Bar Exam

"Bar Exam"

Those are scary words in our house the next two days.
Why does it have to be so hard? He went to school for 4 years, and made really good grades!

Not enough. You have to take this horrible test for 2 full days.

I love my husband, I love him more than anything in the world. He is the smartest, most capable, cutest darn thing ever.

Testing is Tuesday and Wednesday. Send up a prayer, make a wish, cross your toes if you prefer. He will take everything he can get.

But do it quietly, Todd is studying.

Snipits

On our walk in the park today

Me: Ben look at all those birds in the grass, they are having breakfast.
Ben: Mama birds cooking, baby birds haffa wait.

Yet another talk about weddings

Me: What are you going to do at the wedding?
Ben: Eat carrots.

And a couple of pictures:

Wake up Call

We transferred Ben to a "Big Boy" toddler bed in the spring sometime. I think we had the same worry most all parents have when they are moving their toddlers from their cribs. "He will be free, he will not be caged, what will we do? He can get up and light fires, get out the knives, order pay-per-view! Our child will be a delinquent!"

Yet, for some reason our little toddler was still under the impression that he could not get out of bed without Mommy or Daddy coming in and telling him he could. Hmmmm....we liked this little arrangement! He sits up in bed and calls for us. We have an extra minute to go to the bathroom and get his milk before we go to his room. Perfect little situation... that might have all come to an end today.

I woke up at 5:45. A small blond fellow was staring at me. Tapping my cheek. "Mommy wake up now?"

I need to hide the knives and matches.

So sleepy......ZZZZZZ

11:30 PM Tuesday: Finally pass out watching Deadliest Catch on Discovery Channel. Why I watch this show, I don't know. I get all scared and nervous for those men. Todd is away studying this week and I have a really hard time falling asleep when he isn't there.

1:30 AM Wednesday: Tommy (one of our cats) lays on the pillow above my head and starts grooming me. I don't like cats licking my head, go figure. I shoo him away.

2:30 AM: I hear rattling in the kitchen. I get up to investigate. Jerry (other cat) on the counter licking a plate left from Ben's dinner. Damn cat.

3:37 AM: Tommy on my nightstand knocking everything off. I get up to see if they are out of food, obviously they need something. Nope, full food and water. DAMN CATS.

4:45 AM: Tommy in the windowsill licking the blinds. Why do cats do this? Placing an ad in the paper for FREE CATS tomorrow morning.

5:00 AM: I hear a lovely rendition of ABCs from the other room. Why? Why is he up so early?! I choose to let him try and fall back asleep.

5:10 AM: "MOMMY MOMMY WHEEEEEERE AAAAAARRRRREEEE YOUUUUUU??

5:15 AM: I give in. I get up.

At what age can you just let them get their own breakfast?

About that ring bearer thing.....

Nora and Kyla both asked about Ben's reaction to being a ring barer, so I thought I would share a story from this evening.

Me: Hey Ben, do you remember that we are going on a trip in a few days? (Since he can't really tell time "a few days" means soon but not today in his brain)

Ben: Yeah! Airplane, vroom vroom *acting like an airplane*

Me: Yup, and what the the BIGGEST rule on the airplane?

Ben: NO KICKING!

Me: Right, no kicking! (Trying to get this set in his brain now, the poor people who have to sit in front of us!)

Ben: See Nora, Chris?

Me: Yup! Let's read the book Nora got you about the wedding. (Nora got him a book about being a ring barer)

Ben: Ok *finds book, and also brings back the engagement photo that he has kept with his "treasures"*

*We get to the page that shows the Bride and Groom standing together saying their vows"

Ben: Nora? *points to bride*

Me: Yup, and who will this be? *pointing to groom*

Ben: BEN!

Me: Well no, Ben will be the boy who carries the rings. *points to the ring barer* The groom will be Chris.

Ben: I no carry rings, I this one. *points to groom*

Watch out Chris, he is pretty cute in that tux.

Conversation

Ben: Mama, go on airplane!?
Me: In a few days (2o to be exact) We will go on an airplane! We are going to see Aunt Nora and Uncle Chris. Do you remember them?
Ben: No mama.
Me: Lets look at a picture OK? *go get their engagement pic from the fridge* See this is Aunt Nora and Uncle Chris, remember now.
Ben: OH YEAH! *points and tells me Nora and Chris*

- At bedtime-

Ben: On airplane mama, few days.
Me: Yeah honey in a few days
Ben: Nora Chris
Me: Right we will see Nora and Chris. Who else will we see.
Ben: *Thinking* Papa?!
Me: Yes we will see Papa, and who else?
Ben: GAMMA!
Me: Right, good job we will see Nora, Chris, Grandma Becky and Papa
Ben: Few days Mama.
Me: Right in a few days

Why do I think I have started a conversation we will be having OVER AND OVER AND OVER for the next 20 days?

Uh Oh

Ben dropped something on the floor.

Me: Uh Oh Spaghettios!
Ben: UH OH SKETTI!
Me: What is it that Y'vonne says? Uh oh what? Uh Oh......?
Ben: HOTDOG!
Me: Yeah Uh Oh hot dog! That is silly.

We laugh, life goes on.
30 minutes later in the bathtub.

Ben: Uh Oh MEATBALL!
Me: What did you say?
Ben:Uh Oh MEATBALL!
Me: *actually serious* Who says it that way? *really thinking that someone says that, maybe a teacher?*
Ben: * looking at me like I must have lost my mind* Me Mama, Ben!

Well of course, apparently we have a new saying in our house.

Quitin' Time

I quit my job today.

Well sort of.

I gave notice that Oct 31st will be my last day. Todd and I have decided that once he starts working at the law firm in September we will be in a nice position to have me stay home for a few years and take care of Ben and our house.

It is a strange feeling, knowing that I won't have a job, by choice. I feel sort of like I should be brushing up my resume and looking at listings.

Single Mom

Todd is in the final push (2 weeks EEEEK!) before the Bar Exam and is staying out at his parents house. There he has peace and quiet for studying, a car for Portillo's runs, and .... did I mention peace and quiet?

While he is away Ben and I are on our own.

I would like to tell all the single working moms out there how much I admire them. I do not know how you do what you do day in and day out. It is so much work! Even on days when Todd was working and studying late and I had the full responsibility of Ben all day, I knew that Todd woudl be home SOMETIME to give me a break. I always know I have backup.

Ben and I got the have breakfast with our favorite group of "brunchers" Auntie Y'vonne, Auntie Laurie and Auntie Lin on Saturday morning. It takes Ben a little while to warm up to the group of ladies, but once he does they are best friends! (Although he did ask for Josh the entire way to the restaurant, he seemed to forget all about him as soon as he saw Y'vonne!)

Another side effect of Ben hanging out with me a lot more than Dad is that he picks up Mommy's traits and mannerisms. This weekend Ben: wore high heels, put on make up, got his toe nails polished (clear polish!), and was seen walking around the house holding a bra up to his chest telling me all about his "boo boos" (boobs). I think after the bar exam, Daddy might need to take him to a monster truck rally or something equally "manly".

Independance, Negotiation, Abuse, Rules

"Ben do IT!" is the most frequent sentence around here followed my "Ben have it?"

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If he wants to delay something (dinner, bath time, leaving for school) he says "Play with Ben, 2 minutes OK Mama, 2 minutes" And holds up 2 fingers. I stop and play every time. Just encouraging it I suppose but it is SO CUTE!

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The ones that bring a tinge of anger though are when I have sternly (not yelled mind you ) told him to do something, or have taken his hand to lead him to time out and he says "No screaming Mommy No screaming" Or " No pushing Mommy No pushing BEN!" Like I am really hurting him.
He pulled out "No hit Ben Mommy NO HIT BEN" when we were in a restaurant the other day when I placed my hand over his to stop him from drawing on the table instead of the paper. *sigh*

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We have a set of rules that get automatic time-outs/ discipline. Ben can rattle these off quite easily.

No Hitting, no kicking, no throwing things, no screaming

So tonight he was standing up in a box and it was pretty dangerous so I told him to stop. The next time he did it I called him to me and said "The rule is no standing on the box, if you stand on it again you will get a time out and no treat tonight. Now what is the rule Ben?"

Of course what is the answer?

"No Hitting, no kicking, no throwing things, no screaming"

Ok well yeah those are the rules, but ...oh sheesh....We both really are trying to understand each other... just sometimes we pass right by...so close and yet....