Alright everyone, it's story time!
My mom and dad have taken both kids for the week to their beach house. (I am home alone, but that's a different story...)
I was just talking to them on the phone and they relayed the following stories that I must share.
Maia is a girl. Maia is potty training. We buy Maia girl pull-ups. They are pink and have princesses on them. Maia doesn't want these. She wants the Cars pull-ups. These are blue. They are for boys. My mom was nice enough to buy the last case at Costco - so we had MANY princess pull-ups to use up before we got to buy another case for her. I felt guilty going and buying the boy ones since my mom had so nicely bought the girl ones for Maia... so I decided we were just going to use them. (This could take a while since her school provides the pull-ups for us, and she really doesn't wet them, so we don't use that many a day. A case could take a while.)
Anyway, my mom tells me tonight on the phone that they bought her Car pull-ups at the store yesterday and now she won't use anything else! (I could have told you THAT!! I wonder why I felt guilty about going to buy more now??) BUT, to make the story more funny - she took her Cabbage Patch Doll down there to play with and now insists that Baby Richard ALSO wears a car pull-up like Maia is. AND, she is putting Baby Richard ON THE TOILET so he can go potty too. I'm not sure how they get a tiny little Cabbage Patch to stay on the toilet seat, but apparently they did. I can just picture this!
**UPDATE: I forgot the best part of the Baby Richard story! Remember, Baby Richard is not a doll with a hole in his body to go potty. My puts Richard on the potty and waits for a few seconds, and then raises her arms over her head, like a touchdown signal, shakes them, and says, "WOO-HOO!!" This, of course, is what I said to her when she was first learning to go on the potty. Too funny that she is saying it about her Baby Richard now!! Also, when she was first learning how to go potty on the potty, she would sit there and do nothing, and raise her arms and ask in a timid voice "Woo-hoo?" I would just laugh and say, no woo-hoo sweetie, you didn't do anything. I love that she is playing this way with her baby doll. Too cute!
Now, on to a different topic, but still a Maia story. Since Maia was adopted, I wanted her to feel comfortable with me and know me as well as if I had given birth to her. So, as we bonded, and she explored a little, she would snuggle on me and sometimes rub my arm, sometimes, rub my face, sometimes rub my 'chest'. This was fine with me for a while as we bonded, and, as I said, she got to know me. Once I knew the bonding thing had happened 100%, I was a little more aware as she got older how much or WHEN she might be doing this. So, at some point, as she pulled open my shirt and poked my chest, I simply started closing my shirt a bit and saying, "No, no sweetie, that's Private." Then she'd go to the other side and we'd play a game, back and forth, with her learning that both, were indeed, private.
As days progressed, she would simply leave my shirt in place, poke one, and say Private. I would agree and she'd go to the other one and say, "Private". She had pretty much learned and it was a game she played, but it lessened as weeks went by.
Tonight, she was getting out of the shower at my mom's house, and Maia was in a towel. Maia dropped her towel and made a B line for one of my mom's bras that she could see. Maia started to put it on. She turned to my mom and said, "I'm putting on my Private." I still can't stop laughing about that one!! The funny thing is, my mom said she new exactly what it was, where it went and how to put it on!! Interesting! I would say I am always dressed before Maia gets up, so I am shocked she has this all figured out already. :)
A story from earlier in the summer. Maia is in the habit of pointing to a part on her body and saying "It hurts". She'll point to her cheek and say, It hurts. She'll point to her elbow and say, My hell-bow, it hurts.
No matter what part is hurting, after I show some concern for her hurting 'part', she'll say, "Matthew did it."
Her eye socket has hurt. Her nose has hurt. Her elbow has hurt. Her tummy has hurt. Her toe has hurt. Her cheek has hurt. You get the idea. And Matthew has done them all.... even when he's no where around - or out of town, or whatever. It is always his fault.
That is, until we went to the beach for the 4th with my sister and her 4 kids. On the ride home, July 6th, Maia was pointing out various aches and pains and I showed some sympathy as I was driving. Then she said, "Eh-shaw did it." I almost drove off the road. "Eh-shaw is my 18 month old nephew, Ezra. Ever since then, poor Eh-shaw has been blamed for everything! Every ache and pain. Every mess Maia has made - everything! It's all Eh-shaw's fault!! Poor Ezra!
As I said, Matthew and Maia left on Friday for a week at my parents house. So far, it has all gone well - hurray!! I've been a little lost, not knowing exactly how to fill all my time. Don't get me wrong - I have PLENTY to do, and to catch up on, but trying to figure out the best use of time to not only accomplish things, but also do things I can't do when they are here - it's a juggling act.
I did enjoy coffee without interruption. I read books without interruption. I went to the bathroom without interruption. I ate when I wanted without worrying about whether the kids would eat it or not. I stayed up later because I knew I wouldn't be woken up in the morning. I went to stores not appropriate for little hands. I went to the Post Office without having to chase Maia around. I changed my sheets without 'help'. (Maia always says, "I helper".) I sorted stacks of old papers without anyone walking through the piles before I was done and messing them up. I watched three movies without Matthew asking when they'd be over. I went to bed without having to get up and check on them just 'one more time' before I fall asleep. I cleaned the kitchen and it stayed clean until I messed it up again!! There are no dirty socks in every room. There aren't shoes in every walkway to trip over. There isn't dirty laundry from 'potty' accidents to do daily (although it's not always daily.)
On the other hand - they aren't here!! I miss them. I miss seeing Maia in action and living her stories first hand! I miss Matthew's stories and trivia. I miss Matthew's hugs!! I miss snuggling with both of them. I just miss it all!!
There are days I need a break - but I'm not sure I need 8 days alone all at one time. :) I know this is making memories for my kids though. I still fondly remember weeks spent with my grandparents in the summer and wouldn't trade those times for anything in the world. I hope this time my kids are spending with my parents are equally special for all! I'll survive, and hopefully I'll be a better Mom when they return. In the meantime - hopefully I'll hear more Maia stories over the phone and make it through the week without too much trouble. I do have a few evenings planned this week, so that'll certainly help fill the evenings.
Stay tuned for the never-ending Maia stories everyone! :) Hopefully I'll find my camera and will have more pictures to post before too long.
