Mama's Day (or Momma, if you're Southern)

Happy Mother's Day, all you moms! I hope that next year will be a little more restful for our family (am I dreaming?!), but this year was a nice one. I had been craving chocolate (good chocolate, you know, Jessie? :) and my husband was listening...he & Langston got me a little box of fudge from a specialty shop here in Macomb. We are all enjoying it.
Barclay also let me "sleep in" a little & cooked breakfast for me. I guess my breakfast has actually been "brunch" lately...I finally get going around 9 or 10. Anyway, it was yummy.
L. and I went to the store together for various paper products & new paints for him. He tried them out (as one could see by the pic above...he's the Hulk...thanks, dad). He also managed to coat one of his cute shirts in paint, smear a little on my new rocker, & cover our coffee table in 3 different colors. But, as my close friends know, washable messes are no big deal to me. I've been known to allow many-a-marker-tatoo. :) (I will make note here that he was so invested in his art that he peed in the floor...something he hasn't done in months.)
Oh, and we've hit the "Why?" (Yes, Mel, we are there with you now.) I don't know what took him so long, but it's driving me insane...not the questions, but the fact that they come in opposition to what I tell or ask him to do.
Me: L., please don't dip the whole cloth in the bucket.
L: (as he dips it in) Why?
Me: Langston, your need to clean up the paints before you get the play dough out.
L: (as he sits on his bum) Why?
Urg. I know it's not a big deal, but we are having time-outs over some of the disobeying. I believe that it's better to correct the small things before there are big things. He's a really great kid. I hope he grows into a really great person. I want to do all I can to help him along the way...and I think that guiding him now will giving him grounding for later.
And since I've told about some of the crazy Langston, I'll now tell of some of the daily Langston. he is beginning to use the words, "hilarious" and "interesting." He uses them appropriately. Usually as he is telling a story, something along the way was "really interesting. " Now, I will say that the pronunciation of this word is a little off, but we can understand him. Also, we are having trouble with "his self" and "himself." I must confess that is a pet peeve of mine. One of my close relatives uses this incorrect grammar (you know who you are!) & I am part of the grammar police for this one. :) My grammar is far from perfect (esp. right now...since I'm sleeping in segments for only a few hours a night), but I want my kids to know what I know & then learn much, much more.
Now, finally, a little about my littlest one. Miss Zora is sleeping like a champ at night! She had her first 4+ hours b't feedings last night! (Of course I got in on about 11/2 hours of that, but still...) She dislikes sleeping during the day. Cat naps & dosing (on someone, usually) is all she'll do, for the most part, during the day. This prevents me from getting anything done, but I know that she'll be actively listening and watching big brother soon, so I'll get to sneak in a load of laundry or dusting as they mesmerize one another. I would like to say how thankful I am for all the families that I babysat for in the past. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be so used to all these phases. So far, the only things that hit me with surprise were: 1.how time consuming breastfeeding can be 2.how sore you get when you are holding a baby for most of 24 hours. That was with Langston. I knew that would happen with Zora, so I am more chill about the house and I try to stretch more.
Well, that's it for the moment! Oh, and the first pic posted is me & my little loves doing our bedtime routine...stories with milk (both kinds). :)