Flowery English

Canaan has always been very theatrical, tending toward the melodramatic. His tantruming screeches often reach operatic decibels and every injury is a tragedy. Lately he has been lending his flair for the dramatic to his apologies. Like many kids, he has a nightlight in his room. However, his is not due to a fear of the dark-he just likes it because it's shaped like a train. The downside to a nightlight is that he can see to get out of bed and play when he's supposed to be sleeping. The rule is that if he gets out of bed, the nightlight goes away until he falls asleep-if he can't see to play, he stays in bed. He does get one chance to earn it back and go to sleep with it on-two violations and it's gone for the night. Last night he got the nightlight taken away and after a few minutes of enraged screeches he quieted back down. When I went into his room to check on him, he said "Mommy, I am so terribly, terribly sorry! May I please have my nightlight back now?" I laughed but did give him back the light!

Brother, DO NOT CURSE!

Ezra has decided that the cupboard on our computer desk is his own personal garage. He parks cars and stuffed toys in there and occasionally the cat if she's foolish enough to crawl inside. Well, the other day he wanted to park a large tractor inside. It was too big and he could drive it in as far as the back tires which would get stuck. When this happened, the tractor would roll out. He put up with this for about fifteen minutes but after the final unsuccessful tractor-parking he looked up at me and said "What the hell!". He then proceeded to say it every time the tractor rolled out of the "garage". Well, at least it wasn't the f-word this time.

As for Canaan; he let me know last Sunday that even in the hospital, his dignity is paramount. He had to use a urinal bottle at one point and it was mostly successful but he got a small amount of pee on himself. He found this DEEPLY offensive. The next time I asked him "Canaan, do you have to pee?" he answered "Not in a BOTTLE I do NOT!".

On a Serious Note

I need to pause from my usual entertaining posts to pull out a soapbox due to an emergency our family underwent yesterday. My son Canaan suffered a serious and potentially life-threatening injury to his spinal cord doing something a lot of kids do-jumping on the bed. He climbed up on the back and seriously injured his neck and was rushed to the emergency room. The doctors told us that he managed to escape paralysis mostly due to his age; they said a similar spinal injury to an adult would have most certainly meant paralysis. So if you have a jumper or a climber-reevaluate your surroundings! Especially their bedrooms if they go in there and close the door. I am not trying to fear-monger but I never in a million years thought this would happen to my child.

A budding vegetarian, perhaps?

Canaan has just barely begun to realize that meat=animals. Slippery slope, my friends. The other day, we had the following conversation:

Canaan: "Mommy, I am eating chicken?"
Me: "Yes, that's right".
Canaan: "Chicken is a bird? It looks like a bird..."
Me: "Yes, Canaan, chicken is a bird."
Canaan: "Then I DO NOT want to eat it. It will be SO CROSS with me!!"

Crossness notwithstanding his love of chicken won out in the end. It will be interesting to see how this plays out though.

Sneaky, sneaky Brother!

We've just recently taken the rail off of Ezra's crib and now that he's figured out how to sneak out, nighttime is full of new adventures. Two nights ago my husband heard him playing with Buzz Lightyear (darn those noisy toys-foiling babies like that!) and went to check. 


When Ezra heard him coming he tried to climb back in bed, but he wasn't fast enough. So instead, he decided to just stand VERY still and close his eyes and hope Daddy thought he was asleep! Of course it didn't work, but it sure was funny!

My Kid Swears

Is it wrong that I'm proud he can do it in context??

Yesterday, Ezra was riding on a large bucket tractor. It's not really a ride-on, so he gets stuck sometimes. To make it interesting, he was wearing a pair of rubber boots that belong to his brother-they're much, much too big. One boot got caught on the tractor and he screeched indignantly. My friend disentangled him and as he angrily stomped off we heard him mutter "Fuckin' SHOES!!". Just like Daddy...sigh.

Spring! It's here!!

The snow is finally melting and the boys and I went on a walk today!

Canaan decided to lay down here-wet, he found out.

As always, here comes Brother to help!

He was kicking the snow "just like a racecar!!" Huh?

"Oooh, be so CAREFUL!!" said Ezra.

Alas, sometimes careful just isn't enough.

Smoosh!

Canaan just figured out that there are power lines up above his head.

Still pondering those power lines!

"So SPEEDY!"

Canaan was hiding. From what, I do not know.

Imagination...

Canaan is old enough now to think up scenarios in his head and he enjoys telling me what he imagines. Tonight I was tucking him in and he took his stuffed pony (one of four that accompanies him to bed) and said to me "Monarch is going to work!" "Oh really?" I replied. "And what does Monarch do at work, exactly?" "Oh, he is a cactus" said Canaan nonchalantly. As to how Monarch could be a cactus...well, we never got that far.

S-M-R-T

Lately, Ezra is very into lauding himself; he will tell me that he is "so smart" "so cute" "so speedy" and "so fierce" regularly. Of course, I agree. This morning, he figured out how to wipe his own face with a damp towel, and was so excited he came to me and said "Mommy, ALL CLEAN!! I am so smart-I am as smart as a PIZZA!!". I had no idea pizzas were brainy-learn something new every day!

The Confusion of a Brother

So, Fierce Baby Ezra is too young to really remember snow. Since we are currently in the grip of a blizzard, it's very, very exciting. BUT...it's confusing, too. Today, he climbed up to look out the window and said "Look! Look at all the flour!" He is convinced that the whole world has fallen victim to an over-enthused baker. Canaan knows better though and told him that "It has to snow, so the snowplows can do their work".

Happy post-holidays!

I hope everyone survived the glorious holiday season with their sanity intact (we will forever take a cue from Canaan and call it "Cursemas"). The boys got many, many toys; favorites include their new mini-trampoline from their grandparents and the much-lauded Pillow Pets. Here are some Christmas pictures and a video of a jumping Ezra.

Canaan and the glorious PURPLE PONY!! 

 Ezra stuffing his chipmunk cheeks!

Ezra jumping!!