Things Connor Misses This Week

After spending more than a week with Grandma and Pa, Connor has been in for a rude awakening since being back home. He's not the only little boy in the house, and Mommy is not quite as accommodating as he'd like. Here are just a few of the things Connor's had to adjust to since rejoining the real world.

Less Attention. And this one kills him, for he so loves to be the center of everyone's attention. He loves to talk and have you respond. He loves to play games with you and have you play with him. He loves to be in the middle of everything. He hates having two brothers who cut in on HIS attention.

Sharing. All of the toys are his, or at least they should be, to hear him tell it. He hates that he now has to share and take turns. He didn't have to last week, and he doesn't want to this week!

Milk. Our sippy cups at home are filled with milk most of the time, with the occasional apple juice or water thrown into the mix. Gone is the never-ending grape Kool-aid (once this weekend while visiting he even felt the need to inform me that "Babies no like grape! Connor's grape!"). Also gone are the Capri Sun pouches and the sips of Pepsi from Pa's cup.

Play Buddy. Connor loves to play games, like saying "Where's Connor?" and having you find him (never mind that he's giving himself away by asking the question, the boy simply cannot remain quiet for any length of time). He's been severely disappointed that Mommy doesn't join in every single time, never mind that she's busy changing two other little boys diapers or fixing lunch or trying to get some laundry done. He says he misses Grandpa, who he could order around and get down on the floor to play with him at all times.

Being in Charge. Connor likes to be bossy, to be in control, and to set the tone for whatever you're doing. He's had trouble adjusting to the fact that he is NOT ALLOWED to tell Mommy what to do. "C'mere Mommy! Right Now!" does not fly in this household. Neither does "Stop that! Connor's toys. Babies leave 'lone!"

Boat in the Water. He's mentioned it about once every hour since we've been home. He asks every night at dinner if we're going "Boat in the water later?" and is always disappointed to find out that we're not, that we don't have a boat here at our house, and that we're not immediately going back to the lake.

Ride the Tractor. During his visit last week, he seems to recall getting to ride on Grandpa's "tractor" (aka, the old lawn mower without a deck or blades) at least once a day. He reminds me of it here at home, even though we don't own a riding lawn mower.

Gimme Hug. This one is, indeed, adorable, and it's something he's always done quite a bit around the house. But while on vacation, he got in the habit of doing it ALL the time. He asks for it at the most inopportune moments - like when I'm trying to take five minutes to eat my lunch, or when I'm changing a diaper, or when I'm fixing everyone's dinner. He's having to learn a little more patience again, since every wish and whim is not instantly gratified (sorry, Grandma, the boy has to learn).

Nap Time. While he sometimes took naps on his visit, he didn't always. And I have a feeling that if he resisted very hard, he won the battle. That doesn't happen at home. If he's acting tired, he gets put in bed, regardless of whining, whimpering, crying and outright screaming. He says he thinks nap times should be optional, and he would probably never exercise the option. He'd rather fall asleep on the couch.

Learning New Words. Things like the long, drawn-out "Well!" when things don't go just as he thinks they should, or "You stinker!" when someone does something a little bit bad (usually Connor, calling himself a "stinker"), or finally, wanting someone to wipe his "bottom" instead of his butt. It's cute to see the differences in language after only a week.

Comprehension. This one would be hilarious, if it weren't so annoying. Clearly used to having his own way, he's having trouble being reprimanded or being told what to do. For instance, "Share with your brother," or "Leave brother's toys alone," are always met with a confused "What?" or "What you say?" He knows exactly what, and what I've said, for that matter. He chooses not to understand.

It's a slow process, readjusting to the normal rules of life after living it up with Grandma and Pa at the lake for so long. He says if he knew how to write, he'd sneak in here later and post an open letter to Grandma that essentially says "Save me! Mommy bad! No share! No brothers! Grape Kool-aid now! Donals now! Swimmin' and boat in the water! Back the trailer in the water. No drink (the lake)! Keep mouth closed (as if)! Kick and paddle! Save me! Mommy bad!"

Weekend at the Lake

Late last night, Josh and I brought home three very tired little boys from a weekend at the lake (Connor was coming home after more than a week with Grandma and Pa). The drive back was uneventful, other than the fact that all three boys decided they were hungry a mere 45 minutes after we left the cabin (and had a rather large meal). They wolfed down an entire LARGE 10-piece chicken nugget meal and french fries, and even got part of MY large Coke (the only reason we really stopped in the first place). I really think they would eat McDonald's every day, if given the option.

So we spent the last few days alternately chasing three little boys around a non-childproof house or the wrap-around porch, taking them out in the "boat on the water," taking stroller walks in the neighborhood (which has lots of rather large hills, I might add), and watching them play with "new" toys and fall in love with grape Kool-Aid as their new beverage of choice in their sippy cups. Oh, and finding them completely unwilling to sleep most of the time. Connor resisted nap times, afraid he was going to be left behind while we all went out on the boat without him. The twins never do well in strange places, but Sawyer was nearly the death of us all. The boy woke up around 4 a.m. both mornings. 4 a.m. - surely he cannot really be my son with those sleep habits! Grandma quickly marched upstairs and put him back in bed, but it didn't last long. By 6:30 or so, he was ready to go again. By the end of the weekend, one look in the door from Grandma sent both boys running back to the bed, be it nap time or bed time, when they were trying to stay up and play in their room!

We also learned that we definitely have at least two water babies on our hands. Connor can never get enough swimming. He kept telling whoever was driving the boat to "Stop!" every five minutes while we were actually moving. He wanted to stop and swim, AGAIN, you see. And he would stay in the water for hours and hours if you let him, never getting tired (or at least pretending not to be - you could definitely notice a slower stroke later in the day) and never wanting to get out - not even with the attempted bribes of drinks or snacks. Sawyer, though hesitant at first (mostly because of the bulky life jacket he's not worn much), eventually got into it by laughing and splashing and kicking his feet in the water. He still wants you to hold on to him in the water, but Connor has moved on from this stage. He likes to swim back and forth to people and seems as comfortable by himself as when he's with someone. Xander was not much for the water this trip. In fairness, he was tired and fell asleep the minute the boat started moving and didn't wake up until it was time to go back to the dock. But even if he'd been awake, given our recent pool outings, I don't think the lake water would have made him any happier than the pool. We'll have to keep trying with him, or find something else he likes better at the lake.

We had a good weekend, visiting and catching up with Grandma and Pa. We got to eat lots of good food, mostly slow-cooked on a charcoal grill (something we're both too lazy and impatient to do at our own house). And we got to spend some time in the water and at the cabin, watching the boys as they played and got to escape the walls of our house for a change. Connor loved his trip the most, and was a little sorry to come home. As we were packing things to go last night, Xander was standing by the gate crying, afraid of being left. Connor, on the other hand, looked once at me and once back at Grandma, then said, "Connor stay with Grandpa. Babies go home."

Clearly we'll have to take the boy to visit again soon. I've already heard about seeing "Grandpa later tonight!" and going "Boat on the water later tonight! After while!"

Snapshot Sunday

Family shot - Daddy holding Sawyer (our newest water baby), Connor hiding (he was both tired and wanting to get back in the water), and Mommy holding Xander (who finally woke up at the end of the day on the water).

A Day at the Lake

Connor and Pa earlier this week on his adventure at the lake.

Photo Flashback

Connor, fascinated by the television. (July 25, 2006)



Sawyer with his baby blues, before they turned brown. (July 25, 2006)



Xander with his baby blues and a little bit of slobber, too. (July 25, 2006)