Almost Two!

I am up and active once again but without the usual cries in the background. Joey is home again today (he never did come yesterday) as his daddy has come down with ailments described in previous chapters.

Yesterday I took my walk and it was short but just exactly what I needed. Owen and I went out for about 15 minutes. That’s not a lot of time I know but I haven’t been walking regularly and I knew if I did too much I’d end up never wanting to go again so I took it pretty easy. It was not hot yet so we didn’t get too warm and still had enough energy to get a few things done around the house. I washed two loads of laundry and there is still more to do. I also drove to Amber’s house and picked up a small can of paint that I had given her a long time ago. She used what she needed and doesn’t need it anymore and I can use it in Owen’s room. Yes, I’m still painting in there. It sounds like I’m doing a mural or something but it’s really nothing but a few stripes on his walls.

We stopped at Walmart as well to pick up a little brush and some shampoo and while there we stopped in the toy aisle. Owen doesn’t yet understand that we can actually purchase these items…he just thinks there’s a place at Walmart where he has the freedom to play with toys. I let him play for a couple minutes but then insisted that it’s time to go. He wasn’t happy with this and let me know by crying and bending over as if in pain. I took his hand and said to straighten up and that we were moving on. He walked about two steps with me and then dropped to the floor crying and kicking his feet. Granted, he doesn’t throw all out tantrums with the red face and screaming so the entire store can hear but the same obstinate attitude is behind his smaller version of the ordeal and it infuriates me. I stood him up and spanked him right there. I know, I know…you have to be careful, but I also had to finish my shopping and I really believe that God will honor my discipline rather than my fear if I do what is right by my son and not spare the rod as it were. He still cried of course but he continued with me through the store and did not ask to return to the toy aisle. (one advantage of him having been sick is his voice is still not at full force…it sounded more like a whimper to everyone around us) I did, for my own sake, take a different route back through the store as to avoid his seeing the toys again too.

Owen turned 23 months yesterday and Kris and I talked about his attitude toward things and how he has changed. He is realizing his own power to choose and decide things. I see him becoming more independent and I love it, but I also have to be so careful as to what I allow him to do and how I allow him to do it. I really love parenting. It’s becoming harder at this stage than ever before, but such a joy too. Yesterday, he and I emptied the clean dishes from the dishwasher and he insisted on putting the silverware in the drawer himself. I decided to allow him this even though he can’t see over the drawer. He put them all in there and was so proud of himself. “I did it! I did it, Mary!” he says. Yes, he has been calling me Mary. He doesn’t understand that Mary is my name…he has heard Landis say it and I think Chloe probably did too while she was here. He still calls me Mommy or Mom too, but now and then Mary fits with whatever exclamation or announcement he’s using. He calls Kris “Mary” too. I’ve tried correcting it but as I told Kris last night, I get really tired of hearing “Call me mommy!” being chanted around the house the rest of the day. He just doesn’t quite get it yet. Later, he asked me if he could have some more of his cough medicine and since it had been several hours since he had taken any I said he could. I was headed his way and heard him rummaging around in the silverware. By the time I got to the kitchen he had pulled a spoon out of the drawer and was waving it over his head and saying…”I got it!” The silverware drawer was a mess once again, but he had pulled out the spoon that was required for taking his medicine and once again he was beaming with pride. He is so much fun!