Founded!

In other news, Joe has realized that he can leave the bambini's room, on his own. For a very long time, when the topics of toddlers and sleeping would come up, sometimes the question of whether Joe would get out of bed on his own would come up and we would say, "No, he does not seem to know he can get out of his own bed. He might as well believe alligators surround it until we come in." Whomever we were talking to would say, "Really?!" Really. We wondered if it would actually be Clara who introduced Joe to the concept of leaving his bed: "Um, duh, Doe. You can GET OUT OF THE BED--!!!!! And like, LEAVE THE ROOM. Oh my God. Let's go. COME ON!!!!!"

But earlier this week, one morning, Julie came out of the bathroom, and nearly stepped on Joe, who had exited the bambini's room on all fours (as he was pretending to be a puppy dog). Julie, primed not to make a big deal out of this lest it become today's screaming and running about like a wild thing, tomorrow, said, "Well, hello, Puppy! Shall we go and wake up Clara?" And that was that.

Then, this morning, at 7:09am, Julie heard the pitter patter of little feet. Berenice was already padding about upstairs so Julie knew it had to be Joe. Moments later, Berenice went downstairs, and then the light in the stairwell came on. And then, there was Our Hero before us.

He said, "I founded you!"

We were nonchalant, though we had been founded. Joe heaved himself on to the big bed (which was lovely), but it was only a moment before he said something along the lines of, "This is SUPER boring. Get up! Don't you want pancakes?" He had also let us know that Clara was up so you know, we did need to go and rescue her, though she was, by the sound of it, quite content.

It was all so very sweet, Fans. (It was, of course, past seven. It would not have been--will not be?--so very sweet if it happens before 6am.)

How Friday Went

Fans, we know you have been following the unfolding of Screamgate with bated breath, and so we did not want to leave you wondering how Our Hero fared in the wake of Thursday evening's encore rendition of the if-your-friends-jumped-off-the-Brooklyn-Bridge-would-you-do-it? lecture.

Ms. Vanessa reported that although spirits were high in Joe's room Friday, he did a much better job thinking for himself and doing the right thing. Hooray! Much was made of this behavior in the car on the way home. We gushed, we cheered, we hugged.

Joe does, however, have to keep us on our toes and so he did pitch a relatively brief fit over something to do with brushing his teeth. It lasted long enough that he missed the bath time window; news that was met with fresh dismay. But he rallied soon enough. He also dilly dallied getting dressed this morning, but the energy he brought to doing the wrong thing was much diminished relative to what was displayed earlier in the week.

And so while we do not think we can yet retire the old Brooklyn Bridge lecture, or forgo reminders about thinking for one's self and doing the right thing, we are pleased to be to be speaking of such things with less frequency, and we are so very proud of Our Hero.

A New Day?

When Julie arrived to pick up the bambini, Ms. Vanessa told Julie that Joe had had a great afternoon. Right. No doubt you all have also noticed what is missing from that sentence. Apparently, he had a rough morning. Ms. Vanessa said that he is never the one who starts anything, but he--and others--like to jump on the bandwagon. Our Hero has to learn to think for himself.

Yes.

Ms. Vanessa, we could not agree more. Easier said than done.

So Julie was apprehensive about how Joe would behave after dinner on the way to bed. In the car on the way home, she delivered (again) the three-and-a-half version of the the old if-you're-friends-were-jumping-off-the-Brooklyn-Bridge-would-you-do-it? lecture. Joe intimated that he would not jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. Wonderful. Julie was, nevertheless, still apprehensive.

Fans, Our Hero was heroic. He issued perhaps two screams, but sensed right off their frosty reception, and also sensed, perhaps, that his partner is crime was perhaps not as willing to go the distance. And so things settled, and then flowed on as they normally would!

So we shall see. We are cautiously optimistic--also, exhausted. Goodnight noises everywhere.

Snaps To That!

Fans, we need to say a bit more about Joe's snapping triumph.

As some of you may know, Julie became a sorority woman in college. For reasons she's never really paused to consider, but rather accepted in stereotypical "sorority girl" fashion, sorority women, apparently the nation over, are taught to snap to express appreciation or support for a sister or an idea in chapter meetings, instead of clapping. In addition to snapping, one might say aloud "Snaps to that!"

Joe's been trying to get the hang of snapping ever since Ted and Julie first mesmerized him with synchronized snapping (and bopping and singing) to the Glee cast's rendition of the King of Pop's Man in the Mirror. (He still wants to be as cool as that. It can't last, but right now, at least we have something going for us that matches putting noodles on our fingers.) Lately, he's really been giving it his all.

For a while, he was touching his index finger to his thumb, and if one tried to say it was his middle finger that he should bring together with his thumb, and pull---or snap--down, he would summarily dismiss you. (What did we know anyway?) But eventually, he came around.

Tonight, on the way home from Chipotle, we listened to Red Solo Cup, A-B-C, and then skipped to "the snappy song," aka Man in the Mirror, for which Julie broke out her snapping fingers as she belted it out, having warmed up with A-B-C. (Clara was really breakin' it down to A-B-C, and Joe is trying to memorize enough to really sing along. Picture Birdie pulling her hat off, and then whipping her head back and forth from left to right with a big goofy grin on her face.) We pulled into the garage and Julie, having steeled herself as much as possible for what might be next, reluctantly switched off the ignition. And that's when she heard the snap from the backseat.

Fans, it was AUDIBLE! And Joe said, "Mommy! I snapped it!" And Julie laughed and said, "Snaps to that Pal-o! Snaps to that," wishing so much that Ted was already home to hear it, too.

Same [Expletive Deleted], Different Day

Fans. There is an expression here in these United States. This is a family blog, so we cannot write it in full here, but perhaps you know it? Same [expletive deleted], different day--and today, it's our theme.

We kicked the day off with a good, old fashioned tantrum from Joe lasting for the entirety of the ride to school because Julie told Joe she would not help him zip up his coat; that she knew he could do it, and had faith in him. Yesterday, at pick-up, Mr. Mark asked Julie if she'd seen Joe zip up his coat. She said no, that she'd seen him try, but that he would then always ask for help. Mr. Mark said, "Oh! He does it here." Well now does he and don't that put a whole new wheel on the wagon, Fans. Bookend this.

We went to Chipotle for dinner where there was some tomfoolery, but mainly at the end of the meal (which, incidentally, is how Julie knew it was the end of the meal). We arrived at home at bath time, which the bambini kicked off with some screaming. Julie placidly walked away, thinking tonight's theme. When Joe took down the bin of Clara's diapering supplies, Julie wordlessly ferried it back to the top of the refrigerator (hot lease deals with an option to buy on top of the fridge). When Joe and Clara next attacked the basket in which their stuffed animals reside, Julie ferried the basket to the porch, left it there, closing and locking the door behind her, removing the key from the lock. Clara found her not long after in the kitchen. Julie asked if Clara wanted to take a bath, and Clara turned and walked to her room, sat down, and started taking off her socks. Smart Birdie!

Joe hurried to take off his clothes. By the time he had them off, the Birds were in the bathroom drawing the bath. Joe ran in, and screamed (note the verbs, Fans), and Julie placidly shut the door to the bathroom--with Joe on the other side. Fans, it was awful. Awful! Tears were shed on both sides of the door.

Joe figured out how to open the bathroom door just as Julie was lifting Clara out of the water. His tears had stopped but they began again when he realized that the bath water was draining, and really took off when Julie informed him that bath time was over, but he should put on his pajamas when he was ready.

Our Hero stayed in the bathroom the entire time it took to get Clara into her diaper, pajamas, and socks, and all of her various ointments applied. It sounded like he was body slamming the door. He was screaming, "I want my towel down!"

But by the time the Birds were in the living room reading, Joe was, too, on the couch, with his blue wash cloth that says "Joe" on it draped over himself loin cloth-style, and a book. Julie let him page through one book like that and then suggested he might exchange the loin cloth for his pajamas, and thankfully, Our Hero agreed.

After Julie put Birdie down, Julie called Joe to the couch and put it to him flatly. She said she didn't like the way he'd been acting, and she was tired of hearing about him being disrespectful to his teachers at school, and was tired of him being disrespectful to her and Daddy. She said she didn't have fun with him anymore, and she missed having fun with him. Joe took it all in, and said only "O-kay." Julie left it at that, read some books, and put Joe to bed. In between reading Joe the last book and putting him to bed, Joe leaned over on to Julie, like he dose when they're going to talk, but Julie thinks they were both tapped out.

Earlier, Fans, you were asked to bookend this bit about Joe zipping up his own coat. Besides Clara catching on so quickly to how she's supposed to be rolling, and all of what is described here lasting under half an hour (as opposed to upwards of an hour like last night), two things of note happened today: Joe zipped his own coat up before leaving Chipotle and, he snapped his fingers. The two are related only in that Our Hero was so proud of himself, his face was barely big enough to hold his smile.