to regroup. I managed to get him calmed down and agreeable to sleep and then I took a nap too.
He came in after nap and crawled into the bed with me and asked if we were ready to get up and play. After a short conversation I asked him, "Andrew, do you still love mommy?"
He said, "I always, always, always, do."    I guess he's heard me tell him that enough.

Tuesday he was wonderful. We went out to Aunt Eese's house to start cleaning and packing things. He did lock the screen door and then tell me he locked it to keep strangers from coming in. I told him I appreciated him telling me so, but we needed it to stay unlocked since I was hauling heavy boxes out. He kept locking it anyway until he finally got snapped at. I told him if he saw strangers at the door, he could always yell to me, Annelise, or Nana.
At the end of the workday, I noticed Annelise's miniature R2D2 in his pocket. I gently asked him if he might have any toys in his pockets that might need to stay. He said no. I asked if he was lying to me or telling the truth. He said the truth. We discussed who lying/stealing and being truthful make happy but he stood by his claim. I dont know if he really forgot that it was in there, or thought it belonged to him, or what. Finally Annelise spoke up and told him the toy was in his pocket and it needed to stay at her house so that he could play with it next time. He took it out and left it.

Wednesday we had a nice day. I decided I would not do any housework and just try to revolve my day around him. He rode his bike outside for a bit, then he rode it down the road while I walked. We ran over to the tire swing by the stream and pushed him on that until a wasp wouldn't leave him alone. Then he rode his bike the rest of the street. We played with Legos for a bit and had a nap shortly after lunch. Then we went back outside where he rode his bike and then we played baseball again with the tennis racket.  He got itchy and I brought him in to shower, and he went right back out to play.  He got to observe some workers replace daddy's truck windshield and then it was shower, dinner, and off to Kingdom Hall. I found a light colored 3pc suit for him and washed it - he was excited to wear it so he could wear his tan meeting shoes. 

Thursday - Ted has told me that Andrew must be in tune to his car starting because he always gets up right after Ted leaves. I thought that was impossible - we run a white noise machine in there and the car is at the opposite end of the house. But, I'm starting to wonder. Thursday Ted was able to work from home, and Andrew slept past 7:30! (of course *I* was awake early)  We headed out to Annelise's house to work more. Papa was there trying to clean and clear the hot water heater. Andrew followed him around like a shadow, talking constantly.
He also called Nana a thief, and then also said he was being swiper and pretending to take things -  trying to get some laughs out of her.  Papa invited Andrew to go to TSC and Lowe's with him. I told Papa, "if you want to be able to think - you might want to consider leaving him here." He took him anyway then when he was handing me my keys, he smiled and said, 'You were right. I would have been able to think without him." Andrew apparently was telling store employees that he was looking for parts for his daddy's lawnmower, and needed gas for the weed wacker.  Andrew returned with a toy gasoline can. He told me it was to put water in Daddy's gas tank. I told him never to do that, but he could water Annelise's plants with it.  He enjoyed that for a while.  After Nana and Papa left, Eileen brought her two girls over and they all had a blast playing with toys and then getting wet with the hose.

Friday, he helped me plant some veggies in the garden and played in the sandbox a bit. After nap we headed off to the park and played there for a few hours. He made friends with everyone - naturally.

Saturday at the meeting for service, he kept asking if he could have an answer. I finally told him that if he had a thought that had to do with service, he could raise his hand.  Soon he said, "I have a thought." and he raised his hand.  Brother Pingle called on him and he described a picture he found in the Awake. There was an illustration with a man with a zippered mouth and he talked about that.
Later in service, he and Samantha were being silly and taking the "zip your mouth" a little further - "zip your eyes" "zip your nose"    and when I suggested they play Paper Rock Scissors ... Sam thought you were supposed to say "Paper Rock Scissors Shoe" (instead of shoot which is when you reveal your choice)  and chose to be a shoe a few times. I thought that was funny.  They pretended that their fingers disappeared and would reappear. 
We walked one street and Tony took Sam and Andrew with him. I was across the street with daddy and he's walking down the sidewalk and yells, "Hi mommy! Hi daddy!"  and kept walking all proud to be on a mission with someone else.

Samantha and Andrew also played a competitive game of "I have ##"   I have 1 trampoline, I have 20 shoes, I have ......   Eventually they were in the thousands.  Daddy continued that game at home and I heard they had hundreds of socks and meeting ties, etc. He told me he tried to say "I have 1000 drills" Andrew said, "but you already said that one!"  Ted told me 'he remembers!! If I did say that - it was a while ago and early in the game!' 

I know he has said a lot of funny things lately, but I just can't ever remember them.