Ian 'isms'

I really didn’t know what it meant when people said, ‘no two kids are alike,’ until I had two kids. There are days that I wonder how two kids created from the same parents could be so different. Ian’s light brown hair and blue eyes and Trent’s blonde hair and brown eyes are just the beginning of the differenced that these two brothers have. I thought having Trent made me a ‘seasoned' parent, but Ian reminds me daily that I am still an amateur when it comes to this job.

Ian is a tough nut to crack. Since he was born it is fair to say that the needle on his mood meter tends to point toward the grumpy side of life. He can be demanding, fussy, loud and pushy. He is ‘all boy’ and much taller than the average 3-year-old so I get a lot of accusing glances when he melts down in public. However, on the flip side, he rarely misses an opportunity to tell me he loves me and seldom passes a flower without picking it for me. At a recent festival while most kids were asking the balloon man to make swords or animals, Ian asked him to make a beautiful flower for his mommy. He plays really well with other kids his own age and from a very young age he has been able to decipher when something is funny which strikes me as pretty funny.

I never thought I would be the kind of mother that compared her children, but Trent is my only means with which to measure milestones, so I do. When Trent was little he used to make eye contact and jabber endlessly in some kind of language that no one but he could understand. Then, one day the light switch flipped and he started talking like a college professor. The only word that tripped him up was pillow, which he pronounced plillow.

Ian’s speech has been a gradual progression of a few baby words up to full sentences. For a while he was pretty quiet, which I attribute to having an older brother who was reluctant to give up the spotlight to someone else. Now Ian is chatting up a storm which occasionally prompts the, ‘mommy needs five minutes of silence game’ when the boys are both in the car with me. Recently he has developed a string of Ian ‘isms’ that I find hilarious! I don’t know. Maybe it is because Trent was such a clear talker, or maybe it is because I know Ian is the baby and I won’t experience this again. Whatever it is, his Ian 'isms' make me smile so I thought I would share a few.

In the winter, while riding in the car Ian announced that he was going to, “cover his eyebulbs with his glubs.”
When it rains we use an un-umbrella.
When we go next door to the neighbor’s house to swim we take a bag of cheese pups.
When something fell from a top shelf the other day, he came out with, ‘oh my God’ and when I told he we don’t say that, he corrected himself with, ‘oh my Jesus.’
On the farm, you may wonder why some of the goats have hornets.

When your hair is dirty, you might want to wash it with panshoo.

At the park, Ian enjoys the Merry-Go-Around.
While at the beach be sure to apply your sunscream.
And while you are enjoying the waves, you may want to feed the seagoggles.

This fall Ian will start preschool two mornings a week. I can’t wait to see what kind of new adventures he will have and what kind of new lessons he will teach me.

Trent Turns Seven!!

Today is Trent’s 7th birthday. I would like to think that most mothers, like me, are able to relive the day their children are born. It is something I have never forgotten for either of my kids. I can easily close my eyes and recount the events without any problem. My water broke that Saturday morning (June 14, 2003) at 5:30am and he was born at 3:02 that afternoon. It was the day I became a mother and a day I will never forget. And I truly believe it was Trent who saved me.

Trent entered this world six months and one day after my mom left it. Since my mom loved children so much, I always thought it was a cruel irony that she was so close to meeting her first grandchild. My mom was my very best friend and after her death my grief was somehow lightened by the refocusing on the fact that Trent was on his way. And, when he was born I had this little person who needed me as much as I had needed her. I wasn't able to sit around and think about how much I missed her because I had him.

Trent was three months and five days old when I was diagnosed with cancer. In some ways I feel like he was cheated because during his first year because I was so sick. There were mornings when I would hear him over the baby monitor and I would just pray that somehow I could peel myself out of bed and make it until naptime. Then there were days when I would prop him in his high chair and sit him just outside the bathroom door so he could still see me. We would be that way for hours. Me singing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' with my head hanging in the toilet. My job was to take care of Trent and that is all I did. Brad did the housework, the laundry, made the meals, tended to the pets, and looked after the building of our new house. Without Trent, I would have spent that year in bed, feeling sorry for myself. But I couldn't because I had him.

I cannot believe that he is seven! How much we have both grown in the past seven years and how I look forward to spending more birthdays with him! Happy Birthday!

Where does the time go?

I remember August. I remember being sad that summer was coming to an end and I remember my nervous anticipation of Trent starting school five days a week, all day. I remember wondering how many extracurricular activities were too many and being thankful that I only work three days a week.

Trent's last day of Kindergarten was Friday. I cannot believe that this year went by so quickly. This was such a great year for him and he had the most talented wonderful teacher and aide. As the homeroom mom, I spent a lot of time with the class and witnessed their patience and skill with total admiration. Trent learned to read this year, he learned how to add and subtract, tell time, and count money. And I am in awe of his teachers who somehow got twenty-three five and six-year-olds on the same page! I have watched him grow socially as well, making friends and learning to handle all kinds of social situations.

I am ready to enjoy the summer with the boys! At least two days a week we can sleep past 5:30am! Woohoo! We will run through the sprinkler, have playdates in the park, and play outside every day. Ahhhhh!! Summer is back and I am really looking forward to it because, it will seem like I just blinked and August will be here once again. And then I can turn my worry meter back on because, not only will Trent be starting first grade, but Ian will be starting preschool. Where does the time go?