The key to good parenting is a set of earplugs

This week has been wierd. J is off on a 5 day backpacking trip in Montana with his dad and brothers and we took the opportunity to send Samuel to be spoiled by his Grandma Noni who lives near the backpacking route. So, it has just been me and thomas for the last few days. Just me...and Thomas...

(psst, I'm going nuts...)

Although I knew I'd miss Sam, I thought this would be a great time to catch up on a few projects, while I had one less kid underfoot. The truth is that having Thomas underfoot is more like having three kids running around. He is incredibly bored without Samuel, so instead of being off tesing his brother, he wants to be on my lap or into whatever I'm doing and have the same conversations with me over and over. They go a little like this:

Conversation #1:

T: Mom?
Me: yeah?
T: Mom? Mom? Mom?
Me: yes?
T: Mom!!?? (as though I hadn't answered him at all)
Me: WHAT!?
T: Hi Mom!

Conversation #2

T: Mom?
Me: Yes?!
T: I'm 'cared (scared)
Me: No, you're brave
T: (Indignantly) No, not!!!
Me: Okay.
T: Mom?! Mom!?
Me: Yes?
T: I 'cared
Me: Why?
T: because. Mom?! Mom?! (this then leads to Conversation #1)

Conversation #3

Me: Thomas, no, no!! (when he is about to either throw something up into the whirling blades of the ceiling fan, or throw a ball at the new flat screen TV, or emerging from the pantry with two handfuls of flour..)
T: (with no small amount of bewilderment and indignation) WHY!!??
Me: Because you will break it/are making a mess.
T: I 'cared...(then refer to Conversation #2)

Despite all this, I have managed to get both the boys closets cleaned out (something that hasn't been done since we moved in almost 3 years ago), and the piles of too small clothes that I've been regularly pulling from their drawers as they outgrow them (way too fast) sorted into the approriate boxes and packed away. Thomas tried very earnestly to help me pick up the totes to carry to the basement. If only... Also, despite great odds, I got the front lawn fertilized. Normally Thomas is delighted to get to go into the front yard, but at the moment, he won't go outside unless carried there. All the noiseless fireworks we set off last week must have freaked him out more than we thought because I pulled out a package of poppers for him to play with (he's done them before) while I worked on the yard and he ran for the front door crying and shaking. Poor kid.

It's been interesting and fun to have one on one Thomas time though. As a second kid, he has rarely gotten my undivided attention. As long as I am not trying to accomplish anything, we have had fun. He has had the run of the house and all the toys and has spent a lot of time cuddling next to me on the couch ("move, mom") when I take a reading break. We'll be glad to see our boys home tomorrow though. I never realized how helpful it was to have Samuel around (even with the constant fighting). You would think I would remember what it was like to have a single toddler boy around the house, but when Samuel was this age, we were living in California with Bek and her kids.

Right now, Thomas is downstairs pounding on all the hard surfaces he can find with a big stick (where did he get a stick?), but I am ignoring it since he can't reach the TV.

Also, I have my earplugs in.