Dec. 4: In the two hours since Andrew returned home from preschool, he’s uttered a handful of memorable phrases. For example:
- As we were leaving the playground,
Andrew: “How much did you and Sylvia miss me while I was at preschool?”
Me: “Sooo much! Sylvia kept saying, ‘Where is Big Brother, I miss him so much? When will he come home again?'”
Andrew to Sylvia: (grinning from ear to ear) “It’s alright now, Sylvia, I’m back! I haven’t given her a kiss yet, Mom. Can you bend down so I can kiss her yiddle head?” - When we got home, Andrew discovered that I’d put up all the Christmas decorations. He was running around the house admiring them all and wanted to try his favorite, a wooden Santa music box. “Oh, Mom! It’s so beeautiful!”
- Andrew requested a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (big shocker there) for lunch today. I made Sylvia and myself some noodles. That was a mistake, because of course then Andrew wanted noodles too. So I told him that if he finished all his sandwich, I would make him some noodles.
He didn’t like that plan. He suggested that he put his (mangled) sandwich in the refrigerator, “for later” and have noodles now. After trying several other angles, he laid his head down on his arms and sobbed. Must be tired from school today. Through his sobs, he choked out that I “wasn’t talking very nicely to him.” Apparently saying, “Honey, I understand that you really want noodles. If you finish all your sandwich including the crusts, I’ll make you some.” doesn’t count as speaking nicely:) - After our tearful lunch, I went to put Sylvia down for her nap. Andrew was helping me rip our Christmas CDs onto the computer. He loves to help with that and can do it all on his own. I’d only been nursing Sylvia for a few moments when I hear, “Help helphelp HELP help help HELP HELP!! MOMMY! HELP!” I jump with Sylvia (sort of expecting to find his finger stuck in the computer, given the frantic-ness of his cries), and come out to find an utterly distraught Andrew looking at the computer screen and crying and nearly hyperventilating. I’ve seen such behavior in adults before when computers don’t work well, but I wasn’t very pleased with him for having me jump up with Sylvia (thereby completely messing up her going-down-for-a-nap cycle). I told him I’d help him when I was done putting Sylvia down, and he continued to dramatically cry at the computer for about five minutes saying things like, “Help, oh please oh please help me!!! Oh no, Mommy help helphelphelp helpmehelpmehelpmehelpmehelpme!!!”
Syliva was so intrigued by the dramatics occurring in the next room that she wouldn’t settle down for her nap. So I came out to find out what was wrong. Turns out that the songs were being alphabetized by name instead of track number so the track numbers were all out of order. Makes me shake my head to think back on how completely that FREAKED HIM OUT.
Andrew’s now taking a nap. Sylvia isn’t. She’s crying sporadically as she tries to help herself fall asleep. Oh, wait, a moment of silence. Sweet, sweet silence. I daren’t check on them both for fear that it will wake them!
PS. They’ve been sleeping for an hour!!
And I just remembered another Andrew quote. This morning during breakfast, Andrew was admiring his pajamas. “Those pjs are from Grandma Margot,” I told him. “She got you those for your second birthday.” A look of delight appeared on Andrew’s face, he hugged himself and then waved his arms in the air, “I LOVE Grandma Margot!!,” he said.