Lunch & Snake Eyes Halloween scare

On this particular week, I had a very busy agenda. I was feeling like my role at home was lacking and I was missing out...so I knew how to make things better....I'll surprise Parker!

My work schedule required me to work 3pm - 11pm on this particular day...so I had lots of time to meet Parker at school for lunch and run errands afterwards. I arrived at school just after 11am to "Line Up" with the class of 1st graders and Parker. [Feeling like a kid again]. Off we went to the cafeteria and it was spaghetti day!

Parker was really quiet, I was trying to get him to talk a bit. He seemed distracted. When lunch is officially about to be over, a teacher will flip a card and the children can go to recess if they are finished with their lunch. Once this took place, 4 boys came over to our table and began to leave the cafeteria. Parker picked up his tray and told me he was going to recess and followed that group of boys. I told him that he barely touched his food, maybe we should eat some more. And he said, "Bye Mom, I'm going to recess!". I sat there and could not believe he just left me! I realized I could not compete with recess. :)

After lunch, I went and ran errands. I had purchased a Snake Eyes costume for Parker to wear at Halloween. It was the exact costume he wanted and just the right size!! And I looked forward to talking with him on the phone later as I worked and I would let him know that I had a surprise for him! He gave me specific instructions to lay the costume in his room when I arrived home after 11pm. And he also told me to wake him up earlier the next morning so that he would have time to try on his new costume. After work, I arrived home and laid out the costume knowing how excited he would be in the morning.

Around 3am he tried his costume on and stood beside me at my bed saying, "Mom, is it too early to wake up and try my costume on?". Having been a tiny bit awake and seeing this black mask in my face...I freaked out!! Ahhhhh!

Needless to say, I was wide awake at that point.

G. I. Joe Mania

Parker told me last night that he wanted up early in the morning so that he and I could play g.i. Joe before school. He then asked if I would wake him when I got up so we had time to play this game. "No problem", I said.

After he got around for the day, he was still waiting on me to get ready. I told him I needed to dry my hair and I had to be beautiful before I could play. He went to my closet and picked out an orange shirt and said, "Mom, you will look beautiful in this!". My heart just melted! And I responded, "Okay, I'll just pick out a skirt to go with that and after I get dressed I'll be ready to play G.I. Joe". He went back to my closet and picked out a skirt. Surprisingly the outfit matched really well and I was ready in no time!

Parker's games are not always games that I relate to. I fumble around not knowing really who I am or what I am supposed to be doing as this character from G.I. Joe, but I do know how important it is to Parker to play these games, especially on days when he will pick out my clothes for me!

Sonic

We took Parker to the new "Sonic" Drive-in restaurant in our area. Even though the idea of fast food doesn't appeal to me that much, I wanted Parker to experience a Drive-in restaurant like we used to frequent when I was a kid. We had an A & W Rootbeer stand in Michigan where I lived with my parents growing up.

We pulled in the driveway and spotted a bay for our car and Parker could see the wait staff delivering food to people on rollerskates. He said, "Mom, this isn't Sonic, It's the Flintstones!"

"That girl is carrying food on skates just like Betty Rubble."

He really thought we were in some sort of Bed Rock restaurant and the waitress was going to dump a giant shell on the side of the car!! The food was tasty and it was so much fun!

Art Exhibit

I haven't blogged in awhile so I thought I would quickly add this funny story:

We recently attended a wine & cheese Art Function at a local college to support their work. Several pieces of art were on display throughout the halls of this college. We had been around most of the wings on the first floor and we asked Parker if there were any paintings or pictures that he favored. He really wasn't too interested in any of them and responded, "No!"

We made our way to the second floor and walked into a room in the B wing that had several pieces on display and we headed to the right when Parker stopped. He just gazed with a smile at this picture...then he pointed and said "I like this one!!"

It was a picture of the back side of a beautiful female!! (the painting we now refer to as "Buttcrack".)

Christmas 2008

We've had a really good time this Christmas. All of us home, since we all have time off during the holidays this year.

Parker has had many fun stories to share. Starting with Christmas eve, we went to church and watched Parker play the bells, sing Christmas carols, say his part in the children's program and the part of another little boy, Caden, who developed stage fright as soon as the microphone was presented to him.

After church, Santa had already been to our house. He normally comes during the night when we are sleeping. Parker let out a squeal of delight that there were presents under the tree from Santa! He quickly took toys out of their boxes and said "Dad, read the constructions."

Santa had a theme, this was the year of the Bat! Batman toys everywhere! Batcave, Batman action figures, Batman Lego DS Game, and 5 foot wingspan bat wings.....thank you's to grandma.(And where to put all this stuff!) I love that Parker thinks superheroes are unstopable - strong, fast, smart and always victorious! A boy needs a hero.

Santa also left an Easy Bake oven. Yes, Santa doesn't want Parker to grow up thinking that a man has to rely on a woman to cook. Men cook too! And some are pretty darn good at it!! Parker has already made donuts, cookies, and cakes. Yum!

In all, a really good holiday season. Time with extended family, time together playing games, eatting Christmas treats, and sleeping in late. This might be the last year in a while that we all have 2 weeks off around the holidays...so we wanted to enjoy every minute.