Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Interior Brain Noise

Good Day, Friends and Family,

Ahhh, the first day of October, what a treat! I've noticed in the last 4-5 days that the leaves have been putting on a glorious show. I hijacked Little Red yesterday for an hour and made him drive around our town and the next one to do some photography. SOOOO beautiful out there. Since he has a cold, he was not too disagreeable about this, but I knew I could not get away with him sitting in the car while I took pictures otherwise.

He's a very active, on his feet and running kinda kid. Even with a completely stuffy head, he still wants to be out riding his bike and making "Rooster Tails" in the puddles. Come on now, you know what rooster tails are, don't you? My boys made this expression up one day when they were repeatedly riding their bikes through the puddles. They don't make the bikes with the cover over the rear tires anymore, at least not for kids. So, the water will spray up in back of them like a "rooster tail". Is this not totally clever or what? I am not sure which one of them thought that metaphor up, but it cracks me up. And they use it like it's every day language. Here's an example:

Me to Little Red yesterday: "If you're going to ride your bike, I don't want you to get all dirty because we have to go somewhere in a couple of minutes."
Little Red: "But Mommy, I'm just going to make a few rooster tails", or

Me: "Maestro, why is your back soaking wet and filthy?"
Maestro: "It was just rooster tails"

You get the picture. I'm telling you, some of the things that these two come out with just make my day. And hearing them in a conversation with each other about something that is completely grown up also is something for me to listen to. Maestro just could not WAIT for Little Red to get to talking when he was learning so he could have someone small to talk to. Little Red was in speech therapy for a year because he was not much of a talker at first. He only had about 10 words by the time he was 20 months, so at the recommendation of his pediatrician, we started him in speech therapy. His therapist would come here once a week and work with him on talking. Now, my personal theory is that he didn't talk because A) he wasn't ready and B) he couldn't get a word in edgewise with Maestro on the scene. That child just does not stop talking and NOW Little Red follows suit. Once that flood gate opened at about 2 1/2, he hasn't looked back. When he is alone with me after Maestro is off to pursue higher learning, he does not stop chattering. I've gotten so that I just tune it out unless it's something urgent, crying or he's in pain. These conversations go something like this:

Little Red, as we're driving down the road...very excitedly..."Mommy, see that Toyota (Chevy, Ford, Infinity, etc whatever he's spotted) over there!"
Me: "Yes, the blue one?" meanwhile, to be honest, I'm tuned into the noise inside my head, making a list of stuff to get at the grocery store, figuring out the best way to fit in one more volunteer thing, organizing bills to be paid, etc. I'm rarely tuned into these conversations...
Little Red: "Mommy, that's a Ford, followed by a Toyota, followed by a Chevrolet, followed by another Ford..." this goes on almost the whole time you're driving Little Red anywhere, he's completely obsessed with cars, and is convinced that everyone else must be as well.
Me: "I see the Ford, yep, oh a Toyota?..." You get the visual, and I know if you're a parent, you've totally done this before. I know you have, admit it, and if you're little one isn't old enough yet, and you're still doting on every word, believe me you WILL get to this stage of the game. You can't stay sane otherwise. The overwhelming constant chatter takes over any space in your brain where you used to form cognitive sentences.

Well, I hear that it's time for me to get the breakfast bell on for the little men. Hope it's gonna be a peaceful one, but I'm not holding my breath. We tell them all the time, "good thing you're cute".

Wishing you chatter to fill your days, ~Peacemom

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