The Thumb Sucking

Jack has been sucking his thumb since he was four-months-old. He sucks his thumb a lot too, not just at night, or just when he has a blanket, or anything like that. Just basically at all times, anytime he is bored, watching TV, riding in the car, laying down at all, or idle. I mean, that is a lot of a child's life, really.

I read lots of books about thumb sucking and I have looked at lots of online advice over the six years that he has been doing it. Everything seems to say... wait it out. It will taper off on its own. Teasing and peer pressure will do the job for you, don't worry about it. CLEARLY these people have never met my child.

When he was in 4 year old preschool he had a teacher that made him wash his hands every time he sucked his thumb in school. One day he did it 32 times. I loved this, because it was a great way to frustrate him into submission. He really didn't suck it much that year in school, but that was only three hours of the day. His current teacher that he has had for the last two years is wonderful and has had a thumb sucker herself, so she was used to it. She wanted him to stop, but we were both perplexed about how to do it.

I talked to him about it, of course. He would say "I promise I'll stop mommy" and then have his finger in his mouth exactly two seconds later. It wasn't a defiance thing, it was just a habit. He didn't even think about putting it in his mouth, so of course he couldn't just stop on his own. Something else was going to have to be a factor.

I bought a thumb-guard thing to put on his hand and that lasted less than five minutes. I said "Thumb Out" exactly one million times over the last two years and I pulled his thumb out of his mouth when I saw it in there. None of this helped even in the slightest. I never even noticed a reduction of thumb sucking from anything I tried.

His daddy took him to the dentist over Thanksgiving and they told him that the thumb had to go. Before they had been pretty relaxed about it too, but now, with his new teeth growing in, it was do or die time with the thumb. So, I bought some nasty tasting stuff that you paint on the nail so that a kid will keep those things away from their mouths. I painted it on his nail with trepidation.

He put his thumb in his mouth exactly once after that. I'm serious. It has been two weeks now and he has completely stopped. The first two nights he said it was hard to go to sleep without his thumb, which I expected. That is about all the repercussions we have had. If I had only done this when he was four.

I should have known! Things are not easy with him, so I need to learn to play him at his own games. He hates almost all tastes, so give him a nasty taste and you are home free. Genius.

I promised to get him a pet when he stopped sucking his thumb. Who's the sucker now?

The Obligatory Halloween Post!

Here are some pics of my little Fire Truck (NOT FIREMAN) and bat. This bat costume is handmade by Nana and was well loved by its owner. This fire TRUCK costume had to be special ordered from London due to having a very particular three-year-old and not enough free time!

Happy Halloween to everyone!

Restaurant Talking

For some reason, I feel like when we are sitting at a table at a restaurant, which is fairly often in this house, my kids open up more than they usually do. Okay, only Jack. Sam opens up at any time of day. Jack is the kid you have to drag stuff out of. "How was school?" "Fine." That has been the answer every day of his life. The only variant is "Bad." He tends to say most things are bad or he doesn't want to do them until he tries them. Then he wants to do them or will do them, either way.

Anyhow, here are some recent tidbits I've gotten at restaurants:

Jack to Sam: Sam, What do you want to be when you grow up?
Sam: Stares at him blankly, looking bewildered.
Jack: You know, when you are big? What do you want to be?
Sam: (no hesitation at all) LIGHTENING MACQUEEN!

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Me to Jack: So, buddy, are you done learning about the body yet in school?
Jack: You know. (This is another VERY common answer. I am supposed to just 'know' what is going on there. I guess he thinks I have a camera in his classroom at all times?)
Me: No, I don't know, actually. Are you?
Jack: Yes.
Me: So, you are learning about the earth now? (I only know THIS tidbit because he came home covered in paper mache for three days straight, and he said it was because they were making the earth)
Jack: Yes. But it is boring. I already know it all. (This is sort of his specialty, geography, and all things related).
Me: So, when she talks about the facts about the earth, you know it already?
Jack: Yes, it is simple stuff.
Me: Like the continents?
Jack: Yes.
Me: Do you know them?
Jack: MOM
Me: Do you?
Jack: Of course I do!
Me: Prove it.
Jack: *Rattles them off as he ticks them off on his hand*
Me: Kid, I taught seventh grade, you know. Do you know how many kids knew that when they came into my class?
Jack: How many?
Me: Absolutely none.

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And one more of my favorites from the weekend that was not at a restaurant:

We are at Jack's soccer game. He has been dying to be the goalie. He isn't what I would call the most gifted athlete on the planet, but the kid is very much willing to play and it is hard to get him off of the field to take a break during the games. The coach lets him play goalie at the end of the game once it is pretty obvious we are going to lose. I am so thankful that this is the case so that I don't have to stress out that he is going to miss a ball.

The games goes on, and my son is doing okay as a goalie. He stops a few, all by kicking them away. I walk down there and say "Jack. You can use your hands, you know." He scowls at me and says, "I KNOW! My feet are MUCH STRONGER!"

The results of his quarter as goalie were that the other team scored twice. He was less than pleased. Afterwards he was upset because the girl that scored, he said, cheated. "How did she cheat?" I asked him. "She kicked it to me when I wasn't even ready!!"

Ah, my child. To know him is to love him :-)

School Days are here again

It's that time already! Hard to believe. I have a 3 year old in preschool and a first grader. Time is flying past me and I'm just trying to reach in and hold on.

Georgia Aquarium

Jack with the eels


Big Fish Tank


My little poser


They are actually both smiling here


This is blurry for effect, ok?


Fish!


Jack telling Sam about the starfish


The fish is coming right at me!


Me, Shane, and the boys in the tunnel under the largest aquarium tank in the Whole Wide World!!

Six Flags over Georgia

Ridin' the Airplanes



Smiling Sam



What is going on here? Is this supposed to be Jesus? This really freaked me out.



Jack waiting in line



Jack riding on the freaky carousel



Shane and Jack in front of us in their old timey car. Little did they know...



...this dude was following them, with his mother who was paying little to no attention and would soon slam into them, much to the disgust of the attendants of the ride.



Boys on the flying swings. Probably really a blessing to get some air since it was about 90% humidity.



Sam checking out Thomas the Tank Engine's Station master. We were first in line for Thomas.



Thomas himself



Jack and Sam riding on Annie.



Shane. I mean, he could be hanging out on a nice cool day at this point! We should have taken after photos of how great we must of looked then.

We had a bouncing good time in Texas

Thanks for having us Nana and Poppy!

One of Life's Great Mysteries

Yesterday while driving in the car Jack (a picky picky picky eater) asked me "Mommy, WHY does all of the healthy food taste bad and all of the unhealthy food taste good?"

I said "Buddy, you have really stumbled upon one of life's great mysteries there. Life sucks. Get used to it."

Okay, maybe that isn't exactly what I said, but it was the gist.

Road Trippin'

I took my boys on a Road Trip to Texas. It's ONLY halfway across the country, right? I kept telling myself the whole time, thank goodness my parents live in Marshall. If they lived in El Paso, this would truly be terrible!

On the way we did the fourth of July in Atlanta. Here are some of the highlights:

Sam: "Mama, are we going to stay at the Show-and-Tell tonight or at Nana's house?"
Me: "The Hotel, Sam."
Sam: "OK Mama, the Hotel."

Five seconds later
Sam: "Mama, are we at the Show-and-Tell yet?"

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We are at the Fourth of July party at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. It is extremely crowded. They have these cool Olympic Rings that shoot water out of the ground and the kids can play in. The boys have been looking forward to it. We show up and it is an absolute madhouse. I immediately start making categories of worries in my mind about how I'll possibly keep up with them in the crowds if they are running around in this.

Me: "Jack you have to hold Sam's hand at all times."
Jack: "Awwww........"
Me: "Look. Here is the red stroller. I'm parking it here. You should be able to see it. If you can't find me, come here, and I'll meet you here. Do you remember my phone number? It's 999-999-9999. Okay buddy? I'm going to try to watch you the whole time."

We find an area that is not too crazy and Sam of course busts into the water through the people. Jack is hanging back near my legs. He looks really concerned. He is the thoughtful child.

Finally I say, "What's wrong?"
He says, "Mama, what did you tell me your phone number for?"
Me: "In case you got lost, you could call me."
He looks at me like I am an idiot: "FROM WHERE???????"
I laugh. "Good point, buddy. Just go play. I'll find you."

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After the sprinklers, we are at the main area of the park. It is like a huge festival and there are lines of food carts. I start reading of all of the choices for them about what they could have for dinner. Jack chooses something quickly. Sam is sitting in the back of the stroller. After reading about 50 choices to him, he looks at me with big eyes and says "Mama, can you choose for me?"

My children are opposites.

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We are about to get into the car to drive ten hours, at the end of which are Nana and Poppy. The boys are very excited to see them, but they don't realize, of course, the fact that we have to spend the entire day in the car first. As we are leaving our hotel room Jack is staring in the mirror. "Can you fix my hair? It needs to be flatter." I brush it. "Right before we get there, can you look at it again and see how it looks. If it looks messy, can you fix it again?" He asks these things so earnestly, it sort of breaks my heart.

Don't you wish...

we all still loved balloons enough to sleep holding them? :-)