Easy Does It...

WARNING: EXTREME WORDINESS

I embellish. I'm long winded.
Take a potty break before reading this blog entry.
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I think one of the coolest things about parenthood is the kid part. Kids are cool, kids are smart and basically (anyone whose ever lived with a two year old knows from experience) kids are so totally in control. I'm not embarrassed to admit it... I so got over myself about 2 weeks into this gig by realizing this person might be pint sized, but inside he's a just a person. A person with his own thoughts, his own ideas and his own needs. Don't think for one hair brained second that just because this person doesn't speak the language he's going to be unable to express himself, no sireebob this little guy gets his point across just fine and dandy. Believe me son, I'm so totally listening and watching and learning. I'm paying attention. So when two people who don't speak the same language start to experience a failure to communicate, it's really good to have such a laid back, easy going and completely centered partner in parenthood crime by your side... believe me when I say that I've thanked the mystic forces of the cosmos more than once for my darling P - our family's version of a superhero. He's so totally the Starsky to my Hutch.

I'm kinda sorta, in a slightly uptight and controlled fashion easy going. Except for surprises, not so super keen on those - the worst of all being a surprise birthday party - don't ever even think about it. Things would get pretty ugly and fast. I don't require a lot of structure, I love winging it and I'm not really so big on plans of any kind. All that being said, after planning all week to take a trip to Lake Erie this weekend I was raring to go this morning. The loosely configured plan... simply drive up there with the whole crew - the son, the dogS and us parents - all together, pretty easy. Go to the lake, goof off, hang out, spend the night... eat a little, whatever. Those are my kind of plans - make it simple, keep it simple. I'm not particular about what happens or what we do. What I would be slightly more particular about is the "Going Part". You know, the whole "Getting There Part". Leaving those parts out of the equation would be like Not going anywhere... Not taking a trip... Not venturing out the front door. And unless your head is stuck in a vise you've probably guessed just what we did this weekend. Yeah, that's right - a whole lot of NOT.

And probably Not for the reasons you'd assume they'd be. No screaming, no whining, no crying, no productions, none of this. No nothing really. Mr. Jello Man was just, in polite terms, Not so interested in whatever the lame brained parents had in mind for the weekend. After all this was his weekend too and he made that point pretty evident. While we rushed around like our heads were severed, The H Man slept. While we frantically tried to remember every favorite snack, toy and blanket, The H Man slept. While we hurriedly scrubbed and showered at the ridiculous 6 am hour, The H Man slept. We packed, we organized, we waited. And waited, and waited, and waited. The H Man Sleepeth. Two very important things to know about this boy - 1) You never wake this boy up early and 2) You never get this boy out of bed until he's damn well ready - this boy is just like his Mama, and this Mama totally understands that just because your eyes are open does Not mean you're awake.

(Note: this boy's bedtime is 8:30pm. We don't let him stay up all night, no matter what you may think)

His morning was went like this: opened eyes at 9:48 AM and was completely awake, ready to leave the bed by 10:33. Had a dirty diaper disposed of and a change of clothes before enjoying a leisurely breakfast until 11:45. Chose a morning activity - Water and Sand Activity Table. Watched the parents become unruly. Waited by the door and asked nicely. Very, very nicely... "Peeaase".

It's my own fault I suppose, we have a pretty regular daily routine and the weekend feels like any other day to this little guy.

Some of you might have handled this differently... rushed and poked and prodded. Me, I hate to be rushed. Almost as much as surprises... it ruins my whole day, sets me off kilter and basically makes me annoyed and irritable. So rushing the kid is a whole lot like rushing myself - it requires the same bad energy, which for me takes all the fun out of life. P simply looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said "Whaddya gonna do". Two utterly relaxed boys, not in any kind of a hurry, just looking to hang out together. So what's a Mama with plans to do... any sane Mama enforces the rules, stomps her foot and sticks to the plan. This Mama, not so much. These weren't the paid $1000 bucks for a ticket plans, they're casual plans, do 'em any ol' time plans. As it turns out they were pretty easy to modify plans... so we hang by the lake constructed of our own water and sand, we goof off, we laugh, we eat a little and we love our time together. Cuz that's what it's all about. We'll shoot for Lake Erie next weekend, and if we end up at the Zoo instead - well that'll be just fine too.

Kids, they're a remarkable thing. They totally make you aware of the moment - and I think if you're smart, when it's feasible and not while you're trying to do the grocery shopping, you live in that moment right along with them. It's the coolest place to be and it's pure bliss.