New Developments

At the Jones-Jewett household, Spring Break has just come to an end. Sigh. And it was a glorious one, too. I took a couple mom-cation days to myself (not really myself - me and the painters and handymen who were doing some minor things at our new house), and spent a few days with the Ethan-boy. Just a perfect balance of napping and excitement. I'm sure you can figure out which of those options included Ethan.

What worked out just perfectly was that my sister was here from Santa Fe most of the week of our Break, so we took one day to head to the Children's Discovery Museum in Bloomington. All of us minus Brian, who was working, in my car...it was a bit of a crunch, but fun nonetheless. My sister brings out the silly in all of us. Especially Ethan, who at times can be a very serious boy. Here we are painting:
Or rather, Mom and Anda were painting, and Ethan was off to the next activity. He very much enjoyed the dental health exhibit:
though he sort of missed the point about brushing and preferred to roar within the giant teeth.

The last Saturday of our vacation Ethan had a birthday party to go to. LOVE kids birthday parties. The mom friends I've met and gotten to know through Ethan are really and truly all wonderful. It's so much fun to watch Ethan have fun with his buddies when I can also have great conversations with the other moms. Ethan has good taste in families to befriend. Jackson's third birthday party was at the nature center (fun) and had a dinosaur theme (even better!). You can see Ethan slowly getting into the spirit of things:

I have to say, Jackson's dad was a pretty good sport to wear the dinosaur hat. :)

What is not pictured here is the glorious temper tantrum Ethan threw when it was time to leave the party. I did all of the good parenting things to warn him that it was time to go - a 10 minute warning, 5 minute warning, had him say goodbye to his friends with a promise that we'd see them soon and would also be at the nature center again very soon...and he still flipped out. New phase, I guess, since he has flipped out over transitions daily during the last week. And I am well aware that it, as all other wonderful new developments like this one, is "age appropriate". However: Ethan. Is. Huge. He is the size and weight of a 5 year old, wearing the clothes to match. He was head and shoulders (literally) over the other little boys at this party, and most other kids in his class. So dragging him away from a party kicking and screaming (literally) was no small feat. I was covered in mud by the time we made it to the car, and when he started to hit me, hard, I snapped at him for the first time in his short life. Then, this conversation followed:

Me: "Ethan, I think you're in time out in the car. We'll talk more when we get home."
Ethan: "I'm in trouble?"
Me: "Yes, you're in trouble. You hit Mama and that makes me very sad."
Ethan: (thinking)
Me: (thinking I've won)
Ethan: "I'm the Mama. You're in trouble. I'm sorry, I'm not talking to you, because you're in trouble."
Me: (trying not to laugh)
Ethan: "You hit me. You're in trouble. You shouldn't hit people. That makes me sad. You're in time out. I'm not talking to you."

I was sort of hoping that the role reversal was going to teach him the right path, but no, he proceeded to hit me again the next day and then the day after.

Other gems from this formerly non-talking boy:

Ethan (at bedtime, after he has just used the potty): "Mama! Mama! I really really really need to pee!"
Me: "Honey, you just did pee. We're all done peeing tonight."
Ethan: "Mama! My body is saying [cue deep gravely voice], 'I really need to pee.'"
Me: "OK, Ethan, you've got one minute to pee. Let's go."
Ethan: (smiling)
He has also informed me that his body really needs a fruit snack or his tummy will be sad. His body is doing a lot of talking these days!