Monday April 23, 2007
Adam just celebrated his third birthday. Whenever I thought I’d get to the end of myself last year, people told me to hang on until he’s three. I thought it was kind of funny. Like, kids don’t just magically do a turn-around because one day you tell them they are three. No, they don’t. But by that time, they are cognizant enough that you can sort of reason them into being good by themselves, I discovered. And so, turning three is somewhat magical. Adam loves to go to town. It was a frustration for a long time when he was younger because of the long drive to town and the fact that I try to go only once a week or two and then get everything at once. He’d been doing much better. Now with doing house shopping a lot and having to think and make decisions, I’ve been having a hard time with it. I mean, how easy is it to decide which bathroom faucet you should choose when you consider the fact that the plumber prefers Moen but the sales rep at Fergusons told you sometimes plumbers just tell you what’s easiest for them to install and then you see a Price Pfisterer faucet on clearance that you really like in the finish you really like and about that time you wake up to the fact that a faucet costs different things depending on what finish you are looking at and then you try to remember how much money you tallied in the budget for plumbing total and how this will make you come out with the rest of it and all the while your son is asking the same question repeatedly b/c you aren’t answering, and then he begs to get out of the cart which you weren’t going to do so that you don’t have to watch him but you’re so busy thinking about faucets for the bathroom that you absentmindedly lift him out and the next thing you know he’s pushing the cart into a display and trying to choose faucets from the lower shelf insisting, “wet’s get dis one, Mommy.” However, Adam turned three, remember. So on his birthday we go shopping at Home Depot and he starts whining in the cart. “Adam,” I said, “what are you doing right now?” “Fussing,” he whined. “This is why mommy doesn’t like to take you along to town. It’s hard for me to shop when you fuss and whine.” “I’m stopping,” he said quickly and then, in a complete tone of voice change, “NOW I have a good att’tude.” And would you believe it? He really did. After about 45 min of shopping I let him sit on the lawn mowers for awhile. He was on maybe five minutes and I told him to drive a little more then he would need to get off. He turned the steering wheel 4 more times and crawled off on his own volition! I was in utter amazement. I started praising him for having such a good attitude and told him how much fun it is to have him along when I shop when he is like this. “I’m big now,” he explained. “I’m ‘free’ now.” As though that was all the explanation I needed. And truth be told, I really didn’t need anything else from him … just some words from someone on what makes three so magical?????
Michelle, I just read your post and it totally boosted my spirits. I had “one of those days” and don’t even really know how I ended up on your site, but I loved your Adam stories. I hope I get to meet you and your darling little boy someday. Thanks for the smile/laugh, Andrea (p.s. good luck with the faucet decisions) 🙂
that faucet decision….it might not sound like much to some people but I can totally relate to your trying to decide. sometimes I do that, too, on stuff that really, in the big scheme of things, isn’t that important, but feels like it at the moment (and I know that was kind of a long sentence but you got me beat by far!) I love that magical age of three. That’s where my nephew Alex is at right now, and it’s such fun!
Your “free”-year-old made me chuckle!! Love the deliberate attitude change! 🙂
i so know where your coming from. and three really is magical. i hope you’ll soon be able to get into your house.
Yea for Adam ! He really is a very sweet, interesting, expressive “free’ yr. old and we dearly love him. No wonder, he’s got a wonderful Mom and Dad!
Wow, there is hope, but I have 3 1/2 months to go yet :). They really are a lot smarter then we give them credit for. Whining is on top of my list for getting on nerves! I will tell McKayla to lower her voice and she stops and puts her little chin down and talks really low! It does work better then telling her over and over not to whine! Today we will go take pictures! Pray for me :). My oldest always does wonderful, the next……. if I can stay calm and not act like this is really important to me…..may do fine also. We have yet to get any really GREAT ones of her.
I don’t have an explanation for the magical threes but it happened here too. Then the whole process starts over as teens and I’m wondering when that magical age comes. :/ I always wanted them to be newborn for a year then go straight to three.
Thanks for the Adam stories…I could just hear him say it.
I can so identify with your shopping experience with a three year old, when you have a million thoughts swimming around in your head all at once!! I have a three year old daughter, and I think what you said about turning three has some truth to it. I LOVE that age. My 16 month old is more frustrating to me because she can’t talk much yet to communicate her wants and needs, and I can’t reason with her either like I can with the three year old. I love reading your posts, even tho. this one had major run-on sentences. (you needed that to convey the million thoughts running all at once.)
that’s funny cause sasha is four and she still says “free”. can’t even remember if the three’s were magical here or not. sasha is four and sometimes i am amazed at how “good” she is and the next time i’m amazed at how “nasty” she is. kids will be kids. love kid stories …they’re so fun at this age! i’m gonna miss having a preschooler i think.?? maybe not???? can’t believe i’d ever “miss” having teenagers tho. maybe?? some days can be so fun…others….wheeeeee! we’re on a ride!
michelle….how are things coming? everything falling into place? i have had a really discouraging two weeks. i guess in my mind as soon….and when i say …”as soon” …i literally meant “as soon” as the masons were done…well..to me it only made sense that the very next day or two our framing crew was gonna be back there getting those walls up!….well……2 weeks later…..and they’re still not up! i’ve had to “give up” and than “give up” and than “give up” some more, until i feel like that’s absolutely all i’m doing! they (both crews and roy himself) are so swamped busy that there is no time for little “me”. ;( so i cry and than i’m alright again. i feel bad tho for roy cause i know he’d like to get it done for me but well….bad timing i guess. i’m thankful for all the work, really i am, it’s just that ….well you know. oh well, he promised tonight he’d get the lumber back there so that its ready as soon as some of them could sneak a couple days. so i’m gonna be optomistic again.
so i wish for you the best! and hopefully you’ll be in that house real soon! i really would be excited about seeing your house and hopefully i can before it’s not even new anymore!
have a great rest of the week!