Playground Wars #3

No, this is not about Jay. I had my own playground wars yesterday. This happened behind our house in the school field. Earlier yesterday late afternoon, Wanda, Jay, and Wesley went out back. Wesley wanted to play with some of the boys that were there that he knew before. One of them had this toy shotgun that Wesley has played with before. He really liked it. The boy didn't want him to play with it the previous time and also again yesterday.

To give some background, Long story short, the previous time the boy left his gun lying around and another boy said he was going to hold it for his friend (he took it to the car). The boy came back to Wesley and another little boy and wanted to know where his gun was. He got upset when it got "lost". At the time, we didn't know whose gun it was. Now we know. We don't even know if he got it back or got a new one.

To continue with the story, when the boy wouldn't let Wes play with it, he cried. Lucky for him, we had saw the gun in the store and Wanda got it for him. Wanda and Jay told him we have the gun at home. He was so excited. They come home, we took the gun out and then he wanted to go outside. I was hesitant. What happens if that boy was still over there? He's going to think it's his. We need to put a name label on his new gun. (you probably know now where this is going...) He wants to go up to "big hill", where the boys are. We slowly go from the backyard to out in the field. I see cars still there and they're playing. I get Wes to play out in the field. I keep telling him that we can't go there, that boy is going to think it's his gun. We wait there for a while. Finally I see them packing up. Cars are leaving. There are two cars there, but they're just sitting there, drivers facing each other talking. Well, if they are sitting there, there is probably no little kids in the car waiting inside for that long. We start heading up to big hill. As we are sitting there, a truck comes into the school. A girl sitting outside is squealing, apparently her dad just got her a puppy. So all of a sudden a couple of kids are coming out of the cars. One of them happens to be the boy who owns the gun. He sees Wes and comes tearing up the hill, yelling that it's his gun. (And by the way, where is his gun...in the car?!?) Wes his holding on tight to his gun and running down the hill. Here I am at the top of the hill, yelling at the boy, "It's not your gun. We just got it!" I yelled it two more times pointing my finger at him and then said for a third time again, this time using his name. That stopped him. Then I walked down the hill to Wes. I turn behind me and see that a man gets out of the car (probably his dad). I'm thinking, "GREAT..Now I have to confront the dad". But he stays there and I keep walking with Wes back to the house. If he wants to confront me, fine. I'll show him the package and receipt. I have nothing to hide. This is the first time I've yelled at someone else's kid. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I hope I don't have to ever do that again. And, after we got home, Wes gladly let me put a name label on his gun.

Haircut Trauma #3

Jay Hann: Gave Wesley a buzz cut today. Hope he stops crying soon?

(Facebook) Jay: “He asked me two days in a row to cut his hair. So be careful what you ask for kid. Mac-n-cheese helped him get over it. He wanted a "Ben 10" watch. So that got him in the chair. After, he still cried. I even let him keep that darn tail he loves so.”

So when I got home yesterday, Wesley hid in his cardboard box. He didn’t want me to see him. Took him quite a while to get out of the box. I was able to get him out into the backyard, but then he realized people might see him and darted back into the house. It was only when we told him that people won’t see his hair if he wears his bike helmet that he finally went out bike riding.

Later when we got back to take a bath, he told me that he didn’t want his hair washed. He told me, “I don’t want my hair to fall out.” He put two and two together that I see Mommy’s hair in the sink and bathtub, so whatever hair I have left is going to fall out too!

(Facebook: the next day) Jay: “Oh man, I did a bad thing. He is still upset with me. I told him it would grow back and this morning he said, "It isn’t working! My hair is still too short!" Man do I feel like a big jerk. (I told him it takes time to grow a little every day)”

I’ve seen him preen himself in the mirror before when he puts on his baseball cap, but I think this is the first time our son has been embarrassed and self conscious of what others will think. Oh boy, it’s the start of what we’ve been hearing from other parents whose kids are older.

The Playground Diaries part 2 (or should it be Playground Wars?)

Jay: Wes was cute when I got dressed. He came walking up and said, “Why do you have that tie on?” So I told him and that he was going to lydia's for an hour and then I would pick him up and we could have quiet time at home. He was cool with it. Then when I picked him up, I thanked him for being a good boy so I could go to the meeting. He just said, “Oh Ok daddy.”
Mickie: I think that was the first time he's seen you in a tie
Jay: maybe
Jay: then on the way home he said, “Daddy, you can’t go to the play ground in THAT shirt.”
Jay: He wanted to play with the boys, but got more than he bargained for.

Jay: the little kid was bad today
Mickie: oh no
Jay: his mom is clueless
Mickie: do tell
Jay: he was grabbing Wesley by the shirt. He tried to push him off the boingy motorcycle. His mom told him to stop. So he picked up an umbrella and was going to hit Wes with it. Wes was alsorunning away from him saying, “Don’t push me!” They ran to me and the boy was saying, “ Your name is ass kicker!” I scolded him and said,” You don’t call people names like that. I will tell your mom.” So I did.
I said he was saying bad words. She asked and I said he was calling Wes “Ass”.
Mickie: :O
Jay: she said, “Oh no. That is from cartoon network. (Then she says) Sometimes he hears me tell his dad I will kick his ass but he never uses the word.” I almost lost it. I did say,” I use to swear a lot, but now I keep it clean. I don’t want those words used around him.” She said, “Oh no, it’s not a bad word.” Ok then, time to go Wes. I almost told her a bad word. Geezed, to tell your husband you are going to kick his ass…but every woman seems to avoid her. I might start going to another play ground
[3:19:21 PM] Jay: Wesley is taking his lumps at the play ground. Today a nice kick to the nose from a 2 year old as he got off the slide. He took it like a man and just said, "Hey you are not suppose to kick people!" and went back for another run on the slide. Then asked where the little monster was that he was playing with yesterday. I guess he can take it? I'm just waiting for the day he hauls off and smacks some one back.
Jay: Don’t worry ,no blood. The kid’s dad apologized. The boy was mad coz Wes was having fun with the Russian kid.

The Playground Diaries

Since Jay has been laid off, he has Wes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. He’s learned that you got to get out of the house to break up the day when you have a toddler.

So, every week, he’s been taking him to a particular playground. He’s learning there are regulars that come there. Some he likes and some he doesn’t like. Some that are stay-at-home moms, and some that are Nannies. He’s also learning there is gossip at the playground. When you’re with a kid all day, you can’t help crave adult conversation, as well as any juicy to talk about… one topic of conversation: distracted playground mom who has an angry child.

This particular day, he bumped into someone he knew, “S” I’ll call her. They “talked” while the kids played.

As Jay had Wes strapped into the car, he hears. “Jay!” He turns around, apparently S.’s son had thrown up all over himself and she wanted to find out if Jay could give her a ride home. So, Jay was able to pack her, the son, the tricycle, and dog. He was starting to talk to her about a certain mom and then told her he’d tell her in the car. As she got in the car, she asked for the scoop! J He talked while driving them home, which was a couple of blocks away.

After they drop the mom, son, and dog off at their house, Wes says, “Daddy, let’s sing the Choo-Choo Train Song.”

Jay is puzzled, he doesn’t know that song.

Wes starts breaking out in Song. “Taking the little boy home coz he threw up on his shirt, taking he and his mommy home so he can feel better and his dog named Hank”. We still don’t know where the “choo-choo train” part comes into play.

If you’ve ever heard Jay, he likes to bust out made up songs too. Like father, like son. Now I get to hear it from both sides. Oh wait, I can’t forget Rudy. He likes to burst out in song too every day at 10am when the music alarm goes off (and no, I can’t seem to figure out how to turn the dang thing off ). I’ve got a house full of singing boys. Sometimes I hear it and then it feels like one of those commercials where the singing gets stuck in your head, then you realize you’re doing it too! Arrggh! I don’t want to sing too!

Infomericals and Toast

I love Infomericals
One day last week , Wesley was watching TV and I was in another room. All of a sudden, I hear:
“Oooooo, that’s NICE” (as this hair is being removed with the snake)
“Hey Mommy, you need this to take the hair out of the sink.”
“Oooooo, that’s NICE” (as this hair is being removed with the snake AGAIN)
Thanks Infomercial for being on our pre-school channel.

The Lil’ Chef
Cinnamon Toast is Wesley’s favorite Sweet. He usually does not like sweets, but this he loves. Jay and Wes usually make it together, putting the butter on the bread, sprinkling the cinnamon and sugar, then cutting circles out after it has been toasted.
The other day, he told me in the car right after I just picked him up from daycare:
W: “I’m going to show Brandon (his BFF*) how to make Cinnamon Toast”
M: Oh yea?
W: “Yea, you need bread, cinnamon, sugar, red sugar” (he likes to decorate it with Red Decorating sugar)
M: What about butter?
“and yea, butter”
*for those of you not hip to the term– BFF stands for Best Friends Forever