unusual request

Dennis was really "on" today, on full blast, actually, with much talking, movement, eating, talking, playing, and talking. And talking. I didn't see him until lunchtime, and it's as if he had to cram all the words from our usual entire day together into the latter half of today. My ears are tired. And when I told the dog to go out, I actually expected him to ask "why" and I was even prepared to answer! I try to answer every "why" that Dennis asks--good teaching opportunities--unless I know that he knows the answer. In those instances, I turn the question back on him. Sometimes I want a t-shirt that says 'Google'.

Tonight, after playing Pizza Delivery Man, driving around in his plastic storage crate/delivery van, I finally got him to be still long enough for me to zip him into his coat and get him out the door at Gran's and Pop's. We picked David up at work tonight because the car that broke down last week is still at the property where he was working. We're hoping that one's a cheap and easy fix, because the other one is making the most bizarre noise I've yet heard a car make. Dennis said tonight "um, are you sure we're going to make it home?" (Side note: we covet your prayers for a couple of sick Chevrolets--thanks). When we did arrive home, it was after 10 minutes of silence from the backseat. Dennis asked David if he had missed him last night (he stayed with Gran and Pop), and David told him yes and answered the resulting "why did you miss me?" with a "because I love you." And then there was silence. We noticed that he looked VERY relaxed in the backseat, as in nearly comatose, and asked him if he was tired. He said he wasn't, but as we were putting the stuff from the car away, he was following us around, wringing his hands anxiously, asking "will you please put me to bed now? I need to go to bed. Will you help me get my shoes off? Will you please carry me to bed?". I presume he hit the point of total exhaustion, because he usually resists bed rather vehemently. He asked for a movie in bed, so we turned on Thomas, but when I checked on him a few minutes later, he was down for the count. May he sleep peacefully and, hopefully, late!

big demolition job

What a great Dennis day! When I woke him up this morning, I whispered his name and he said, eyes closed, "What?" very matter-of-fact. Then his eyes opened, his face lit up, his arms shot up in the air and he yelled "SCHOOL!". I wonder how many years that will last. Later, when he was about to nap, I went in to check on him. He wasn't sleeping but was lying there quietly, idly drumming his fingers on the quilt. I asked what was on his mind, and he replied "I'm just laying here, waiting for the snow." I hated telling him that no snow is in the forecast right now. He again expressed his extreme desire to go tobogganing!

Tonight, we headed to the lake to celebrate the purchase of Gigi's lake house, right next to Uncle Denny's place and right across from our parents' places. Dennis is one lucky little guy to be growing up with a little family compound at the lake, grandparents and godparents right across from each other! We started some celebratory demolition at Gigi's tonight. Dennis pried off the old paneling with a crowbar and also pried up the old floor tiles. He worked hard, and he was THRILLED! He's breaking a shelf loose with a hammer in the picture. He loved having a job to do with real tools, and he was so serious about everything. He called for a dinner break after he'd been at it awhile, and we all headed to Gran's and Pop's lake place to share a meal. Tonight he's spending the night at their place (in town) and he just called to tell me they were having a pajama party and playing Cootie and were about to make a chocolate cake. He's had a stellar day. Apparently they made snow in his science class this morning, and in his computer class, they did an activity about firefighting. So, a day of snow, firefighting, demolition with real tools, and chocolate: just another perfect day in the life of Dennis!

spinning things

We actually got out of the house today, a first for the week, and I think we are slowly improving in health. Thank goodness for that!

Today was characterized by spinning things. First is the solar system we are building at Dennis' insistence. He has been asking to do this for quite a while, and when I was making out a shopping list, he listed some things of his own that he thought we needed. A solar system, paint for the planets ("just red will be fine"), an Auburn football complete uniform with helmet and jersey and white pants, and orange and blue pompoms, those are the things he absolutely had to have. Oh, and rounding out his list: a spinning toothbrush (the second 'spinning' thing important to today) which we bought for him, a Thomas the Train model. We also bought spinning brushes for ourselves, so tonight we are a family with very clean teeth! Imagine the face he made the very first time the spinning brush touched his teeth: priceless!

Oh, and he conceded to painting the sun and Saturn yellow. We'll be adding color stripes to Saturn, and some rings, but he's most excited about painting Mars. Red is his absolute favorite color. Nothing else comes close!

is that in the dictionary?

Check out the spaceship that Dennis built tonight. In our refusing to build for him, he's learned to construct things for himself. He asked me all day to build various things, and I didn't, so he built an assortment of structures (diving platform, play tower, spaceship) and presented them for my raving approval. I think he's learning that the fun of Lego is building what you imagine, not having your parents build a new toy for you to play with and then get upset when it falls apart. Though he did surprise us with a funny thing tonight. David and I were snuggled together on the couch when he came to find us and tell us "Daddy, you are a Lego Recator." We had never heard the term 'recator' before, so we asked him what it meant. He said "a recator is a grownup who builds whatever a kid tells them to build." Now that I've typed it out and looked at it, I think he might have read the words 'Lego Creator' on the box and botched the pronunciation a bit when he came to tell us about it. After he gave us this definition, he pointed his finger at us and said "and if you don't do what I tell you to do, you'll go to jail." We told him the couch was jail and that we were already there. He decided to build his own spaceship at that point, and we were so proud of his effort!

I just went to look in on him and turn off his lava lamp, and he's sleeping peacefully with his hand stretched across the bed. His outstretched hand is resting on Buzz Lightyear. So sweet!

BIG little fan

Late, late, late night! Dennis was winding down, about to go to bed, when he found me on the couch, sweating my way through the BCS Championship football game. We had given him several 10 minute warnings about bedtime, but David was stretched out in bed playing on his computer and I was too caught up in watching and looking away and watching the game to tuck him in and read a bedtime story. Dennis wanted to know what I was doing, so I told him Auburn was playing a game. He immediately asked "can I watch too?". I chose to see this as interest in the team and game rather than a ploy to stay up, plus I wanted the company. I got out the chips and dip and we partied together on the couch. He jumped up and down on the couch when it was warranted (and sometimes when it wasn't), and we happily enjoyed the game. David joined us for the final minutes of the game and got frustrated with Dennis while I was out of the room (tense moments in the game too nailbiting to watch). I came in to find a tied score and a crying kid, not good at all, so I scooped up Dennis and took him to his room to tuck him in (mumbling to David to go back to what he was doing while the team was winning). We read a story and I was headed out to get his medicine when David spoke up with "2 seconds left, setting up for field goal" and I detoured to the den to hold my breath. When the kick was good, and after I finished jumping up and down, I yelled for Dennis to come out and celebrate with us. He happily did so, jumping and yelling "war eagle" and "I love Auburn" and then telling his Daddy that he wants "some Auburn pom-poms, an Auburn shirt and white pants, and an Auburn football helmet." We partied around the den for a few more minutes, watching the band play, watching the players celebrate. Dennis' shirt features the number 02, so he was especially interested in noticing the quarterback.

We are not die-hard football fans. Whole seasons have gone by without me even turning a game on, remembering on Tuesday to ask those who truly care what the outcome of the previous Saturday's game was (or Googling it in an attempt to hide my utter disregard). I don't know why I picked this year to tune in to my inner rabid Tigers fan, but it sure was a good year for it! I watched many of the games this year, all stomach clenching, nail biting struggles. Some may say that's exciting, but I think it was just plain stressful! But I persevered, and more importantly, so did Auburn, and I watched and not-watched all the way to a national championship. Excellent! And now we have an even more dedicated little Auburn fan in the house, delighted to join me for some time on the couch with game food. It was fun explaining the game to him (and how did that job fall to me?), and watching how thrilled he was over the win! I can't believe I wrote a whole blog post about football! There's some 'Bama belle in me after all. Who would have thought?

War Eagle!

'sno hope

So we went from expecting 2" to 4" of accumulated snow, which we wanted very much, to expecting 1/4" of ice, which we didn't want at all. Who knows what we will wake up in the morning to find?! Right now, very cold rain is falling, and we have a lovely, rather lethal-looking, crop of icicles hanging from the roof.

Dennis wanted snow so badly that I heard him say the following prayer: "Dear Lord, please make it snow. I really want snow here--please don't keep all the snow in heaven." I think we're going to have to take him to a snow resort before winter ends. He came running to the window after I put him down for the nap he never took, asking excitedly "is it snowing yet?" and when I replied that it wasn't, he crossed his arms and stomped his foot, saying "oh, NUTCRACKER! I wanted it to snow." Amazingly, I did not laugh. Nutcracker as an expletive? Good one, Dennis. Seasonally appropriate, not offensive...

This is a picture of him standing with his self portrait. The first picture he drew was two faces with big "O"s for mouths. He explained that it was the two of us, him and me, and we were screaming at each other. Sometimes we do scream for fun and recreation around here, but only when Daddy's not home.

cabin fever, I think

Not a peep out of Dennis this morning, not one request or visit. David heard him get up, go to the bathroom, and then return to his own room without speaking to either of us. Highly unusual! No breakfast request, no "time to get up and play with me because the sun is up". I didn't see him til lunch time, when I was on the phone with Ellen. He'd had no time for me at all until I was on the phone, and then he was all over me with demands and requests for food and company. I am feeling marginally better, but I know I've spent probably 22 of the last 24 hours snuggled under covers on the sofa in various stages of recline. I can't remember the last time I could smell.

Tonight, Dennis was running rampant, stalking the couch and shooting us with his 'bazooka' (his tee ball tee, unscrewed from its mounting). He was desperate for us to play with him--he rescued all his Fisher Price Little People from the storage bins they've been in for a couple of months. He is happy to be reunited with them, and his room never looked messier. I wish I felt well enough to deal with it--he has even attempted to clean some himself because the mess is getting to him!

So, it's time to get well so we can LEAVE this house, at least once, before we get snowed in tomorrow night as predicted. At least we have already bought milk and bread.