Little Nap

We call Zack "little Nap"... as in Nepolian, and not Nepolian Dinomite but Napoleon Bonaparte (French Emperor). He dictates our daily actions simply by just being him. Since he was 3 months old he has had a very strict schedual and routine. You don't vary from it... TRUST ME! He is not the kind of child you can "wake up", get dressed and send out the door. You have to let him wake up. He will lay in bed talking to himself for a little and making weird noises...and then you will here "MOMMA COME GET ME!!! MMMMMMOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY where er oouuu" It's just the way things are and not a battle I care to fight. It works out in my best interest because he is in bed by 8:30, and the rest of the night is ours.
Now that being said, there are little battles that this child has to pick. We have our daily struggles like, No you can't eat yogurt and fruit all day...you have to eat food! Oh, or my favorite one "no not that one.....that one". This can be about ANYTHING!!! He will tell you he wants a Mommy Sandwich (BP&J) and you give it to him... He will scream, NO NOT THIS, I want chicken!!!! Now, those of you with toddler's know they confuse words and names a lot so you have to be a little flexible. However, it extends to the pieces of food he even eats. He will scan and dig through things like hotdogs and chicken tenders till he finds the ONE piece he wants to eat at that very moment. Then, a few seconds later will do the same thing. Eating any meal with him is either very long (if he likes the food) or very short.

Last night Little Nap came into Shelby's room while we were doing her routine, which is easier then his ever was. He said I was doing it wrong!!! He told me, "NO NO NO Mommy, sing song.. sing dream star song". I said okay, just to amuse him and started the frist line of "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"... and then he said, "NO NO NO Mommy come on, you say night night baloon, night night moon, night night cow story den ou sing song!" Like GEEEEZZZZ mom can't you do anything right with out my direction. As soon as I started the Goodnight Moon story he let out a sigh, and slammed Shelby's door. I had to crack up. He basically figured that since I always always always read him "Goodnight Moon" and then I sing him his song... that that is how everyone goes to sleep... and darn it, why didn't I know that!

One more funny... we tell him to take a deep breath and blow out the mad. Toddler's get so mad and frustrated SO easy. We are teaching him it's okay to be mad, but we are giving him "tools" to deal with it. So hopefully he doesn't turn into an angry adult that can't difuse their own emotions....again, hopefully because genetics are stacked against him, hahaha! Well, I got really pissed off at a driver and was basically using every clean word I could think of to tell this person off... Like A) they could hear me and B) they would care. I pull into his school parking lot and I hear "wwwwwwhoooooppplllllllwwwwwshhhh" I turn around to see spit flying and him puckering up and blowing. I asked him what he was doing and he said "blowing out the mad mommy, blowing out the mad". I about died laughing. Who knew! A child could teach you more then you could ever teach them.