Imagination

I love when my kids speak encouraging words to one another, so yesterday when I heard Lily encouraging Ryan with, "Don't give up, Ryan. You can do it!" It was music to my ears. Knowing he was playing a princess Wii game with her because she loves it, but can't really play by herself made it even better. He had asked to play Wii and I told him he could play whatever he wanted. When Lily saw him getting ready to play she asked him to play princesses with her. After making checking with me to make sure he'd still get a chance to play the game he wanted he gladly obliged. I love when they play nicely with each other and do kind things for one another.

Of course all the wonderfulness only lasted for so long and they started getting frustrated with one another because Lily couldn't get past a particular obstacle. I helped with that one and everything went okay for a while longer. Then came another one and I couldn't keep helping, so I told Lily it was time to stop playing for now and let Ryan play his game. She didn't like that, so she went up to her room and cried. Ryan went up after her and the next thing I heard was Ryan running around saying, "I'm a green bog!" and Lily laughing and giggling as she chased him with her princess wand. They were playing the Wii game in real life. I was so impressed with Ryan in so many ways. He went on his own to cheer his sister up. He used great problem solving skills and used his imagination to come up with just the right thing to make his sister happy again. They spent the rest of the afternoon playing their own versions of Wii games in real life. They played Excite Truck, Mario and Sonic Winter Olympics and Mario Kart after they were done playing princesses. These kinds of afternoons warm my heart.

Ladies' Man

When I unpacked Ryan's backpack today I found a little heart jewel. So I asked him about it. Apparently it came from a little girl in his class from when he was out sick, because she loves him. I asked him, "Why do you say that?" He said because she told him. Did I mention this is neither the little girl who I saw say she loves him, nor the girl he wrote his note about. So I asked him how many girls have told him they love him and together we came up with three(he didn't remember the girl I saw saying it to him, but I know she did since I SAW IT). The one he wrote the note for apparently told him she loves him and his note was to return the sentiment. He hasn't given it to her yet. It's kind of cute. I'm glad he is well liked. He has some really good friends that are boys too. I was a little worried about him in the beginning of the year because he is as young as you can possibly be for his grade and truth be told he's kind of shy (don't tell him that because I don't want him to live it out because he was told that's what he is). I was worried about what that combination could mean, but he always does well with other kids once he gets to know them. I guess he feels really comfortable in his class because the kids seem to like him and the teacher says he cracks her up. It really puts my mind at ease knowing he is going somewhere he enjoys with people he enjoys every weekday.

Oh, That Boy

So Ryan has had some behavior issues lately. I think he is still adjusting to 5 day preschool. He has been cranky, clingy and defiant. It's been a hard couple months. Really hard. Just when I think I'm at the end of my proverbial rope he does or says something that give me hope that my sweet little boy still exists inside the over-tired crank pot that currently lives in our house. Like the other night when he had had a particularly hard bed time. I went in and said prayers with him. I got up to leave and as I turned the light off I heard his little voice, "Mommy?" I was still frustrated with him so I was probably a little too short with him when I replied, "Yeeees, Ryan." Imagine my guilt when he says to me, "I love you any way you feel." It's a line from one of the books we read. I love that book and I'm so glad the message is getting through to him. Of course I replied with another line from the same book, "I love you too, Ryan, no matter what you do." The next morning didn't seem as bad.

Money

Zach's new job is to empty the trash every night. Tonight he came downstairs and said, "Daddy, I found this dollar in the trash." Jay, understandably frustrated with Ryan, said, "RYAN! Why did you put a dollar in the trash?!" Ryan replied with a bit of sadness in his voice, "Because it was wrinkled." I start laughing immediately. Jay's stern demeanor softened as he let out a quiet chuckle, then Zach joined in and finally Ryan. Then Ryan said, "Why am I funny?" I couldn't explain to a three year old why his three year old logic was so sweet and innocent, but I could tell him why throwing money away isn't a good idea. I explained that dollars are still good even if they are wrinkled they can still buy things. I told him we should never throw money away. I hope he learns that lesson literally and figuratively before he has to manage more than a few dollars at a time. I know some grown ups who still throw money away. All in all another valuable lesson learned here in the Periwinkle house.

The Christmas One Where My Son is Not a Heathen...

...unlike the one where he throws the Magi to their doom in the lava.

I was signing Christmas cards and Jay was busy with Zach doing homework. Ryan seemed to want to be in the middle of something, so I gave him a stack of white paper and crayons and set him up at the table where I was signing cards. He drew a picture of a "Christmas tree with ornaments" and said it was for friend Ben. It was actually a pretty good drawing. I told him we could mail it with the Christmas card I send to Ben's mommy and daddy. [I need to ask Erin if I can borrow it to scan it for his scrapbook. Stupid me I should have thought of that before I put it in the envelope.] I went back to signing cards and Ryan went to work on his next drawing. He handed it to me and said, "This Christmas tree with ornaments is for Mom-mom and Pop-pop." He went to work on his next drawing of a Christmas tree while I labeled the previous one. Then I signed another card. He handed me his next drawing and said "This Christmas tree with ornaments is for Jason."
The cycle repeated...
"This Christmas tree with ornaments is for cousin Ben."
"This Christmas tree with ornaments is for Emily."
Then the best one...
"This Christmas tree with ornaments is for the Lord Jesus." [All together now, awwww.]
and then
"This Christmas tree with ornaments is for Mary."
"This Christmas tree with ornaments is for Joseph."
"This Christmas tree with ornaments is for the angels."

So we decided Jesus could give Mary, Joseph and the angels their drawings and we put them in Jesus's stocking. Jesus has a stocking in our house where we write things that we are going to give Jesus. Things we are going to try to do to be better followers. Zach put his first real one in this year. Up until this year he would say "I'm going to give Him my heart." As in the poem, "What can I give Him poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I'd give Him a lamb, If I were a wise man I'd do my part, What can I give Him? Give Him my heart!" In all fairness it was only one time because I didn't start this tradition until last year. I got the idea from a friend the year before when I asked about the stocking in her house with Jesus written on it.