Sneaky obsessions

Friday the 24th, we took a break from moving the Waggoners and the boys came over to relax. Andrew definitely enjoyed having the boys to play with. Saturday he got to have little Kennedy and Kaiya, both 3 year old little girls, to play with in an empty room at the Waggoners house while we were moving stuff that day. He enjoyed that. Before we left in the evening, we had to take Kaiya to the apartment. Andrew was acting like an adorable big brother and babying her, trying to help her unbuckle and help her out of her seat, help her to the sidewalk and walked her to the apartment door.

Since he got to play Clue a few times, he moved on to wanting to learn to play Monopoly.  I don't like the game but daddy was patient enough to teach him. He grasped it easily and kept his property and money organized, and he did the math on his own for the most part.  Ted said, " My favorite was what happened every time he landed on a property I own. Ted:'Okay, you owe $450 for rent." Andrew would reply, "I'm just going to give you $50."  Ted would say, "No, it's $450."  Andrew: "Okay, here is $450."  LOL    Near the end of the game, he didn't have enough to pay that rent and he knew it. But he was trying to count up everything he had. "Can't we just cheat in this game?" he asked, hoping to find some way to prolong the game.  I'm glad he enjoyed playing despite losing in the end. 

He used a bungee cord to tie both of his scooters together, hoping he'd be able to ride them at the same time.

He also rode his bike down the small hill in the front yard - straight for the road, but through the rocks. He got to the sidewalk and crashed. Skinned his hip and knees pretty well. Daddy and Kevin were working in the garage and came to make sure he was okay. We sat on the steps for a few minutes as Kevin and Daddy both related their crashing stories trying to make Andrew feel better. I finally leaned over and whispered in his ear, "you know what this tells me - so far you're smarter than them when it comes to riding a bicycle."  He got a big smile on his face, stood and marched to the top of the stairs... "you know what my story is gonna be??!..."  and he was all happy again.

Friday May 1st he was out of school so I invited friends to come have breakfast and play. He had 5 boys from ages 9-15 come to play with him. They loved climbing the trees, wearing superhero capes and masks, learning to do hand-stands from Kevin, and how to properly fall as they launched over the deck railing. Two car groups stopped by for break too. It was lovely.
I managed to get Andrew to take a nap before a 4 year old named Drake came over to play in the late afternoon. They enjoyed his toys and a little hide and seek outside.

He has been loving a "tornado tube" and "bottle fountain" he's been able to make with two plastic bottles and water. The tornado tube makes a water tornado as it empties from one bottle to the other.  The fountain has two straws that create a fountain in the top bottle as the water empties to the bottom. He loves the snap circuits and light up lego pegs and figuring out how things work.

One day recently he got off the toilet after pooping and told me, "it's science. Sometimes when you have some hard poo, it all sticks together and comes out as a family group."  Interesting way to describe it I guess.

One night he was saying his prayer and in the middle included, "and we wish you all to have a good time up in Heaven"  So sweet.

Andrew told me last week that he no longer likes yogurt covered raisins. "And I don't really like turkey."  He doesn't like peanut butter and jelly, bananas, mac n cheese, popcorn, or even chicken fingers really, and he wont eat hotdogs anymore since he got sick after eating them.  He wants taco salad, burritos, nachos, and sushi.  I'm having to give him turkey and cheese sandwiches for his school lunches for now - but if he ever starts refusing to eat them - I'm in trouble!

We were passing the greeting card aisle at the grocery. "I want to send a card to Nana!" I told him he could pick one and gave him an appropriate section to browse. He liked all the ones that make sounds. He finally picked a fun one to send to Nana and said he wanted to pick one for Papa too. He wanted to send Papa the same card - so I suggested we just address the same card to both of them. He was okay with that. 

He's been an absolute angel lately. I really do think it has to do with having the Bars therapy done a few times lately. whew! Such a sweetie.

One morning Ted came out to get ready for work and found an empty yogurt container and the limeade container was on it's side and opened (thankfully nearly empty).  We're guessing some little one in our house helped himself to a midnight snack. Another morning I came out and he was sitting in the hallway eating fruit snacks. I shook my head and he leaped up, "I only ate half! You can finish them!!"  I told him he could finish them but he was not to have fruit snacks for breakfast again. 

He is obsessed with his ipad. We don't let him play it much, but he's always begging to.  Saturday I had left him at the table eating a snack and went downstairs for just a couple of minutes. I return and he's nowhere to be found.  I call him and hear a faint voice from my room.  I go in and he quickly sits on his hands between his legs.  "Andrew, why are you holding your penis?"   "I'm not holding my penis."  "Why are you sitting that way?"  (pause)  Then in a defeated tone, "My ipad is in my shirt."
He told me that he was trying to move the charger for his ipad into his room so he can have his ipad under his bed and keep it in his room.  I told him (for the umpteenth time) that he can't keep his ipad in his room. 
That night we put him to bed at 7:30. We heard him get up a couple of times. At 9:30, Ted told me that Andrew was up again. I went and stood outside his bedroom door.  Andrew opened the door, surprised to see me.  I put him back in bed. He asked, "Why were you standing outside my door?" I told him it was because daddy told me he was up. "HOW did he know??!"  I giggled and said "I have no idea!" which made Andrew laugh but be so amazed at daddy's skills.  Daddy noticed a glow under the bed when I was leaving the room. Andrew had been in there playing his ipad all that time!! No wonder he wasn't falling asleep!

Monday May 4th I was making his usual breakfast of a waffle with yogurt, fresh fruit, coconut, chia seeds, hemp, and chocolate chips. He was riding the border of sounding rude most of the morning though I didn't think it was intentional. While sitting at the table working on homework, the pencil dropped. He demanded that I get the pencil and I told him I was working on his breakfast and couldn't come running to help him. He got irritated, "Why do I always have to get up to get it" so I left the chocolate off the breakfast and delivered it to him. A few bites in he asked if I put any chocolate chips or m&ms in it. I told him no; I had the package in hand ready to put on until he made the rude outburst about his pencil and expecting me to get it.  I reminded him that he never has to make his own breakfast, or lunch or dinner. Never has to wash his own clothes - because Mommy does it all. And even when his room gets out of control, I don't always make him clean it up - I take care of it even though I shouldn't have to.  I left off the chocolate because you don't seem to appreciate what I do for you.   He took a few more bites and then apologized. I thanked him and asked if he was saying sorry because he understood how much I do for him, or if it's because he hoped it'd fix the situation and I'd give him chocolate.  He said it's because he understood.   I gave him some chocolates then and he was very pleased with how many I put on and stopped being rude after that.