what today was like

We woke up. I made coffee. We sat at the table playing with some paper toys. They were these toys, and lots of fun : http://www.amazon.com/Taro-Gomis-Play-All-Day/dp/0811871215


Background information: 
I was sick last week. In the hospital then home for the week, taking it easy. E and I spent a lot of time together and now that I am back at work this week, this past week, it has been hard not seeing him as much. If it makes any sense, which I am sure it does, he is more needy for J, even when I am at home, during weeks that I am gone more. I think it makes sense, and I don't like it all at the same time. 

I made breakfast for e. He wanted a PBJ. He usually either wants a PBJ or a Smoothie...depending on what we are doing and his general hungriness. We make our own yogurt and the smoothies are pretty simple. Blended yogurt and a banana, applesauce, another fruit. I have tried adding more protein, but he usually notes the change and declines it. Peanut Butter is ok, but tahini isn't. And for a healthy fat, I have found adding coconut oil does not work. A mom can try. Anyway, today was PBJ. Hey...that rhymes. E is way into rhymes these days. Sometimes he gets it right...other times not, and I'm not sure where the sound similarity is that he hears. Other times it is clearly alliteration. So PBJ...right, and I wonder why he isn't more focused.

Ate a PBJ, played a little more.
Had a fortune cookie.
Took the dog for a walk.

"Took the dog for a walk" is not as easy as it sounds....not the mere simple sentence of taking a dog for a walk. You have to get the boy dressed. You have to convince him the walk is a good idea. You have to keep him focused on the walk being a good idea. Beg. Borrow. Coerce. Walking the dog is a chore...one I enjoy. One he doesn't enjoy thinking about or preparing for, but one he really likes once he is doing it. I don't want to belabor it...but let's just say...it is not an easy task by any stretch. Once out, we had a great time with the dog, played with some other dogs at the park, broke apart some seed pods in the prairie of winnemac park. Just fun overall. Went home.

fed dog.
played something. Can't recall what. maybe more with the paper toys. Or maybe legos.

J went to the store.

More playing. Trains I think.

And then after trains, or toward the end of trains, I tried to fold laundry. He climbed all over me and the laundry I did fold became unfolded and that was that. Well, actually that was time for him to have quiet time, since I asked him to not do as he was doing.

Put away trains.

After Quiet time....recycling. We take the recycling out once a week. It had been 2 weeks this time, since I was sick last week. We took it out and that was fun. Did some more laundry.

Ate lunch.

Did some more laundry.

I think you get the idea. I probably don't need to say more.

Today was a long day.
Filled with playing.
Filled with some downs, mostly ups.

Highlight for him was probably finding a small plastic skateboard toy left on a tree when we were walking the dog the 2nd time. It was a tiny toy skateboard, red, about an inch long. It has a peeling sticker with a blue rock and roll guitar on it. It was made in China. I'm pretty sure it is the sort of thing you find in a bag you get at a birthday party. Kind of cheap, but also kind of fun and awesome. He picked up a pine cone to use as the person who would be riding said skateboard. Pretty cute, all in all.

He also found candy, but I made him put it down. It was also red, and about an inch long. e thought  it was a ridiculous waste to put down a wrapped piece of Halloween candy, but what could I do? I could not let him eat it. I thought, as I instructed him on putting it down and reminding him that we don't pick up food off the ground and eat it, about how if it was the end of the world, or if we were post apocalypse, we would for sure eat that damn candy. But i didn't say this or indicate that there would ever in anyone's wildest dreams be a reason to pick up a piece of food from the ground and eat it. I just left it at a simple "no."

This is easier for kids. They don't, I have found, do well with grays...and though I feel like I am telling a lie, or creating a fallacy, I know I must. This is how to help kids feel safe. Set clear boundaries for possible scenarios. It's hard because there are other things I am less clear about...like the existence of monsters. Etc. You know what I mean. Can we really say that there are no monsters? We can't. But I can say that I know my dog would protect us from them. Of that I am quite sure.

Highlight for me...probably the trains. And every hug. And the dog. And the coffee J brought me in the middle of her errands. I love coffee.