All About The Boys

So much to catch up on. Gabe had an awesome bowling birthday party last weekend. I still can't get over the fact that he's 7. In some ways, the reality of that hit me even harder than the reality of Carmine turning 1 in January. I think just because it really seems like he's a BIG kid now. Sure, he's still incredibly immature, and he's still only 7 years old, but sometimes he acts so darn grown up, it makes my heart hurt.

He had a fun time at his party, though. Seven of his friends came, so there were nine kids total, including him and Dante - and that was plenty!  I'm glad we kept the invite list relatively small, because apparently 7 is the age at which parents feel comfortable just dropping their kids off at a party, rather than staying the whole time. Some parents stayed, but a few did not, meaning that I was then responsible for those kids. It went fine, and they were all really well-behaved, but I'm just glad there weren't more kids for me to keep track of!

It was also nice that he only got 7 presents, because the last thing we need in this house is more toys! I've told both Gabe and Dante that when their new room is ready, we're going to dump ALL the toys out on the floor and go through and donate a good portion of them. They were both fine with it in theory - we'll see what happens when we really sit down to do it. We've just got to clear some of this stuff out, though. They don't play with half of it, and it's just taking up space, so I'd rather see it go to someone who will actually use it.

Another change we're going to be making is that once a month, I'm going to take one of them out for a special night with Mommy. Just me and one of my guys - something that almost never happens!  I need to be able to spend some time like that with them, and be able to really talk to them, without anyone else interrupting, or needing something. I'm really looking forward to it, and I think they are, too. Especially with all the stuff we've had going on with the house this winter/spring, I feel like I'm constantly so distracted when I'm with them, and I'm anxious to be able to really give them my full attention and go out and do something fun.

Ever since Dante went to a roller skating party this winter, he's been asking when we can go roller skating again, so I have a feeling that's what he's going to want to do. And Gabe LOVES to go out to dinner, so I think that's what he'll probably choose.

This week - tomorrow night, actually! - is Gabe's first theater performance!  He's playing the role of Curly, one of the lost boys, in his school's production of Peter Pan. He had dress rehearsal today, and opening night is tomorrow. I can't wait to see it. I practiced his lines with him a few times, and he knows the lines, but he has some trouble with the cues - not because he doesn't know them, but because he isn't paying attention. He'll do fine, though, and I'm sure he's not the only kid who isn't paying attention, so I think he'll be in good company : )  

He's really enjoyed the whole experience, and I'm glad he was able to do it. He was so excited this morning for the dress rehearsal (and I think a little nervous, too) that when we came home from church, he jumped out of the car and ran around the cul-de-sac. And when he came back to the driveway, we told him to go run around a few more times! He was bouncing off the walls all morning, and really needed to get some energy out! I'm seriously thinking about seeing if he wants to go for a run with me once or twice a week - just around the neighborhood - a mile or less. He might not want to, and I'm not going to force him, but I think I'll definitely suggest it.

I have to brag a little bit here, too. Gabe's school was collecting "Pennies for Patients" - money to be donated for cancer research. He had a little collection box at home for a few weeks, and I didn't want to send him out asking for money from people, but we did ask Grammy and Grampy when they visited, and I threw in spare change any time I had it, and I was so, so proud when I gave Gabe his allowance one week, and without even thinking twice, he told me that he wanted to put his allowance in the donation box. Honestly one of my proudest moments as a parent, and it almost brought tears to my eyes. We're definitely make plenty of mistakes, and making a lot of this up as we go along, but for him to do something like that, I figure we must be doing something right.

Carmine taught himself a new trick the other day - he figured out to bring his step stool over to the couch so that he can climb up on the couch all by himself. I'm attempting to teach him that the couch is for sitting rather than standing, but I have a feeling he's going to learn that lesson the hard way.

But he looks very proud of himself when he gets up there, and thinks it's so cool that he's sitting on the couch like a big boy. And today at church, we were down in the daycare room (he almost never sits through the service anymore - too eager to get down and run around, and protests too loudly when he can't), and when the kids all went to the table for a snack, I helped him sit up on one of the little chairs and he sat at the table and ate snack with them. He was absolutely thrilled - and it was so cute to see him sitting there!

Aside from that, we're all just waiting, waiting, waiting for spring to really arrive. We've had a few warm days here and there, but last week every day was in the low 40s and Friday it even snowed, which was really kind of miserable. But we have been able to get in at least some outdoor play time, which has been nice. It'll just be even nicer when I can finally put away the hats and gloves and winter coats.

Before I finish this up, I have to jot down a few of the gems the boys have come out with lately -

Gabe, at his 7-year checkup, when the doctor asked him to take some deep breaths so she could check his lungs:  "Oh yeah, I'm really good at breathing."

Dante, in a fit of rage when Gabe did something to make him mad (really, really mad): "You're a poopy, pee-pee, stupid man!!!!"

Gabe, to one of his friends at his birthday party, when she saw Scott and asked Gabe if that was his dad: "Yes, that's my dad. He's a very serious man."

Dante, explaining to me what he was doing one day as he walked around the house 'exploring:'  "You see, I'm not an Egyptologist, I'm a Worldtologist, and we go all around the world exploring things."

I really can't imagine how much fun it's going to be when Carmine starts talking and contributing to the one-liners around here : )

Comments

[Wes]

kinda wondering if you're a proud mama? :-)

[Outdoor Toys]

Hi,
This is a wonderful post. I really liked it. It seems like you have had a crazy experience in life.
:)