Caden quoteables

Last night as I was saying good night to Little Man, totally unprompted, "Love you forever, mommy!" Oh, me too, buddy, me too!! This made me love being a mom!

Last night as I was shutting his bedroom door, "Can you shut my door open a little please?" In the same moment, I was pleased he remembered to say please and totally amused by shutting the door open!

Tonight after I let my hair out the crazy up-do I had going on today, "You don't look like you, mommy, cause your hair is crazy (it's a bit wavy/curly from being up while wet this morning, but I'm certain I still look like "me"). You look like Cinderella.” Very random character to throw out there as Caden has little experience with princesses. Also, I'm not sure if this was a huge insult to Cinderella implying she looked like me or one huge compliment to me saying I looked as pretty as Cinderella. Don't care, I'm taking it that I’m princess-like . . .at least in my little man’s eyes and that means the world to me today! :)

Can't you just see the similarities?? :)

Did He Really???

So as most of you know we have been having a LOT of trouble getting Caden to go to bed and stay in bed.  Last night we tried a new tactic of putting him in bed then each time he got up we took turns of picking him up and putting him back to bed without saying anything to him.  Needless to say this really, really made him mad.  Several times I had to ask myself..."Did he really just say that?  I think he's trying to be insulting but I had to leave the room in a hurry several times! 

Here are some of my favorites keeping in mind they were being sreamed at us in a wailing 5 year old voice.

"You're a stinkyhead."
"You stinky ol lady head."
"You keeping breaking my heart now I gotta fro up."
"Talk to me stinkyhead."
"I'm not loving you no more."

But what I love is that he was madder than a hornet's nest last night and got up all lovie dovie this morning like nothing had ever happened.  Round 2 tonight I am sure!

bedtime bedlam

Actual comments from Caden tonight as I struggled with bedtime for the 736th night in a row: At my billionth request to get back in bed . . ."You broke my heart!" at full voume AND "You're breaking my heart and my feelings!!" also at top volume AND "I feel like I'm going to throw up because you broke my heart!" AND "I don't feel good because you're yelling at me so much!" a good 5 minutes after I was done yelling at him.

I used to enjoy bedtime, but now I'd rather skip it most nights, except that leads to other undesirable problems. On the upside, we've now had 3 nights of Caden sleeping in his bed all night as opposed to our bedroom floor. One step forward, two steps back. Parenting is NOT for the faint of heart for sure!

a visit from the tooth fairy

I think this visit from the tooth fairy has been on the books since way back in November when Caden had an unfortuante collision with the side of the bath tub. His tooth wasn't loose then, but it has been wiggly for the last few days. Yesterday morning as we were driving, Caden began fussing, "It's weally wiggwly. It's weally wiggwly." Then all of a sudden he cried out, "My tooth is in my hand! Take it mom!! Am I blooding? Will the tooth fairy come now?" Though he was full of anxiety and woe all week about having a wiggwly tooth, he was eagerly anticiapting a visit from the famed tooth fairy. We've never discussed the tooth fairy with Caden, but I think it's been a hot topic of discussion at preschool for the last few months. So he was looking to cash in.

After much discussion (read: disagreement) among the gap-tooth wonder's parental units about the price to be paid out by this tooth fairy, it was decided he should receive exactly $1.41. I realize this seems like an odd price to pay for a tiny little baby tooth, but perhaps if I point out that $1.41 equals 1 dollar bill, 1 quarter, 1 dime, I nickel, and 1 penny it will make it clearer. This seemed a unique amount and a good compromise of what the tooth fairy heaped upon Doug at $5.00 a tooth (pre-recession, I might add) and the quarter she shelled out for my teeth (I clearly was robbed, though I do rememebr receiving slightly more for the one tooth I swallowed!!)

Needless to say, this morning Caden was quite thrilled to find his tooth vanished and cash in its place. He's proudly shown and/or told everyone about it today. And thus, it's another milestone reached in Caden's life. I msut admit, I don't usually cry at milestones, but I welled up big time yesterday and boohooed about my baby growing up to which Caden impatiently replied, "Mom! It's just a tooth! You don't have to cry about it!"

gappy smile

Can you see the tiny hole on the bottom row of teeth?

the *tiny* hole in his mouth

February 14th

Has become known at our house as "Balemtimes Day" courtesy of one adorable little man.

heart breaker

That's what I am and I don't mean the super attractive, love 'em, but leave 'em kind. I mean a real heart breaker.

As has been par for the course the past few weeks, I struggled with Caden at bedtime tonight. He didn't want to go because he wanted to drink hot chocolate. Once I got him into bed, he threw a MAJOR fit because he didn't want me to go back downstairs which is his typical plea/demand at bedtime. The MAJOR fit led to me losing my cool and yelling at him. Not my finest mommy moment. Then Caden was consumed with hysterical tears and choking gasping sobs. When I tried to comfort him, he told me, "You broke my heart!" I explained I hadn't meant to upset him, but he didn't understand. He just kept repeating, "You broke my heart because you were yelling at me", in the saddest, sweetest little voice. Oh my goodness! It broke mommy's heart. Talk about laying on the guilt thick and heavy! I'm not really sure where Caden's heard about broken hearts, but I'm guessing there's been a lot of Valentine's Day discussion going on in his class at school.

identity crisis

I'm quite fervently hoping that the identity crisis my blog is suffering from is not an indication of where my current or future mental state is at. I've been struggling with the look and name of our blog for some time now. I want something that reflects us as a family. I asked for Doug's input on backgrounds and colors, but his tastes, I discovered, are radically different than mine. We agreed on little . . . until we happened upon this background. We both really like the colors and the "creative without being too cute, frilly, or overdone" look of it. I think it suits us. Now, as for my identity, it could be headed for crisis too!