Coming Home

It seems that from the moment I got home from retreat last Sunday, the boys have made it their mission to crack me up.  Maybe I just really missed them, but not only did it seem that they grew while I was gone, it also seemed that they got funnier!

I know I'm not going to remember everything they've done and said the past week right now, so I'll have to add to this post as it comes to me.

• At dinner, we were going through our usual battle with Micah to eat his dinner.  It came to the point where he got a small swat on the bottom from Adam.  Nothing life changing, more like a warning.  After he was back in his seat, Micah explains to Adam, "Dad, you know what I do when you spank me so it doesn't hurt so bad?  I just squeeze my butt real tight together."  At four years old, he's already figured out a strategy!

• After dinner, Micah came over to my side of the table and burped VERY loud and long.  I'm not sure if that ability is just built into the male anatomy or what, but for whatever reason he can do it and do it well.  I raised my eyebrows at him and instead of  "Excuse me," he said, very slowly, "I love it...when I belch...like a man."
  
• We started potty training Seth on February 26...almost two weeks now.  So far, he has been MUCH easier than Micah was to train.  Perhaps it's because we are more experienced, but I also think it's because we didn't push the issue until we knew he was absolutely ready and waited longer.  Before this date, he had been a casual toilet user.  You know, just using it when it was fun or to impress us or get our hopes up.  The first time he pooped in the toilet at home, he looked behind him and exclaimed, "EW!  It's so gross!"  Apparently, he didn't think it gross enough to change his pooping-in-pants ways at that point.
  While I was gone last weekend, I was glad to hear that he had done pretty well and not had many accidents.  Not bad for only one week!  Even better, this week he has started telling us when he needs to go rather than us asking him every half hour.  He tells me now that he needs to do it by himself, without my help.  While I am very much looking forward to that day, I don't think he's that accomplished in his toilet capabilities yet.  So, much to his disappointment, he still gets accompanied.  This often results in some great conversations.  Today, for example, he told Nanny (my mother-in-law) after depositing one into the toilet, "Watch, Nanny, and I'll poop some more!"  I can't blame him for thinking that we all enjoy this gross display, considering how excited we get and the rewards he receives every time he goes.

• Sometimes when I am getting Micah dressed, he goes off into his own little world and talks to himself.  I guess I'm used to it, because half the time, I don't even pay attention.  Well, the other night, for whatever reason, he was saying, in a silly,  high voice, "Yellow, green.  Yellow green."  I realized what he was doing and laughed and he looked me in the eye and said, "Yellow, green, RED."  On "RED," his voice got low and sinister and he cocked his head to the side.  I don't know why, but it got my funny bone and had me laughing so hard I was crying.  We even busted out the camera and took a good 5 minute video of him.  He's such a ham that he really stepped it up then.  Maybe I'll have to put it up on youtube so you can all fully appreciate what I'm talking about.