My Little Man

Motherhood is unpredictable. All of you more experienced mothers may be thinking - well, no duh - but in my newly-stay-at-home-mom naivete, I am just learning that the unpredictability is just about all I can plan on. I wake up every morning without any idea what the day might bring. A happy, caring, sweet child or a day of tantrums and breakdowns.

Today was a great day.

Morgan cleared his plate after breakfast all by himself. Both kids got baths. There were no incidents during the 2 hours of playgroup fun (which may not seem like a big deal, but if you read on you will understand that this was a major breakthrough). I did not have to send Morgan to a single time-out all day, Chloe took 3 naps and I got to spend one-on-one time with both kids. Seth got to come with us to the library, where we checked out 10+ books and then came home and read nearly all of them. And, I even made dinner.

But the best part of my day was before Morgan's nap when we read One Fish, Two Fish by Dr. Seuss. Reading this book is a normal part of any day. In fact reading it 2 or 3 times is typical, but today, he read with me. Nope, he isn't a prodigy child who reads at 2 1/2, he just has a photographic little memory. He can quote more than 50% of the book - and it is a pretty long book. He looked at the pictures to determine which rhyme to say and then finished my sentences with a look of pride that only a 2 year-old can pull off. So cute!!! It was just one of those mothering moments when you think, "Man, I am sure lucky that Heavenly Father sent this kid to me!"

Morgan is a pretty sweet kid. He loves to share, he loves to play with friends, and he is always trying to help, but lately he has been exhibiting some aggressive behaviors - especially when we play with other boys. I have come to realize that it is probably his coping mechanism for stress - it got significantly worse during the holidays and has calmed down since. After months of searching, we finally found something that works and it is all about reinforcing positive behavior! He gets a "good mark" on his hand every time I catch him doing something kind, helpful or obedient, and he wants to get good marks all day long. He is so proud of those little lines on his hand and I am so happy that he is back (fingers crossed) to being the sweet little boy I know and love. And boy do I love him!