quietly

last week found me less than myself. it was a real struggle to get out of bed or find motivation for anything, but i tried. i tried really hard. the house was left uncleaned, there is a long checklist of things that need to get done, but i left it all alone to sit and be quiet. the only thing that seemed to help was being quiet. sitting very quietly with no noises except the ones that occur naturally. the wind. the cars. that was one of the only things that helped me. when it was getting pretty obvious that i needed something to change, e was so sweet as to make an appointment with my hairdresser for me. he treated me to some much needed change, change that i could actually control. with that and the love of very special people in my life, i did get out of my funk. it's monday, again, and i am looking forward to a new week with my chin up and a fresh hairdo.

along the lines of quietness, we have taken away weekly television for beaz. i was finding it really hard to get him to focus when all he wanted to do was watch something on TV. i wanted him to learn to just imagine. to play quietly within his own world. and you know what, that kid has learned it well. now, instead of requesting to watch television, he wants to play with his castle, his action figures, his blocks, trucks, dinosaurs. it took only a few days of adjusting, and it's been so much nicer around here.

we wake up, and it's almost straight to the boxes of toys i keep under his play table. we put on music and let the day unfold without need for television. he rarely even asks for it. it's kind of crazy how easily that worked and how much it's changed his behavior as well. he's more engaged in his playtime. he's not saying my name 500 times a minute because he's unengaged. (we're down to only, say, 50...) it's just been better all around. it's kind of saved my sanity, really.

it's also opened up new ways for us to interact and talk to each other. today he had dumped out all of his wooden blocks and after a while he asked me to join him. when i came to sit in front of him he said 'mom, would you help me build a fortress? do you know how to do that? because when i do it, it falls down every time! can you show me how so we can play in it with green goblin and spider-man?' first off, how the heck did my almost-three-year-old get so many words in his vocabulary and learn to use them correctly?? it always blows my mind how much he knows and how much he can articulate. but i love that he asked me to help him and explained why he needed my help. that's a pretty big step from the typical battle of whining for me to help/do something for him, followed by me asking why he needs my help or what he needs me to help with.. usually he has no answer other than 'becaaauuse i waaaaant you toooooo.' so this, to me, was a huge step in our communication.

he is going to be three. i have to remind myself often that this day is coming up so fast. he's requested a spider-man and super heros birthday party. (like that was even in question) so i have been planning something vintage-comics inspired. i am learning, after spending days and hours on the dinosaur masks from last year's dino-party, that i need to budget my time better. limit myself to only X amount of hours on each project so i can get more done this year. i must say thank-you to pinterest for you ideas, though i now feel inferior, for i doubt i can pull off even half of these fabulous themed ideas. he told me today that he wants spider-man, dr. doom, thor, green goblin, the incredible hulk, and captain america on his birthday cake with lots of candles to blow out. i have my work cut out for me... but he is certainly worth it.