For some reason, the nurses at the ER this weekend were impressed with how smart Sam is. Don’t get me wrong; he is smart. He just wasn’t doing anything particularly brilliant at the time they were observing him. He was speaking in his usual manner, and he happened to throw in some adverbs (“Luckily, they found me on the couch!”), which was enough to cause comment. It struck me as funny, seeing other people’s surprise over that. Then again, yesterday when Sam was delayed coming downstairs, Gabe remarked, “Perhaps he isn’t finished on the potty yet,” which might also be an unusual turn of phrase for his age.
“You like using big words, Gabe?”
“I just said, ‘potty.’” 
Positive remarks about any aspect of one’s offspring are part of what helps keep them alive, though. 
It’s difficult to remain in “must-throttle” mode over the child with whom all the church greeters look forward to shaking hands every week. (Recently noticed that a picture of Gabe even made it onto the our church’s website doing just that.) Dinnertime is a particular plague upon us lately, with the boys turning their noses up at almost everything lovingly placed before them (anything hastily prepared without thought or care is, of course, wolfed swiftly and proclaimed the Best Meal Ever); maybe we need to start having company over for every evening meal, just so we can have the combination of the different perspective of our kids and the boys’ desire to “turn on the charm” for anybody other than Mom and Dad.
I’m just exhausted with trying to cajole them into eating the things on their plates. We try to provide a variety of foods, hoping there’ll be at least one thing there that they’ll touch, but it’s still maddening to watch them glomp onto that one thing and leave three-quarters of their food barely picked at. A couple of nights ago, I actually decided that not only did I not have it in me to fight the battle, but I didn’t even have the mental reserves to listen to Eric try to fight it. “Fine,” I muttered while Eric was in the kitchen. “Sam, you finish off Gabe’s ravioli. Gabe, you can have Sam’s asparagus!” And there was rejoicing between them as they exchanged plates and ate each other’s cast-offs. Eric, who overheard, quirked an eyebrow and made a cryptic reference to “putting Donna’s cats on the Supreme Court,” a West Wing reference that escaped me and that we can’t find online. (Help?) The sudden lack of grumbling in the room made it worth the concession on my part, though.
Apropos of nothing, I put Gabe down for his nap a bit ago and gave him a kiss. He smiled and said, “Now I’ll sleep, and you go downstairs and make coffee so you stay alive.”
…Perhaps they’re getting a skewed idea of the strength of my caffeine needs. Still, the idea is right.
The West Wing quote is from Season 5, episode “The Supremes”
http://www.tv.com/the-west-wing/the-supremes/episode/308938/summary.html
But what’s the cat reference? That’s the part I can’t find, and he can’t remember the dialogue well enough to explain it to me.
He smiled and said, “Now I’ll sleep, and you go downstairs and make coffee so you stay alive.”…….
In my world I have the coffee so I don’t commit murder.
Speaking of which I need a fresh cup right about now.
Very hazily….Donna’s parents got two new cats. When choosing the cats, her Mum liked one, her Dad liked the other. But they didn’t want to compromise so they got both cats. Josh uses this story as inspiration for getting the people they want onto the Supreme Court (or something like that) So Donna remarks that they’re putting her parents’ cats onto the Supreme Court….
Here’s a link to a site with scripts, if you want to read the entire thing in context
http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/westwing/
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Gabe naps??
Man. My 4 yo gave up naps before he was 2 (I mourned it, yes).
we have food swapping in our house too. It’s all in the family
I WILL NOT GIVE UP THE NAP.
Seriously, both my kids went through periods where they could have given up the nap with very little problem, but we pushed through and insisted that they just rest, at least, and the nap stayed. Sam napped until the summer before first grade; kindergarten around here is all day, so they have naptime.
My attitude is, “You either eat what I’ve served you or you go hungry.” A very hard stance to take with a 2 and almost-4-year old but really, I don’t have the money or time to feed their whims. Anyway, breakfast is only 12 hours away….they won’t die. Thankfully, my ex backs this so we don’t have any crossed messages.
Oh yes, my 2 food swap all the time. They eat what they want off of their plates and then afterwards, it becomes a free-for-all. Usually, one asked me for more XXXXX and I see that the other didn’t eat his, so I trade off food. They get to eat what they want, I know it’s all healthy and best of all, there’s no wasted food.
And it’s good to see someone has a kid who loves asparagus. My oldest LOVES brocolli, asparagus and roasted brussell’s sprouts….
From what I’ve read, Sam does seem unusually intelligent. I’m sure it has a lot to do with how you guys have raised him, too.
Well, sometimes my 4 yo little guy needs a nap. I can tell he does. However, on the rare occasions he is so tired that he passes out (rarely happens) during the day *or* if I insist he “take a rest” (which may or may not lead to the nap): he oversleeps and wakes up extremely grouchy for the night.
Then can not go to sleep for far too long at night.
Could Gabe’s nap be a reason he struggles to sleep at night? Because generally my 4 is out within 5-10 minutes of being in bed.
I wish I could find a balance between a little nap, and going to bed at a nice early time. It’s eluded us so far.