Our Little Max

THIS is Walker. SO Walker. I don't know who "knows" this episode of Max & Ruby...but we KNOW this episode of Max & Ruby. We've seen it over and over and over...here, Max is shooting an arrow with a suction cup on it to "steal" one of Ruby's snowflake cookies that she's worked so hard on. Max is quite the clever little one, always coming up with ways to get around the "rules" Ruby sets for him. Walker says "Max is naughty!"

This is Walker.

Don't get me wrong...we have an incredibly charming, unbeliveably sweet and unconditionally loving little boy. But, we have a little BOY. And, I am learning more and more that there is so much truth to the old adage "it's a boy thing..." SO much truth.

And so let's revisit this week. One night this week, I don't even remember which one...after doing everything he could to resist bedtime, and us doing everything we could (short of shutting his door with the lock-guard on the inside) to get him to go to sleep, he comes out of his room with a strange odor accompanying him. So, I asked him what he ate because naturally, I thought he ate something. I mean, why would I NOT think that? The child is always eating something he's not supposed to! So, he says something along the lines of "come in my room and see mommy..." So, I go. Ahhhh-Butt Paste (a popular diaper cream brand) ALL over his pillow case, his sheets and PABLO. I assumed he ate it, though he told me he did not, until I noticed it also smeared all over his jammies. So, we changed clothes, etc...and back to bed he went. Eventually. Oh, sidenote-the stuff was in a basket on a shelf in his closet. So, it got moved to a higher shelf. Remember this.

A day or so into the week, Judy was changing his diaper in his room. He jumped up and ran as soon as she got his diaper off of him. When she got to the livingroom to get him, he was standing on the couch in a wet spot... (he's fast!) Sprite. (or so he said...) "I spilled my Spite all over da pace, Judy..." Judy later did the sniff test and determined it was in fact, pee. But, she didn't discount his story at first since he does have a habit of "spilling" his drinks these days. Not wanting to embarrass him, because Judy is extremely aware and sensitive to children's feelings, she let's this one slide. He was also asleep when she determined it was pee, and I found out about the story when I got home...he was still sleeping. I decided to let it slide as well.

Speaking of Sprite. Judy was cooking lunch in the kitchen. Walker was playing in his room with his workbench. He comes out with his Sunday shoe (the left one) full of liquid-Sprite. :) (and yes, it was REALLY Sprite this time!) I'm telling you, we can't leave the child alone for even a few minutes...makes life very tricky!

So, bedtime another night this week...Wednesday, to be exact. We'd been to church like normal, and were now home getting ready for bed. We read our usual one story and two Bible stories, said our prayers and left the room. He called my name on and off for a good while, but never got up. Eventually I went to reassure him that I was still here and he could go to bed. I told him no, I would not "take a nap too, mommy..." and then left. He was quiet. Dead quiet. The kind of quiet that I know means something isn't right. So, I went to check on him 10 minutes in, and was ashamed of my thought process when I found him laying in his bed sucking his thumb, almost asleep (or so it seemed...). A good 45 minutes later, I assumed he was sound asleep and went to turn off his lamp. He wasn't in bed! Yikes! Now, let me say when he was much younger I lived in constant fear that someone would take him from his bed at night. God has released me from that stronghold and that fear, so my first thought was that little sneaky booger had somehow gotten past me and into MY bed while we were cleaning up that night! Then I saw it-a hint of movement in the closet out of the corner of my eye. So, I peek around and I find him hidden in his closet with a tube of diaper cream (Balmex or Desitin, I don't really remember...)... He was in the process of squirting it everywhere. Everywhere. And, I could see from the white tint of his lips and tongue that he had of course, tasted it as well... SO, he got his "mouth washed out with soap"...with a wipe, that is...I simply couldn't stand the thought of him having diaper cream in his mouth and started to clean it, but when he replied with "blech, yucky mommy, that nasty...", I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit satisfied. :) Then I wondered how he got the stuff in the first place, and I notice his shoe basket turned upside under the shelf. He climbed. What else?? We got him cleaned up and back in his bed. As I'm leaving his room I noticed the tub of Aquafor sitting on his shelf and the big white piggy bank PAINTED in the clear, greasy stuff!! Ahhhh...at this point, I am just glad Cliff's in the livingroom by now because I could hardly contain my laughter. So, I put on my serious mom face and had a talk with Mr. Pig. I explained that he didn't need to have that stuff all over him, it could hurt his eyes, make him sick, etc... So, I cleaned him all up, not saying a word to my little "Max." Then I climbed in bed with him, hugged him close and told him what a good boy he was, and how he does all sorts of good things (I gave examples) and told him just how proud I am to be his mommy...and I meant it with all my heart. Because I am. Even in moments like that, because the child has got some creativity! Then I talked to him about how he had made a choice that was not good this time. He seemed to get it and I know he felt loved. He should. He seemed to take in my every word and then said "I sorry mommy, I not do it anymore. I not do bad things!" And it was over. Because the Lord has taught me much about forgiveness and redemption, I am able to "forgive" my own child in the same way. Because the Lord has taught me what it means to love unconditionally and through imperfections, I am able to love my child with every fiber of my being...even when he's on my last nerve. Praise you God, for your ultimate and unconditional example. (sidenote-he loves his Bible so much that he applies it in his own life already. The people in Noah's time were doing "bad things" when God asked him to build the ark. They use that terminology, though we don't use it with Walker. We use it when we read his Bible story about Noah, and he applies it.)

Last week sometime, he asked Cliff for a cookie. Cliff told him he could not have a cookie until after dinner. From the livingroom I hear "Mommy! Get in here! Daddy said I not have cookie!" Ah ha ha ha ha ha.
Kathy said it's totally acceptable to laugh at the things your kid does wrong, as long as they don't see you. Whew! (this happens ALOT in our house...when we aren't freaking out about how we are going to keep him under control!)

Fast forward to today. We're coloring and having a snack. He wanted to drink Sprite out of a can. This is a treat, as I don't let him do it. But, I figured since I was sitting with him, I could watch and make sure he didn't get cut. (also, he really doesn't get THAT much sprite...it just seems like all our stories include it. Ok, maybe he gets a little more than I'd like for him too...but I guess at least it's caffeine free???) So, we'd finished our snack and were playing in the playroom. Well, he runs in the kitchen and after finishing my conversation with Cliff (maybe 45 seconds later) I come in the kitchen too. He looks at me and says "No mommy, you can't be in here." So I say "why?" (which he usually has no good answer for ) but today he said...and I quote "go out so I can pour Spite in this fruit." (referring to my centerpiece on my table!!!) Yeah, Sprite got taken. Boo-yah.

Tonight we went to Waffle House for dinner. This is a treat and Walker always enjoys it. So, the lady came to welcome us and Walker immediately goes "Hi lady. I want a waffle. And bacon." Thankfully, she found him very cute. (it's hard not to...) She was extremely cordial to him and made a huge deal of talking to him while we were there. Everytime she walked past our table while she was preparing our food he goes "hey lady, where's my waffle?" I don't know where he got this hey lady thing from, but we were slighly embarrassed. A little. Alot. :) We tried talking to him about using the term "ma'am" when he doesn't know someone, but I'm pretty sure that flew right over his waffle-wanting head. He got his waffle and only ate 1/4 of it. But, never fear-he ate his two pieces of his bacon, one of my pieces and one of Cliff's-4 total. Then he ate 3/4 of my fried egg. (I literally cut it into fourths and he ate 3 of them...). The kid pigged OUT. He kept saying "I almost done, mommy" and then he'd stuff his face some more. A good time (and dinner) was had by all! When we were walking out he said "Dat a good Waffle House!" Yes, it was!

He got put in time out this afternoon before we ventured out for dinner because he insisted on running from me when it was time to get ready...and I'm telling, that kid is FAST! He was put in his room with the door shut (because this works wonders for him). Well, I was next door in the laundry room and I hear thuds. More thuds. LOTS of thuds. I open the door and he's throwing every book off his shelf over his shoulder. So, he was then made to pick up every SINGLE book before the door came back open. He did. Then he apologized. I get it. Sometimes I feel like throwing books too. It's no more acceptable for MY two year old than it is for me though, and we made sure he knew it.

He's still scared of Elks Club Road. We get in the car, turn out of the neighborhood and everytime he literally begs us "not go on Elks Club..." (I think it's cute that he calls it that since we leave the "road" part off too...) But, we are making him face this fear. It isn't working. Today he told us there were lions like in Daniel's cave (bible story influence) and dinosaurs hiding in the trees. I reminded him on his level about how God made the lions sweet and made them love Daniel and keep them safe...and then of course tried to convince him that anyway, there were NO lions on Elks Club. He asked me to hold him and I said I couldn't because he had to stay in his seat, so he asked me to hold his leg. That works. That I can do. :) We survived another trip down Elks Club. Oh, but he doesn't mind it when it's dark. During the daytime he wants to take Dixie Road though, and he's very vocal about that!

Whew! Super long post about a super fun and wonderful kid. Our life is never dull, that's for sure...and I wouldn't have it ANY OTHER way!