A few Quips from Eirik

So the other day I was cruisin' home from the grocery store when I suddenly realized that the lights were blinking next to the train tracks that I was just about to cross. It was so last minute that as soon as I realized that there were no arms that come down on either side of the track I was already over the tracks, and just about as fast I had blinking lights of a cop behind me. Imagine my embarrassment and astonishment that I could have almost been hit by a train! (I never claimed to be the sharpest..) But the best part of the story is that even before the cop was to the door my little Einstein in the backseat was telling me in his bossiest tone, "Mommy, gotta be careful when a train's coming, gotta be careful!"
Eirik held up a clam shell over his chest today and asked me "how do I look?" I said, "you look a little bit like a confused merman." He said, "NO mommy, I am a sir knight with a breastplate!" Oops, sorry, I should have known. Then he said, "I have my breastplate, helmet and all my armor so you can tickle me!"


I love it when Eirik is really appreciative of something like the other day when I gave him a milk and he said, "Oh Ank you Ank you Mommy!!"

Eirik likes to "pretend" talk on the phone. He loves to call Benjamen, Abram, Oly and Jakey all the time. The best part is when he is "talking" to Benjamen and he gets in a fight with him. "No, Benjamin, that's mine. I stout you! I bout you!" Then he pretends like he is both voices... "Ahhh!" "Ahhhh!" "Ahhhhh!" and the screaming war continues until I "break it up!"

Eirik is a major collector. Every day he has knew items that are absolutely essential and he can't go anywhere without them. Usually each object represents something grandiose that is happening in the imaginative story playing out in his head each day. Today we went to Joannes with a bath towel (cape) drumstick (sword) horse (Spirit of course) and a rocket (rocket of course). The other day it was a dog leash, a horse, Pete's dragon, and a ice cream scoop. He gets pretty possessive of his objects. The other day he fell asleep in the car so I was carefully trying to take him to his bed. When he woke up, he was immediately in a giant tantrum uproar. As soon as he could speak he shrieked, "I need my 5 hangers, my pink chapstick, my penny, a NEW milk (apparently the one I tried to give him was too "old" as in 1/2 hour out of the fridge) read some stories, watch Zaboomafoo horses, and then go to bed right now mommy, right now!!!" And then after reciting all his "needs" again in record time there was a lot more crying. I just had to laugh. Wow, that's a lot of needs. :)


Ok, this one is not so funny. We were having dinner at a friends house. All of their kids were excited to see this thing on the computer Paul was going to show them so they all trooped downstairs. My friend and I sat down to talk. The conversation moved to talking about how we have to be so careful to protect our kids since it's so easy for them to run into trouble. Right about then the doorbell rang and her neighbor from a few blocks down was wondering if Eirik belonged to her!! He had wondered out the back door and down the street!! Paul and I were absolutely sideswiped! Nothing like an incident like that to make you freak out. I thought Paul had him and he thought I had him. Yikes! We're lucky all of my friends kids have white hair because that's why they thought he belonged to her. When we asked Eirik what he was doing he said he was going to the forest to fight wild animals.

Which leads me to my next story. Today I was singing "Teach me to walk in the light of His love" to my boys. Then I said to Eirik, "Do you know that Heavenly Father loves you and will always lead you to safe places where you can feel love? He will never lead you to dark and scary places." Then in all seriousness my 2 year old said, "Actually mom, actually, I like dark scary caves to fight wild amimals wif my sharp sword and KEELL them. I KEELL the scary wild amimals wif my sharp sword mom." hmmmm..... how am I going to turn this one around???

I try to shirk my duties and "rest" on Sunday so my Mondays are always a race to try to regain a bit of order in the house. I was feeling pretty good about the state of things about 1/2 hour before my visiting teachers came over. I went upstairs for a spell and when I came back down to answer the door I discovered the results of the whirlwind that is Eirik. He had pulled all of the sporting equipment out of the closet by the front door, spilled about a gazillion crayons and a bunch of pretzels and dumped all of his toys. Yes folks, my visiting teachers had to step over all of these things to find a seat. I always thought that would happen in someone else's house, not mine. I am officially a mother of a 2 year old. And, I am proud to say that I was a bigger whirlwind today and the house is clean! Ha, 2 year old, I win! (until tomorrow at 7AM)


Recently Paul heard about a study that said that people on average claim that having kids does not make you a happier person. Well of course not on some days, but on the days when your kid takes your face in his grimy little hands and says, "Mommy, do you know that I love you?" it is all worth it. Those people that say it doesn't make you happier must not be embracing their role as a parent because if you are trying to be your best self in the world while neglecting your home, yeah the rewards aren't going to be there and you'll just feel the frustration. Parenthood is sacrifice and nothing that is worth it was ever easy.