May 2020- No better time to be a Ninja

I know our country is on fire as I write this (literally, in some places) so, while this might seem like a shallow post, part of me feels like happy, normal news is especially important for society right now.  We need to be reminded of what is good and beautiful in a world that is focused so much on hate and anger. 

May was another good month for our family.  I don't want to jinx it but we definitely have never gone this long without anyone getting at least a little sick.  Atticus really came to grasp the pandemic and quarantine, which helped immensely.  It's also helped that, as we have studied the news and our own feelings, we've decided that our family feels comfortable with small gatherings again.  We've had playdates here and there and just these small interactions have been a game changer.  Atticus has been his old self again.  We still have plenty of drama at our house but it is so, so much more manageable.

My favorite part of the month, of course, was Mother's Day.  Seriously, though.  I set my expectations low, told Dane exactly what I wanted, and felt spoiled.  It was the best Mother's Day yet. 
Dane painted Lucy's room gray with a lavender accent wall, got me some needed maternity clothes and flowers, Atticus made the cutest pictures, and even my in-laws sent a beautiful bouquet.  Since Atticus wasn't in school or church to make a craft I helped the boys make one for me.  And I got just what I wanted!  There's no shame in that, right?  I made two more for my mother and mother-in-law, so I felt justified.

Here are Atticus's pictures.  The first two are for me ("Thank you for _____ me" ?) and the third was a gun with lots of extra magazines for Dane so he wouldn't feel left out.

Another highlight this month was our indoor campout.  We were hoping to go to a real campground (it would have been Hinckley's first time) but they are all closed in our state.  When we discussed this, disappointedly, at the dinner table, Atticus yelled, "What?!  Don't they know that people go camping to socially distance?!"  My mouth dropped open at the wisdom a little 5-year-old possessed. 

We made miniature tents, set up our tent, ate a meal we would have eaten over a campfire, roasted marshmallows and made s'mores and we read a whole bunch of books about camping together.  It was such a fun day.

As it turned out, we dodged a bullet because we had no idea how scared cute little Hinckley would get just from being in a tent up in our playroom.  When I pretended to be a bear for maybe 5 seconds outside the tent, laughing as I did so, he was terrified and kept talking about bears and tigers.  We realized that if we had taken him to an unfamiliar environment he could very well have stayed up all night in fear! 

It took them both a long time to fall asleep but sleep they finally did.  And rose about an hour early.  So we had a very cranky Saturday... but it was still totally worth it.


Oh man, Atticus is so full of life.  This month he has been fully obsessed with ninjas and green berets.  He often dresses as a "ninja green beret" which involves wearing army pants, a hoodie under his bathrobe and a bandana- all impossibly hot when you're in air conditioning!  (He'll insist on going outside and ride his bike and come in shortly thereafter, dripping in sweat.  Why???)  For a couple of days he was convinced that he needed to find a bad guy whose license plate was ABC-123 and would ask passing cars if they'd seen him.  I'm pretty sure Dane gave him that idea...

Still, if you're going to be a ninja, there's no better time to do it than during a pandemic.

Something else that has helped Atticus's mood this month was seeing his wonderful preschool teacher.  I found out, after the fact, that a car parade was held for her (I'm convinced it was an honest mix-up and so I have no hard feelings).  He has been talking about seeing her again this entire time and when I found out I was devastated.  (Yep- I cried more than once.)

When I told his teacher what had happened she came to our rescue and stopped by our house, wearing a mask, to say hi.  Atticus was on cloud nine.  He had made her a treat and the cutest card (as you can see above).  He was able to show her some of his artwork and homework and some of his tricks...  She showered him with love and praise.  I could tell that he felt like a million bucks.

I almost cried again to see my little boy so happy.  It was like a bad dream had ended for him as he got closure with someone he cares so much about. 

Atticusisms:

• "I'm going to lick your lips!" ("What?!  NO!- and was forcefully stopped by Mommy.) “When am I going to get married?!"  (I swear- this is not based on something he has seen!)   
• "Would you be quiet?! I’m trying to count!" (While I'm singing "Count Your Many Blessings" to him after some impressive whining.)
• "No samples!?" (At Costco)  "I’m blowing raspberries at every worker I see!" (Later)  "Finally, a worker! I’m blowing blueberries at him!" (The blueberries, er raspberries were blown through his mask.  He later gave the cashier an earful and the amused employee told him he'd tell his boss.)
• ("What do you dream about?")  "I daydream about Princess Leia, Maleficent and Sleeping Beauty."  (He has brought this up many times.  I think his favorite is Maleficent...)
• "I'm going swimming!" (Comes down in his swimsuit and fights us EVERY Sunday.)
• "I felt the Spirit!"  ("Really?") "Would you be quiet?!  I'm trying to feel it!"
• "I'm pretty blessed!  I have yummy food, my mom is perfect, my dad has a job..." 

Hinckley has also been easier this month.  At the beginning of the month he was honestly a jack-in-the-box when it came to his big boy bed but he's slowly getting the hang of it.  He is talking up a storm, now.  He has started stuttering quite a bit but we aren't concerned- Atticus stuttered at around this same age as his vocabulary grew, too.

We did not see this new stage of fear coming.  He's now afraid of monsters and just thinks that people who make mean faces are "scawy."  Atticus went through this stage, too though, so I'm not sure why it surprised us.  If only Atticus had had a big brother in his room at that time.  With a big brother nearby to sing to him and joke with him, he is just fine at night.  But boy is he a chatterbox!  I'm going to start calling him "Sir Hinckley Talks-a-lot" at bedtime.

Hinckley Speaks-

• "Daddy MEAN!" (Yelled after both he and Atticus had received a rare, angry reprimand from their father.  It was hilarious and totally broke the tension in the room.)
• “Shut your mouth right now!”
• "I punch you!"
• "I kill you!"
• "Fight me!"
• "I don’t want to!"
• "I go Santa’s house. Be fun.  Where’s candy cane, Santa?"
• "Miss Noelle!  Miss Noelle!" (Trying a new tactic to get out of a nap)
• Mommy, sing “oh-ooo-o-o-oooh, ohhh-o” (LOVES to hear and sing "Angels We Have Heard on High")
• "Don’t get angry!"
• "Atticuseses" (This is used both possessively and just in reference to his brother, lately.)
• "Maybe tomoyow/Maybe soon."
• "Maybe latew" (To help me feel better if he hasn’t napped)
• "I want Piyow, I want Blanket!" (Still LOVES his special blanket and pillow.)

Some quarantine shenanigans.  One Sunday Dane helped the boys build a rocket ship.  They've even got buttons and levers that they've drawn inside so they can travel or pretend to watch music videos.

We also were gifted this awesome little kitchen and the boys LOVE it- especially our blender loving 2-year-old.  Hinckley plays with it every day.  So, so grateful!  And look at the ring Atticus made me a few days ago!  So sweet. 

I thought I might start writing a little about Lucy each month. 

Atticus talks about her all the time and how he can't wait (usually it's for her to be bigger so they can play) and she is such an active little girl.  She doesn't do the HUGE, slow yoga moves that Hinckley did or the incessant tap dancing that Atticus did (I swear he was Lord of the Dance while in-utero!) but she does make small but pronounced movements pretty much all day long.  I love it as it helps to set my overly anxious mind at ease.  Even when she wakes me in the early morning I don't mind a bit.  Keep dancing, little one. 

Here is the nursery that Dane painted.  I was painting furniture and making crafts and artwork for several weeks so it's a relief to be done.  It has been such a blessing to have this bright spot to focus on while the world has been going through such turmoil and uncertainty.