Gross Motor Day

By 8:50am my throat already hurt from all the yelling I did, mainly because Ronin was being indecisive and Nikko wasn't eating independently. I was frustrated that no one was listening to me. Guess I should throw that "Strong Person" status out the window!! I calmed down, but getting a grip on my temper really involves backing down and some deep breathing. I shouldn't have let the boys get to me like that, especially because just fifteen minutes earlier I was entertaining them by singing Hi-5 songs. I got even madder because I could feel my voice getting louder and more impatient, and I was mad that I let their whining ruin my mood.

Our schedule was a bit offset by Audrey and her early awakening. I don't know why she was up at 7:15a but that meant she was going to get cranky earlier in the morning. Also, Ronin fell asleep in the highchair around 12:40p so that automatically pushed back his afternoon nap by an hour. In the meantime, Nikko was doing all right, not overly clingy as in many mornings past. He hasn't been as vocal lately. During the day he's content to watch TV, go hang out in the window, page through Green Eggs And Ham, and play with cars on the ramp of the parking garage. After Ronin and Audrey woke up from their naps (Nikko didn't nap all day) I set up a mini-obstacle course in the living room with two ottomans, two big rubbermaids and the square floor pillow. Both boys enjoyed it, but Nikko enjoyed climbing on it longer than Ronin. I tried to get them to jump off the ottoman onto the floor pillow using the two-foot launch, but they kept stepping off the edge with one foot. I even tried to show them how to do it, but wondered if the ottoman would cave in under my weight. I sang a frog-hopping song too, but to no avail. During dinner Nikko was getting out of his chair a lot, a behavior I am very tired of. I have begun to corrale him back into his chair, hauling him in, and ordering him to eat his nuggets. Tonight was no different, except that I announced from across the kitchen that I was going to fetch him in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 !! The first time I did that he kind of giggled as I scooped him back into his chair. The second time I did it he laughed because I pursued him, and he ran back to his chair, trying to scramble into it before I got him. I almost reprimanded him for getting up again, but I glanced at his plate and saw it was clear. I praised him loudly and told him he joked me because I thought he wasn't finished with his nuggets. He was, so it was justified for him to run around. Denis came home during dinner, and post-dinner we all were in the basement. I had Dancing With The Stars on TV because it was colorful and musical. Nikko enjoyed running around, but Ronin was moping around, very miserable from his cold. Later on, Nikko had taken the inflatable runner that Shelly had left behind with the trampoline, unfurled it into a straight line, and was running alongside as well as on top of it. Ronin joined him and they both looked like they were having fun. I wonder how Nikko figured out to do that. I thought it was just going to be a stimming thing, but I think it was more than that. What WAS a total stimming thing was Nikko standing in front of the projector screen looking directly at the light coming from the projector. I could see him mesmerized by the light. Yesterday he was angry because the movie was a low-lit one and there wasn't enough bright light pouring out from the projector. DWTS was a colorful show so there was no disappointment tonight! Finally, he was the last kid to go to sleep. End of night for him!