Just when we thought we were in the clear, yet another virus is making it's rounds in our house. Colby said his "mouth hurt" for about a week, and just as he got better, Miller came down with a terrible cold and a fever of 102.5 this morning.
Regardless, we've tried to make the most of "Spring Break", although with Colby, I really don't think "break" is the correct terminology. I think I jinxed myself in my earlier post when I said that Colby has stopped tormenting Miller. He is back at it, and he's tormenting his mommy and daddy as well. (more details below)
In other news, we recently purchased a swingset for our back yard, and both Colby and Miller are loving it.
Colby likes to go "high in the sky" and says "I wanna touch the moon". A friend of mine pointed out the wine glass in this photo...no wonder we think the swingset is so much fun.
I've been talking up the Easter Bunny for a month or so, and Colby was very excited about going to see him. He was not intimidated or scared at all, and he happily climbed on his lap. I was very proud of him because most of the kids his age (at least that I know) have been terrified. Colby will be very cordial to anyone whose sole purpose in life is to bring him treats.
And the Easter Bunny did not disappoint! Colby received a basket of toys and trinkets, along with some pez candy and a few m&m's. His favorite things are his new water bottle for spraying outside and some plastic "nakes". Miller got a few toys and some eggs filled with puffs.
Colby was very happy for about 30 minutes....until....
he set out on a mission to see how many time outs he could get in a day. I think he set his own personal record, and I need to check with The Guinness Book to see if he broke the world record. The day was full of pushes, pinches, screams and hits....mostly directed at Miller. Some at us. His favorite method of torture is to play Ring Around the Rosie and fall down on Miller, making sure he lands on at least one of her limbs. Whenever we see him start to walk circles around Miller(reminiscent of a hawk circling it's prey), we rush in and scoop Miller up before the beat down begins. Colby went to time out so many times yesterday that we started putting his guitar in time out, just to up the ante a little.
I told Lee that I love both of my children equally, but one was definitely more enjoyable to be around than the other. (Ok, that's not really what I said, but that's what I meant)....and it wasn't the one who just pinched me on the hand. Lee said that we need to revisit this conversation in 14 years, when Miller hates her clothes, blames me for it, tells me that I ruined her life.
Colby's a smart little fellow, though. Just when I can't take it anymore, he looks at me and says "I wuv you, mommy." He must have said that about five times yesterday, instinctively knowing he needed to do a little self preservation.
Poor little Miller must think this world is a cruel place. If she's not snotty and sick, she's getting hit, pinched, or more often, ignored. Regardless, she's a sweet and happy little baby, and I think she'll be crawling soon. She's up on all fours, rocking back and forth, and pushing herself backwards.
We ended the day with a dinner of filet mignon, grilled asparagus and polenta. (asparagus is one of the few vegetables Colby will eat) That's actually what we eat almost every Sunday, when Lee cooks, but it worked well for Easter.
**update**
I just returned from a conference with Colby's preschool teacher, and it's all good news. Phew! Thank goodness. The last time I met with her, she told me he was her most difficult 2 year old, so I went in prepared for more of the same.
It's funny though, because the first thing she said was:
"You know, looking at Colby, he looks so innocent and laid back. But I've realized that he does understand what I'm saying (she's referring to when he doesn't follow directions), he knows the rules and what's expected of him, he's just a very
very strong willed little boy who is always testing his limits".
Hmmm...ya think? I've been trying to tell the teacher that all year, especially when we had special meetings because she felt that Colby wasn't comprehending speech, wasn't following directions, etc. I told her over and over that he was just ignoring her, but she didn't believe me. It has taken her 8 months to realize Colby has been pulling the wool over her eyes the entire time.
Some other things she said (anyone who is not a grandparent might want to skip this part):
-Colby is a multi-processor, meaning he likes to (and is able to) do 2 things at once. Basically, he likes to move around while he is learning, which is what his music teacher also said about him. His teacher said he likes to play with something during story time and does not want to sit on the carpet, but he still likes to listen to the story. Instead, he'll do a puzzle or work on something else while he listens, and he's still able to answer questions about the story when it's over. The funny thing is that my father and I are both exactly like this. I was always getting in trouble in school for doing something else while the teacher was talking (such as weaving a bracelet under the desk or doodling) but I always made good grades. I was listening and learning, but teachers never liked me because they thought I wasn't paying attention or participating in class.
-They have added music time after the story just as motivation to get Colby to sit on the carpet. If he sits, he gets to pick out his favorite instrument (usually bells or a tamorine). If he gets up during the story, he gets to play his least favorite...the dreaded sticks. She said this is working out very well and he usually sits now.
-Colby is tall for his age, outgoing, and very social, so she thinks he will be a good fit for public school. (there are other children in the class who are shy who she thinks will excel more in a smaller and more personal setting)
-Colby's favorite activity is playing dress up (brace yourself, Lee) with the purses and handbags. He puts on a purse and tells the teacher he's going to the grocery store.
-She said the one thing Colby needs to work on is saying "no" if another student does something to him that he does not like. Apparently, one of the other kids in the class likes to tackle Colby, and she said that Colby will just lay there (even when he's not enjoying it) without saying anything.
We talked about Colby's hitting at home, and it's surprising to her because he has never once acted out physically in class. In fact, she thinks he's very very sweet, which he is....most of the time. The teacher thinks he's feeling jealousy and resentment towards Miller and just doesn't know how to express it. She sees this often when a second sibling comes along, and she said he probably feels like he's not #1 anymore. I guess I can put myself in Colby's shoes....I'd feel like that, too, if Lee brought home a sister wife. I might pinch her or push her down....maybe steal her makeup or shoes.
What the teacher wanted to emphasize is that we need to try and remain as positive as possible, even when we are frustrated. Even jokinly saying that Colby is "B-A-D", which I've spelled out before, is a bad thing to do. He might not know what it spells, but he knows it's not good and he knows we are talking about him. She said it takes 1000 positive statments to make up for just one negative thing that you say to a child. It's always good to be reminded about things like that.
So all in all, a very good report. We are very proud of how far he has come this year. I think we'll keep him.
