A day at home

Anna-Kate had a fever for about an hour last night, so we are keeping our distance from friends just to be careful. Days like this are often hard with semi-sick kids cooped up, but thankfully, my kids came through to give me a few laughs.

Today we were playing upstairs. Anna-Kate got some marachas (you know, those things in Latin culture that you shake) in her stocking, but prefers them to be lollipops. Whatever. As I said yesterday, Ryan is getting 4 teeth, and has been in rare form for the 30 minutes that his medicine takes to kick in. So, I was holding him and AK decided to share a "lollipop" with him to make him not so sad. He began shaking it and she told him not too because, "these not shaky lollipops, just plain lollipops". So he decided he was over all the rules and up and threw it. Across the hallway. Seriously? (baseball player?? Cha-ching!)Anyway, she handed it to him 3 different times, all with the same scenario (not ok, but everything is a work in progress). She says, "Ryan, no throwing, OK?" (at which point he threw it). She picks up his hand all poised to give him a pop and says, "Ryan, I give you pops now, OK?". I intervene and explain that only Mommy and Daddy are allowed to give pops. She says, "OK. Ryan, (and re-picks up his hand)I give you love pats now". Ha! Then had to inform her that love pats (which, when Ryan was little was what we called burping him since she thought we were hitting him) were like hugs or on the back when helping babies burp.

Love pats my foot!

***

A moment after, Ryan decided he was done with the girls and crawled off to the bathroom to peer into the tub. I said, "come here Ryan", and just behind me I hear an echo "come heeere Ryan". He looks up, but doesn't move. I say, "Ryan, obey Mama and come here please sweet boy." My echo, "come here please boy." He hesitantly looks at us. Anna-Kate then upped the ante, "come here Ryan, I give you cookies!" (and I promise I don't bribe with food. Too often.) Wouldn't you know it, he came right then. I said, "good job obeying Mama Ryan". Anna-Kate turned to me and said, "Oh, he came for me Mama". Hmph.