"I haven't had enough massage yet"

Andrew rubbed his chest and said, "My pects hurt."  I love that he is learning some of the muscles in the body.

Recently Andrew pulled out one of his paint brushes and told me that he thought it was too thick and had cut half the hairs off. I have no idea when he actually cut the brush, but he did a good job since his goal was to make the brush thinner.  He was used to a different brush and I guess assumed that this one was supposed to be the same size.

Jenn and Houston were here for the last maternity photos and of course Houston and Andrew have quite the antics.  Andrew told Houston that the spanish word for chicken is chickalente. 
And whenever Andrew would speak to Jenn's belly, Houston would mumble words replying back to Andrew. Andrew of course knew it was Houston and was laughing hysterically.  Even more so when he rubbed Oliver's bottom that was sticking up and Houston made tooting sounds. Later Andrew walked by asking himself if Oliver would toot again and he put his hand on Jenn's belly but no one made any sounds. He called everyone's attention and when Jenn made the sound he said, 'that wasn't it"  So he did it again and Houston made the sound and Andrew yelled excitedly, "That's the one!"
They were still calling each other FredDrew and Houston Fred - and tonight left calling each other Andrew-chickalente and Houston-chickalente.  They are so silly.
I had a big bag of clothes ready for Jenn and Houston to take with them, and a couple of toys. I told Andrew if there were any toys that he'd like to give to baby Oliver - to go dig them out now.  He said, "I want to give Houston my firetruck!" and he got his beloved ride on toy, and got a fireman hat to put with it.  And when they were leaving, he carried/pushed the firetruck all the way to their car and helped load it up. I was so proud of him for giving away a toy that has meant so much to him and that he has loved so much.  I am also very glad to not always be moving it out of the way!

Monday Andrew got in the car after school and pulled a few legos out of his pocket and told daddy that he got them from school. They had a little discussion about taking things that aren't for us to take and Andrew suddenly understood what he'd done and how wrong it was. So as soon as they got home, they put those legos in a baggie and back into his backpack. First thing Tuesday morning, he took the baggie to his teacher and apologized for stealing them.  He was very upset and trying not to cry.  Then daddy took him aside and told him how proud he was of Andrew for having the courage to admit what he'd done and to apologize himself while returning them, and his honesty is appreciated, and he is still very loved. Andrew perked up.
Ted told me he wanted to reward Andrew for being truthful about taking the legos and for willingly returning them so he could associate telling the truth with a reward rather than a punishment. So after dinner, we explained to him again how proud we were of him for telling us the truth, and we were going to take him to the store and let him pick out an entire set of Legos.  He came home with a lego set that builds a semi and a bulldozer that can ride on the trailer of the semi.  We came home and helped HIM build the bulldozer. He did a great job!

One evening, I got out of the shower and Andrew was in the bathroom trying to figure out how to properly put on my bra. Then he randomly asked, "mom, why do you have a hole in your vagina?"  The look on his face when I told him it was where a baby comes out (figured it was safe since we'd been talking about growing baby's and getting to feel Jenn's) was priceless. I told him that when it gets time that hole gets big enough to fit a baby's head through. He asked if the baby just falls out and I told him there are doctors there to help and it doesn't usually come out that fast. He was so intrigued and I could tell he was visualizing all of this too. I told him how the baby's head comes out first, slowly, then the shoulders, and then the doctor is able to hold the baby and pull him out the rest of the way. But then we talked about the umbilical cord and how it fed the baby all it needed to grow and was attached to the inside of the mommy, and that the baby doesn't eat with it's mouth while inside. Then after it's born, the doctor clamps the cord closed, and cuts it off so the baby is no longer attached. That shrivels up and becomes what we see as the belly button.  He thought that was really cool, but then asked more questions about the umbilical cord. I had to use the cord on the fan as an example - how the fan doesn't work unless it's plugged into the wall, and the electrical outlet 'feeds' the fan electricity through the cord.  The same way, the baby gets fed what it needs to work through that cord. He seemed to understand. I think I did a better job explaining it in person, than I am repeating it typed.   It will be interesting to see how he incorporates his new found information into his own stories or more questions to come soon.

Wednesday night during the meeting, he pulled out his big notebook and some pencils - and drew the most perfect flowers!  We were proud of his new accomplishment.
Andrew wanted an answer written out in his notebook. When his answer only filled up half his little page - he requested more words for a longer answer. No one would give him more, so he started writing letters hoping they'd make words and then asked, "what words are these?" I told him they aren't real words and he looked disappointed and then covered them over with his hands. Then he gave his answer in a tone as if he were mad and being forced to say something.

Friday evening, Andrew was given the choice of soup or turkey sandwich. He opted for the soup. Took one look at it and said, "I'm not eating that. I dont like it."  I told him he'll be hungry then, so he decided he wasn't hungry at all anyway.  I asked him to please try it, and he made all sorts of faces (I feel like I live in a Calvin and Hobbes comic book sometimes)  like it was killing him to try something new. I told him he didn't have to eat all the pieces in the soup, he could just drink the broth. So he was doing that fine until some dripped and daddy cleaned it up first. We were back to Andrew not wanting to cooperate because HE didn't get to clean up the mess.   I finally gave in and said he had to eat 3 more big bites to get something else (I know this backfires plenty)  He happily ate three more big bites and hopped down to get cereal.   He complained about the choices in the cabinet and got all dramatic about it.  I showed him a box of Honey O's and he got excited to try them.
After another dramatic episode over trying to interrupt and having to wait his turn - he said, "with each bite of my O's you all will get all my powers and I won't be able to speak."  Ted got excited and started acting more silly and energetic with each bite Andrew took. 

Ted bought Andrew that Simon game where it lights up in a pattern and you have to follow it. The second time he tried it, he got all the way up to level 7.  I'm not good at it at all. Ted has gotten up to level 11.  I think the highest I've seen Andrew get is 8. 

Saturday morning I was feeling rough and stayed in bed. When I got up, Andrew came out of his room in his underwear (changing into play clothes) with a bouquet of roses and said, "I love you mom!"  It brought tears to my eyes, as I so needed to hear that. 

Saturday afternoon he asked me if I could massage him. He was laying on the floor in my studio next to daddy in front of a heater. So I started rubbing his back. He didn't like it and said "that's enough massage."  As he was saying it I started giving him a scalp massage instead, "Oh that's good! I haven't had enough massage yet." 

Andrew has been begging me since mid October to make pumpkin bread out of the pumpkin he brought home from a field trip. Sunday was finally the day - as I had to use up a bunch of apples and over-ripe bananas, might as well cook the pumpkin too!  I told him he could help me make pumpkin bread after the meeting.  He did have one request, "make it gluten free so that Annelise can be part of our family"  So he helped me make some pumpkin cake essentially.  A few bites into it he decided it wasn't his thing. 

Sunday night after prayer, he tried telling me some story about how some stars fall and like the be kept in a "thing with a lid on it"  All I could assume was he was remembering catching lightning bugs and putting them in a jar.  But then he said some like to go back up with all the other stars. I told him that was a good place for them to be.   He tells such crazy stories.. I wish I could video him talking all the time. They are quite strange and detailed and elaborate. It usually involves someone getting hurt though with is disturbing.