This weekend I got a new phone (the new Droid Bionic!!). I was clearing out my old phone and realized that some of the apps that I had for Will still worked, even though there was no service to the phone. I was so excited to give Will the old phone with working apps that he could play whenever he wants! So I cleared out my main page and moved over the apps that I had installed for him. I was so excited to show him his very own phone with the puzzle, paint, matching and piano games! I called him over and explained he could have it, all his own, with the games to play whenever his little heart desired. He was so precious, grateful, and excited about it. I was showing him how to start up the phone, where the "home" button was for when he wanted to switch games, etc.... But then he said, what about Angry Birds? I explained that I didn't think Angry Birds was going to work, but all the other apps were there. He said "no, Angry Birds can work too." I said no honey, I don't think it will, but..... He interrupted "no, let me see it.." He took the phone, pressed the menu button which took him to all of my apps, found Angry Birds, opened it up and started playing.

Well then.

Will has been full of them tonight..

- Will: "Mom, can I play Angry Birds on your phone?"
Me: "Just a minute."
Will: "Can I play angry birds? ... Can I play angry birds? .... Can I play angry birds on your phone!?"
Me: "Yes, Will, just a minute!"
Will: "Mom. I'll give you ten dollars if you let me play angry birds on your phone."


- From a little boy who normally doesn't like his little brother going in his room.... Me: "Will, where's Dane's new truck?"
Will: "I put it in my room .......in case he wanted to play in here."


- and finally, I had asked him to put his dirty clothes from today in the dirty clothes hampers. I noticed he forgot a sock on the floor so I pointed it out and he responded "Mom, I parked that sock there!"

First Day of Preschool

Well today has come and gone and I can hardly believe it. This morning on our way I was wracking my brain trying to think if there was anything else I should tell Will before I drop him off. I had told him the obvious ones, listen to his teacher, raise his hand, be nice, if he needs to go potty just raise his hand and ask the teacher. Luke called and I was asking him and he mentioned that I should definitely tell him not to pee outside on the playground. I could just see it - little girls screaming, parents rushing their kids away. So I did go ahead tell him that one too. I dropped off Dane at Terri's and Will and I headed over. Once we got there he hung his backpack up in his cubby and found out that his shape is an ice cream cone. So he went into the classroom and found his chair with the ice cream cone on it. Immediately his face changed to one of panic and he started holding onto my leg. I began easing him into the situation by asking the little girl across from him what her name was. She quickly replied "Sophie Marie Frederick!" Will wasn't having any of it. His teacher, Mrs. Simmerman, came over and said that she would be happy to give him some love if I wanted to leave and let her handle it. So I gave him a hug and some encouraging words and then we literally PEELED him off me. My heart was so sad. I felt like I was deserting my child. I know, I know, he's fine and that's not at all the situation, but I couldn't help feeling that way. Dane and I ran errands and waited for 11:30 to come. I pulled in the parking lot at EXACTLY 11:30 and he was the LAST kid there! Sitting on the bench with Mrs. Simmerman! I jumped out of the car panicked asking if I was late, did I get the pick-up time wrong, but she replied no, it was fine, the other parents were just early. Mental note: ARRIVE EARLY. But he jumped in the car smiling and sucked down his slushy I had brought him as a treat. Mrs. S informed me he had done great and immediately calmed down before I could have even gotten out of the building. whew :) He said he had fun and was excited to go back. I am SO PROUD of him!

When we were in Michigan Will had lied to me a couple of times. Finally I told him that lying is unacceptable and it's not allowed, that if he lied to me again I was going to take away a toy. "Forever?" he asked. "Yes, forever." Well 15 minutes later he told me a "Dane did it" lie, which I knew wasn't true. So I took away his new toy that he'd just gotten.

Just now he came up to me with his wallet and said "I'm going to give you two moneys and you can give me my toy back. Here." all while nodding his head and pushing some money at me. This just reaffirms our prediction that he very well may go in to politics.

Tomorrow Will, my BABY, starts preschool! I can't believe it. He has gone through a range of feelings about it from excitement to denial, but thank goodness tonight he replied that yes, he was excited for school. His backpack is ready, the grocery bag of things on his list of supplies is packed and by the door, his outfit is laid out. One thing I didn't expect is that I would have stress dreams about preschool! Last night I had a dream that I forgot to send his backpack with him. After I dropped him off I realized I also forgot to take his picture. I figured, oh, I'll just take his picture when he gets home and that will still count. Then after he got home he changed out of his clothes and I completely missed the opportunity. Tonight I was tucking him into bed and we were talking about it. He got this cute little smile on his face and said "I'm going to eat lunch at stool tomorrow." (he still replaces his "k" sound with "t" - and I love it. ...I don't know if his teacher will think it's as cute as I do; I might get some homework myself) So I had to explain that when you first start going to school you don't go for the whole day. He didn't agree, and was insistent that Nope, he will be eating lunch there.

Granted he has an easy name to write, but this is good!! Backwards, yes, but this is the only time he's ever written it backwards and I think it's only because he wrote his "w" so far to the right that he had no choice, right? He is getting so big!

Will is 4!

June 20, 2007 seems like forever ago in some ways and seems like yesterday in others. It seems like I've been a mother forever, I can hardly remember what it was like not having Will in my life. Then it seems like yesterday in that I can't believe I've had a child who's gone through four whole years of life! Will's birth day. What an important day that was. The day my first baby was born, the day I became a mother. Boy, I had no idea what I was in for! Sometimes I hear cliche's and dismiss their importance because they're so, well, cliche. Like how you always hear how hard it is to be a parent, but the reward is worth it. That is the absolute truth! I had no idea how hard it would be - the hardest thing I've ever done, by far. And the rewards are incomparable - I had no idea how much my heart could love something and how big the emotions are when it comes to your child. (all emotions.... :)

I am so grateful for this part of my life - right now, it is my life. I have a clear purpose, I'm a mother. I would do anything in the world for my boys. I thank God every day for this blessing.

So, about Mr. Will. He is so thoughtful and good at sharing - always offering to share his snacks or offer his hand. (when we're walking up or down a hill and I am about to offer my help to him, he'll offer his hand to me and say "iiiiiiiiiii gotcha, iiiiiiiiii gotcha" He is so funny in what he says, and repeats what I say to him - sometimes not so good. The other day we were in the car and he had said something a few times and I wasn't understanding him and I had asked him "what?" a few times. He sighed and said "Mom. I'm going to say this one more time, so listen to what I'm saaaaaaying." He's probably a little too smart for his own good. He can be the sweetest brother to Dane, helping him and kissing him and talking so sweetly to him. When Dane wakes up in the morning or from a nap Will will say "Well, hey, little buddy!" so sweetly. He continues to have the most stubborn, opinionated, "strong" personality. He knows what he wants, and he wants what he wants when he wants it. He's still ...working... on sharing with his brother. He is ALL boy. He loves to play with his trucks, tractors, throw balls around, ride his 4-wheeler. He would play outside all day every day if I let him. He hooks up his wagon to his 4-wheeler with his "hitch". He refers to himself as "a hard-workin' man." He absolutely loves that we live near all the tractor action and he gets to see them working on a daily basis. He loves to take Ranger rides. He has started to enjoy riding his bike on walks and does about 1/2 the time. He had been wearing pull-ups at night but just in the last week he had a dry pull-up for a few nights in a row and said he wanted to start wearing his underwear at night. So we let him and he's going on about 5 nights now without any accidents! He is still in his pirate and coyote phase, which I LOVE and think is hilarious.

He quite regularly tells me I'm pretty. Luke swears he's not behind it, but I'll be putting on an outfit or (bless him!) I was putting on my bathing suit for the first time this season and he said "You're pretty" Also, when I tell him he's a good boy he'll often respond with "You're a good Mom." Tug at my heart...

Tonight I was getting Will into his pj's and realized they were kind of short. I made a mental note to look online for some new pajamas. He is currently making the transition from "Toddlers" to "Boys". The most recent time I bought him clothes I sulked over to the "boys" section and bought him XS. Luke told me I was supposed to be proud my little boy is growing up. Ok, whatever. It just goes so fast!! So tonight I was looking online at a few places for new jammies and it's like all of a sudden, when they're "boys" they don't wear the cute jammie outfits anymore! No more "mommy's little monster" or shark themes or monkey jammies. Looks like we're being forced to move into the sweatpants, track pants or mesh shorts and t-shirt look. ...which is fine... they're still really cute... it's just, well, different. Any I feel like my little boy is getting so big!! :*(

Monkeys!!

Will walked in the kitchen tonight and with his arms outstretched said "whoooooooo wants to hug me?"

What a handsome boy!

The Dentist

The other day I was watching Avah. Will had a dentist appointment so we decided that Avah's dad would pick her up at Will's dentist office just before his appointment. This meant that on the way to Bloomington I needed to have 3 car seats in our backseat. ...something I've wondered if possible when imagining what it would be like if we had 3 children. They were all lined up like sardines. It was one thing after another. MOM, will you turn on a movie? MOM, will you turn it up? MOM, can we have some gum? MOM, Dane's touching me! Will was in the middle and he and Dane were not enjoying their new close proximity. I heard a lot of "DANE!" "Daaaaaaane!" "Mom, look what your baby's doing!" Avah ended the trip in tears after Will took a book from her. I was suddenly glad that my new hands free earpiece for my phone had two ear buds- so I enjoyed a little Pandora on the way down, surround sound.

Will had been to the dentist a few times already (flashback to his accident in Florida when he bit almost all the way through his tongue which caused his front tooth to turn gray. Fortunately the tooth is almost back to normal, but they still like to keep a close eye on it) So as we waited for his appt I was remembering my brave little boy and his trips to the dentist office. Two times ago they wanted to do x-rays of his teeth and I was pregnant with Dane so I couldn't be in the room with him (just peeking around the corner). So there he was with complete strangers with this huge machine in his face, things in his mouth, lying back on a stranger's lap. Tears were streaming down his face he was so scared, but my brave little boy did exactly what they told him to and held so very still. I could have cried myself. So this time they call his name and we all head over when she says "he's in the big kids room now so he can come back by himself!" What? I asked him if he wanted to go by himself and he replied with a quick No and pleading eyes saying please don't make me! So we all head back and walk through the door. I'm pretty sure I gasped out loud. In shock, horror, surprise, laughter, I'm not sure even what I was feeling. It reminded me of some type of bad emergency room scene. All of these kids lying on exam chairs, their feet up in the air in these bays. It seemed so "assembly line." I think there were 6 of these "bays." What happened to the nice individual exam rooms? I was in shock I had never seen anything like it and I had to practically pick up my jaw up off the floor. She led us to our bay and I sat down in the rolling chair beside him while he climbed up on the exam chair. "Actually," she said "I'm going to sit there. You can sit over there." and pointed to a bench across the way. Oh! I thought, ok. Let me just rip my heart out of my chest myself and leave it here on the chair for you to work on, is what I felt like. So Dane and I went "over there" and watched. My little boy could not have been more brave! He was laughing it up with his hygienist, chatting away with her, watching cartoons on the the flat screen tv above him on the ceiling. I was literally in shock. He looked over a couple of times and waved.

Here he is waiting patiently for the dentist, just chilling out, watching tv.

I don't know why I was surprised, he's been so brave every time. :) I'm so proud of him.

I could not love these two boys any more! They are my angels!

BFFs

Will has been going to his babysitter's (Chass) house on Mondays and Wednesdays for over 3 years now. Avah is there as well on those days and they are like 2 peas in a pod. They also play together at Open Gym. Recently on Fridays I've been watching Avah at our house. It's fun to see them together. They bicker like brother and sister but it's clear they're crazy about each other. Often when I pick them up from Chass' house Will will report: "Avah was nice today." (or wasn't) Here they are watching a movie together. - they would even take drinks at the same time. Playing on the back deck.

Our staircases are wider than most, so we had to get creative when we needed a baby gate to keep Dane from falling down the steps. Fortunately I married a very handy and creative man and he built a plexi-glass "gate" that slides back and forth between the banister spindles. Will and Avah had come up to the top of the steps and were waiting for me to let them in...

Howl at the Moon

The Coyote is still in full swing around here. Will has never really had any obsessions before, so this is pretty entertaining. On Thursday mornings we go to Open Gym. It's at the Gymnastics Academy and they open up all the equipment for the little people to play on. You pay a small fee and your child gets to run around like a banchee, jump on trampolines, swing on bars and rings, play on all kinds of large cushions, jump in the pits, etc. What more can you ask for? Especially in those cold winter months. These days Will has most of the other kids involved in some type of coyote game. Whether he's the Coyote and they're all chickens and he's chasing them around, or he's the coyote and he assigns others to be a dog, a bear, an alien, etc. There are never any other coyotes besides him. This has been going on for weeks. He's even learned how to run on all fours. It looks kind of like a gorilla running, but it's pretty impressive. Tonight we ate dinner on our back deck. The boys were finishing up when I took my plate in to start cleaning up. Will came in and announced that "The Coyote is finished." I asked him if he ate all his grapes. Will: "The Coyote doesn't like grapes." Me: "Yes you do. You love them!" Will: "The COYOTE doesn't like grapes. Come see, I'll show you." He leads me out and points to his plate where one lone grape, kind of smashed, remained on his plate. Then he says "The Coyote coughed that one up."

Will has this train table out in the garage. A lot of times when he can't play outside he'll go and play with this. One day he was being especially quiet out there and had been playing for a good 15 minutes. All warning signs. I quickly went to check on him and asked if he was OK from across the garage. He froze, smiled really big and said yes! He held his smile and our eye contact. Hmmm, I needed to investigate further. I went over to see that he had dumped most of the bag of grass seed on his train table to make a construction worksite with it.

Oh Boy!

I looked out back the other day and I see my 3 year old son DRIVING A LAWN MOWER! He actually did really well, under Pa-Paw's close supervision. :) Which makes me happy because Luke and I agree that we want him to be the best driver by the time he turns 5. Just kidding - 16. And practice makes perfect....I guess...

My Helper

Will has been "helping" me a lot lately! We went to Macy's the other day - I was bra shopping - and he was helping me. I was shopping around and he all of a sudden got very quiet and close to me. (not characteristic at all) I asked him what was wrong and he pulled me down to him, pointed to a man sitting nearby who had white hair and a beard and very seriously told me "there's Santa!" Then, as we continued to shop he would take a bra off the rack and hold it up to my stomach encouraging me to look in the mirror, like you might do if you were shopping for a shirt, then tell me "that looks real nice!" while nodding his head. He was definitely the hit of the shopping trip - the older ladies who were working there were loving every minute of it.

This morning I was putting some greenery on top of our plant shelf. He wanted to help... As I was finishing up the placement, he said "but I was supposed to be your helper!" so I asked him to walk across the room and tell me if it looked ok. He backed up and said "it looks like a diamond."

Will Update

A few things came to my mind lately...
- How Will likes to eat "poptorn" He always wants to make poptorn with mama. :)

- Beabo (Bevo - "bee-vo") is his stuffed animal that Allison got him for Christmas 2 years ago and has become a permanent bed fixture. He's the UT mascot. He's huge, and I love that he calls him Beabo.

- He also has started to comment on how he sees things with his "glowin' eyes". This is consistent with coyote vision by the way.

Bath Time

Half yawn, half roar.

Last night I decided to let the boys take a bath together for the first time. In the next two pics, does it not look like Will is up to something? ...Poor unsuspecting Dane.

And then I finally got my little coyote in the act of howling.