Winning and Losing

Call me Mother of the Year.

So Peanut and I have been enjoying his last official day of Spring Break, and we've been reading books and playing Candyland. Endless Candyland. And I've been attempting to teach my son a few important lessons in sportsmanship.

Not surprisingly, Peanut is a fiercely competitive little boy. He's figured out from Thomas the Tank Engine that everyone likes to win. Therefore, Boy Wonder must win every game he plays against Mommy (or really anyone, I think). Since life doesn't exactly work that way, I got treated to a few spectacular temper tantrums. At least he wasn't hitting.

It should be said that I don't allow cheating. Even though this game is boring to the point of tears, there's no way I'm going to allow myself to hurry it along. For one thing, I think that would give Peanut the wrong idea. For another, well, I'm reveling in my time with my son. Besides, seriously, how does one cheat at Candyland without getting caught?

I'm not sure how much of my explanation of why we can't always win sank in today. I know there's some adults who still haven't figured that out. Plus, I'm never sure how much Peanut actually listens before his attention goes elsewhere. But I tried. And I'm still trying. I want my son to understand that fair play should be treasured, that sore losers don't often get playing partners, and that winning really isn't everything. But he's four. And he's got a long way before that kind of understanding sinks in.

So for now, I'll keep reminding him that we don't always win when we want to. And that Mommy and Daddy love him no matter what. And screaming and kicking seriously scares Doggy Luke, so maybe if he stops, Doggy will come back and be petted.

Call me Mother of the Year.

Returning to the Face of the Earth

Call me Mother of the Year.

Okay, call me a recovering, penitent Mother of the Year. And thank you to my four loyal readers for not kicking my butt for blowing off my blog. Yes, I know that I have more than four readers, and I appreciate you all, but seriously, it's just me.

So, what's been going on?

Well, Peanut is on Spring Break, and I just told him that he's not going to school this week. I'm fending off temper tantrums with bribery. Yesterday it was Chuck E. Cheese, today Candyland and Play-Doh, and I'm figuring out the rest of the week as I go along. My diabolical plans of sending Boy Wonder outside and wearing him out have been thwarted by thunderstorms. Drat.

Preschool is going well, and there is much rejoicing. I'm already seeing progress in the lessening of temper tantrums and a new willingness to listen (occasionally). We're singing songs from school, talking about friends, and involving parents and grandparents in our new endeavor. Plus, he gets to bring Nana and Grammy to school for Grandparents' Day. That's going to be a whole new blog when it happens. I'll be there with video cameras, I promise. We also got to involve me in Peanut's First Attempt at Fundraising, where I learned that our family is a sucker for Peanut. His school now loves me.

I'm finally over Massive Sinus Infection, which laid me out cold for two weeks and required good drugs to yank me back to the land of the living. Oh yeah, and I'm kind of pregnant. Did I forget to mention that? Three months, all is going well, and Peanut has been informing all and sundry that he's "going to be a big brother!!!" He's requesting a little sister. I suspect Grammy may have put that in his head, but that could just be a rumor. Or an unwillingness to share trains. We'll see.

So yes, I'll be better about writing. After all, we have more adventures and twice the kids to talk about!

Call me Mother of the Year.