Michael Cracks Me Up

That is Michael's newest phrase. He will laugh like crazy and say, "I am cracking up!"

He also has been getting out of his bed about 15 times before nap and bedtime. Last night, he would come running out of his room every time with a sheet-eating grin on his face and say to Brian and I: "Look what I did, guys!!!" And I have no recourse. Nothing that I can hold over him to make him stay in bed. So, I just put him back in, over and over again and hope that I outlast him. And that I don't wring his little cute neck. One time, Brian caught him over at David's bed, hitting David over the head. Amazingly, David slept through all of this...

So, last week, we were out playing at a park with some friends. Michael picked up a twig from the ground and poked his friend, Sam, in the face. I was obviously upset, and made a big deal out of making Michael drop the stick and apologize, etc. Sam cried and cried. Later that evening, Michael kept saying: "What did I do to Sam?" "You poked him Michael." "I hurt Sam." "Yes, you did. And what did Sam do?" "He cried." "Yes, he did." Michael says, "That was annoying."

Next morning, Michael tells me "Crying is funny." "Crying is funny to you Michael?" "Yes." "Well, it is not funny to the person who is crying. When somebody is crying, they are sad." "That is annoying," he says. "David is annoying," he continues. "Daddy is annoying, Mamma is annoying, Pappa is annoying." At some point during his "List of Annoying People," Daddy peeks his head out of the bedroom. When Michael sees Brian, he stops listing "annoying people" and says, "I mean...Daddy is not annoying." Little two-faced stinker totally reneged. ;)

My Artists

Michael has been really into art play recently. He can sit for 20-30 minutes with Play-Doh or Silly Putty. He LOVES to paint and color. He is very engaged and meticulous when he works on his masterpieces. And so different from David. We used to give David a crayon and he would make a few marks and be done. Michael wants more than one crayon, and he (over)fills the page with broad sweeps or loops of the crayon or paintbrush.

David's school artwork is on display at the Visual Arts Center here in Sioux Falls for the next few weeks. So exciting to see his name and artwork so prominently displayed!

And both boys have completed the first of a 3 part art course - Michael's is called Toddler Movement, and David's is Arty Smarty. They will finish them up over the next two Saturday mornings...