Sam’s Mom

It’s sure hard when Jim goes away.  It feels like being a single Mom.  I am responsible for these two innocent children 24 hours a day for however many days he is gone.  I have been so tired this week.  The baby is even sleeping better, but I am still tired.

The boys were tired today too.  I wonder if we are all coming down with something.

I feel like I spend a lot of time telling Sam what to do or what he did wrong. it takes a great deal of energy and patience not to get angry and lose my cool with him.  I was not very good at it- but last night I made it "not ok" to strike him in anger.  Today I tried lowering my voice, and then plopping him in a chair when that didn’t work. 

I often feel, though, like I am talking to a wall when I say the same thing over and over and over. I find myself starting to get tougher on him and even plopping him in a chair simply for not listening and following directions.  Is he too young for this?

One improvement I could make on this technique is to make sure I catch his eye whenever I am giving inctructions to make sure he understood me. That’s another thing.  I think maybe I don’t look him in the eye enough because he often won’t look me in the eye during discipline or to hear instruction.

On a different note, Nate is growing so fast.  I took pictures of him sitting on the living room floor all by himself today.  i also (at Mom’s suggestion) bathed him in the big bathtub with his brother tonight.  He really seemed to like it.  Sam did too and evven tried to help me hold him up.

The nighttime routine will really get easier when I can bathe them together consistently.

Ok, got chores to do and dessert to eat.

I am writing this to you, Sam, and I hope one day you will read it and know what a wonderful little boy you were, and just how much your Mommy loves you. I just left my favorite one of your bears on your pillow right next to your head and kissed your cheek, as you slept.

At two years and 4 months old you are quite the little character.  Your Daddy and I are totally enamored by you.  You are a little man in the making.

Ok - I am finally getting back to this and now you are almost 2 and a half.  You are still quite the little man. You are totally oin love with frogs.  You currently have twenty two of them in all shapes and sizes.  You have singing frogs, frogs that say "bibbit", a magnet frog, a tin of frog cards, a frog greeting card, A great big huge frog and little frogs too.  We throw them down the staairs when you get up in the morning and throw them back up at naptime and big sleep time.  We rarely leave the house without at least one frog in tow.

You talk all the time and are developing quite an understanding of the world around you. Unfortunately, you have learned the words "No", "I don’t want to". "mine", and "right now" very well! Today, when I asked you to pick something up you said "ohhkaaayy" like a sighing teenager would.

The other day when we pulled into Stewart’s to get gas- you said "I want ice cream." I had no idea you knew we could get ice cream there. Of course, I got you ice cream!

I look at you every single day in awe and amazement at how much you have grown, how much you have learned, and what a wonderful little person you are becoming. Tonight you were trying hard to fit frogs on the shelf under the television. You could not fit a particular one and you said "Mommy, this frog too big".  I gave you a suggestion on how to rearrange them so they would fit.  You looked totally befuddled for a bit - then you figured out something different than what I said, but it worked. 

You are a good little helper too.  You put your dishes in the sink after we eat. You often put the rest of Nate’s bottle in the refrigerator or wash Nate’s feet when I am bathing him.  If I ask you to put your clothes in the laundry you push them through the cat hole in the basement door!

Lately, when I say "I love you so much.",  You follow with "I love you so much, too."

I could tell you so much more about what a wonderful little guy you are, but once again , I am ending my day exhausted. I will add to this letter or write more to you soon. I love you Sam.

Nater Tater is not quite five months old and he had his first Easter today. He played with Didda, Amma, Robin and Amanda.  He also played with all his new toys. He learned last night how to give raspberries.  Robin and Amanda taought him. When I was trying to put him to bed tonight, he looked me right in the eye and gave me raspberries.  It was so hard to put him down after that!

For Easter he wore his cute little suit that used to be Sam’s. He got to eat some Jello jiggler too.  He seemed to like it.

We had such fun today.  We all played hide and seek I ran around the house with Nate in my arms and Sam ran the other way.  When we met up- we yelled boo to each other.  Nate laughed a lot.  Sam and Nate played with a toy together too.  He’d say "have it Nate?", then "You did it!" - as he took it away. Nate is getting close to being able to sit up some so they really will be able to play together soon.  This will be lots of fun!