being a boy mom

Being a boy mom means...

• Navigating with the "car cart" at the grocery store.
  
• Keeping your eyes peeled for garbage trucks when you drive around town.
  
• Potty training for 5 and a half months.
• You don't put a toy truck away, you "vroom it" to its parking space.
  
• Reading stories about cars, trucks, trains, and spiders.
  
• Reminding that we don't scream or yell at the dinner table or in the car or in the grocery store...
  
• Getting hugged around the neck so hard it almost chokes me. (But I love it!)
• Being asked "Can I say gross? It's not an 'ucky word?"
  
• Squeezing the water out of an alligator after bath time every night.
• Tucking a boy, a bunny, a blankie, and a plastic spider into bed.
• Washing wet, muddy clothes late at night.
  

celebration, round 1

This morning was Christmas with my parents, brother and sister-in-law. Luckily, Santa knew where to find us today...


JT didn't want anything to do with the presents until he had some breakfast...


It took a while to get all the presents open because JT had to play with each as he opened it. Of course, once everything was opened, the combination of presents got a little awkward (well, awkward for some of the other presents)...


Grandpa also quite enjoyed his Christmas present... not sure where Santa was with the wrapping on this one... he just hid it in the back of our car!


We took a break mid-gift-opening to have some breakfast. Grandpa made pancakes for everyone... and yes, JT ate AGAIN...


Uncle Bill and Aunt Theresa got JT a big dump truck. It took him a bit to figure out if he was supposed to ride in the back of the truck or just push it around. Turns out this is a toddler-powered truck...


Finally after bugging Grandpa all day, JT convinced him to go for a walk. Grandpa found out that JT is not so much about holding your hand on a walk. He's a big boy and can walk, er run, on his own, Grandpa...

edu-mah-cashun

JT and I caught a little bit of the evening news tonight. I was checking in on email and he was playing on the floor... with a book.

Here is Colin Powell with some thoughts on dropout rates in high schools across the country:

I love that he links reading to your kids and graduating from high school. I like that he links education and the future of our economy. And I like that he doesn't think we need more money to make it happen. We need to be more involved with our own kids and in the community.

Plus, I'm not really feeling like an 81% graduation rate in suburban high schools is good enough myself. Ouch.