Thursday, March 18, 2010

My Children


Yes, you read that correctly. My first "child" was given to me for my 13th birthday. I named him Snickelfritz. He was black with white stripes built into his fur- there was white down-like fur at the root and black on the tips and the longest tail I'd ever seen on a cat. We found out quick that he LOVED water. I would have to race him to the bathroom in order to shut the door before he could get in the shower with me. He was an adventurous child. One morning we all awoke to the sound of something being dropped on the piano. Turns out Fritz was tightrope walking on the outside of the landing and fell onto the piano. We went out to see him look up at us, shake his head, and jump down. He loved pizza. There were many times when I would be sitting on the couch eating pizza watching TV and all of a sudden see this black paw coming in to swipe my pizza. He'd always cause trouble and magically not be there when we went in to yell at him. :) He also loved red licorice. My mom used to keep it in her nightstand... until she caught him trying to get in to the drawer to get it out. :) As a kitten, he slept on my head, with his claws in my hair to keep me from moving around. He graduated to sleeping on my chest and I began falling asleep while petting him as his loud purr rumbled against my chest
.
He was there when I broke up with my high school boyfriend and spent hours crying- he kept head-butting me and coming in to snuggle. He was my child and I was his. When Sawyer was born, the dynamics changed a bit. I no longer had one child, I had two. They avoided each other for a while, but eventually Fritz came around to the fact he wasn't going anywhere. It seemed that I no longer had two children, but another parent to help me with Sawyer. He started sleeping with Sawyer at nap time and every time Sawyer would move, Fritz would move along with him.

He'd follow Sawyer around and vice versa. When Sawyer got old enough to begin "helping" around the house- he chose to feed the 'mimi's'- (cats). Last night Fritz wasn't doing so well healthwise and I sat with him 2 hours yesterday evening. Sawyer would play for a while, then come over, pet Fritz, kiss him, kiss me, then leave to go play. We informed him that Fritz was sick and very old. I ended up sleeping on the family room floor with Fritz and Bailey last night- Bailey and I wrapping Fritz in our love. Fritz passed away early this morning. He'd been my baby for 18 years. I picked Sawyer up from preschool this afternoon and he was telling his teacher about his pets. He said "I have a doggy. His name is Bosco. I have 2 cats- Frizzy and Bailey." I got down to his level and said "Sweetie. We only have one kitty now. Remember? Fritzy was really old and very sick. He's in heaven now." Sawyer turned back and said "Yes. Fritzy no sick no more." I lost it- huge alligator tears and God-bumps all over. We had never mentioned what heaven was. Amazing.


Fritz has passed on his stubbornness to my child. His spirit will live on in all of us.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Bedtime Chart

We started a bedtime chart for Sawyer about 2 weeks ago. We started it after an especially hard night getting him ready for bed- much yelling and screaming and obstinacy. We came downstairs and, while listing to the screaming upstairs, mentioned that there HAD to be an easier way that what we were experiencing each night. I jumped online and started googling bedtime + toddler and came across a couple of ideas. This was the combination of a couple.


The chart I already had- it was an alphabet chart leftover and not used from work. The cards I found online at Nick Jr and the backs were coloring sheets online (oh yeah, and I laminated them too). The premise was- we had 6 cards, 5 things he had to do before bed and 1 that mommy and daddy turn over based on how he actually goes to sleep. The 5 he had are: put ice in his water bottle (a nightly procrastination- we figured we'd just take care of it BEFORE it became a problem!), use the potty, brush teeth, pajamas, and read a book. The 6th one is the 'Lights Out' one- the one mommy and daddy turn over. We decided that if we go in once to his calls, it's ok. If we go in more than one time or end up screaming, the last card doesn't get turned over.



Once he does one card, he turns it over (except the 6th one, of course!). In the morning, if all the cards are turned over, then he gets a sticker to put on a letter in his name. Once all the letters are covered, he gets a dollar and gets to take mom or dad to Dollar Tree and pick out something special. Tonight he decided to take daddy and he got Gummy Bears. There are nights that he doesn't get the last card turned over, and there are nights that he has decided he doesn't want to go potty or brush his teeth and so those cards don't get turned over. The first night it didn't happen, he threw a small fit. But after reminding him that it was his choice to go to bed quietly and since he didn't, it didn't get turned over, all was well and the next night went better. I like the chart because he learns what he needs to do in order to go to bed. It's a routine, which is helpful, but he gets to decide which order we do things. So it's a win-win situation.



Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Pilot In Training


My dad has his private pilot's license and enjoys flying on the weekends. Sawyer has been infatuated with planes forever! In fact, when he was just about a year- he saw a plane in the air and said "Papa." We had only told him once that Papa flies airplanes! Papa and Soy have really bonded over the airplanes, even reading the AOPA magazines. Papa bought an airplane book recently that has over 300 different airplanes in it. The same day they looked at it for the first time, Sawyer could flip through the book and find the plane that Papa flies. So Papa decided to take him down to the airport he flies out of and show him around the plane, let him sit in it, etc. We've already decided that Sawyer has to be 5 before going up with Papa- it's a maturity thing. 3's just too early. So Papa, Ama, and Soy went to the Aurora Airport. They began inside the building looking at the topography maps. One of the flight instructors was there and of course, Papa had to show Soy off:
Papa: Sawyer- where are the wings on the airplane Papa flies?
Sawyer: On the top!
Papa: Sawyer- how many engines does it have?
Sawyer: ONE! (proudly showing one finger)
Flight Instructor to Papa: Start saving your money now- he's going to be a fly boy!
So Papa and Sawyer went out to the plane. Papa showed Soy all around the plane and sat him inside. Sawyer got to play with the buttons and the steering.



He kept asking Papa to take him up. :) Then Papa needed to take off, so Sawyer and Ama watched Papa take off- and Sawyer kept wanting to watch Papa (even when he was out of sight).

So now we're going to have a fireman who will be flying on the weekend.... adrenaline junkie in training? Perhaps instead of saving money for flying lessons, we should save money for hospital bills..... :)

Oh The Thinks You Can Think!



Did you ever a feeling there's a nink in the sink?
Or a wocket in your pocket?

Perhaps we should Hop On Pop?
Yes, it was Dr. Seuss' birthday March 2nd.
Celebrations ensued
all day long-
I made deviled Green Eggs for my teachers
and you got to wear your pajamas to
playschool
and watched Horton Hears A Who.
For dinner I made you: green eggs and ham and

Cat In The Hat striped pancakes.




Did you like green eggs and ham?
Yes you did like green eggs and ham!

You ate them here and there.
Sawyer- you ate them everywhere! :)

I also made Cat In The Hat striped
graham crackers for dessert.
"Dr. Seuss" called you too!

It's just too bad daddy was in the bathroom at the time-
he missed the whole phone call!!!

But you and daddy read 2 Dr. Seuss books after dinner :)

Oh The Places You'll Go! :)


Author's Note: Yes, I know I did a lot tonight for dinner. But it's a cool thing to celebrate and we got to have fun with it. Yes, I know I'll have to do this every year. Yes, I'm okay with it. In fact... I think there's a "Green Eggs and Ham" cookbook......