Are You My Mother?

Michael and I were reading this book before his naptime.

I asked him, "Do you have a mother?"

"Yes" he replied.

"Who is your mother?" I asked.

"Daddy."

:/

Catechism Class

Michael Jr has a great memory. We've discovered that an early age by his language skills and his ability to memorize very lengthy bedtime stories word for word.

So we decided to put his memory to good use and get him started on his catechism.

In case you aren't fluent in toddler-ese or theological terms, the answers to the questions are:

1. "The Holy Trinity"

2. "Transubstantiation" (we had to go back and get that one a second time at the end of the video since I caught him mid-drink)

3. "The Hypostatic Union" (his assessment that the "hypostatic union is good" is all his own though and this was the first time he said that. Not sure where he got it, but I'll go with it! It is good that Jesus is fully God and fully man!)

4. "The Blessed Virgin Mary"

Matthew likes to chime in these days too. When we start asking questions, he'll get a BIG smile on his face and rattle off answers...of course, it is just babbling, but it is very confident babbling in the same intonation and rhythm as the answers Michael gives. It's cute and he's SO proud of himself!

This video was taken a few months ago. Since then he has added the following questions:

"What is the source and summit of the Christian life?"

--The Holy Eucharist.

"Who inspired the Bible?"

--The Holy Spirit.

"Who is the Pope?"

--Benedict the Sixteenth.

Hey, if kids can memorize songs, catch phrases of their favorite toy car (Kachow!) or all the other things kids can do, why not give them a head start on the language of their faith? Of course it is way to soon for them to understand the concepts, but the more they hear it, the sooner those bridges between words and meanings will form!

First Steps!!

Matthew took his first steps today!

Unfortunately, we weren't able to catch it on camera, but we were so happy that he did it when Michael was home. Michael was holding his hands in the hallway while I was kneeling down a foot or two away...I encouraged Matthew to come and he stumbled toward me. A few attempts later, he stumbled back to his dad!

He was very proud of himself!

Michael Jr. of course had to demonstrate his ability to walk expertly a few times as well by running down the hallway into our arms, of course expecting praise and adulation as well...which he got even though he's already and expert biped....

His little legs got tired fast, but was able to do it (and by "it" I mean falling forward but happening to move his feet once or twice before he is caught by Mom or Dad, which is what we are calling "taking steps" around here) once more before the night ended, unfortunately again, not while being filmed.

We're proud of the little Moo!

Late Night Shenanigans

It has been quite some time since we have had the boys share their bedroom.

The transition went much more smoothly than expected and after only a few nights of taking forever to go to sleep, the boys learned to go to sleep rather quickly without disturbing the other one. In fact, we could put them in their beds at around 7:15 and know that at least one of them would be asleep by about 7:30 or 7:40...and if the other were awake, he would be laying quietly in his bed.

About a week ago, I rearranged the kids' room so that both beds were along the same wall, allowing a fairly large space on the left side of the room.

I thought that since the boys had spent so much time in the same room prior to this, bringing them just a few feet closer would not be much of a big deal.

I was wrong.

For the past several nights (excluding the time we were traveling), Michael and Matthew have been completely distracted with each other at bedtime. They hit the walls and laugh and laugh...they throw stuffed animals, among other things.

Thanks to our trusty video monitor which we still love (who wouldn't like to spy on their kids?), we can peek in at their antics. We often see them stretching their hands out and holding hands across the gap between their beds. I'm sure it's much more mischievous than it appears because it appears downright adorable...but I'm sure there is some finger squeezing or twisting or something.

After a while, someone will inevitably end up crying, so we go in there and discover that even the pacifiers have criss-crossed cribs. Michael will be clutching Matthew's pacifier, and Matthew will be looking at Michael's wondering what to do with it.

This goes on and on for about an hour...sometimes more. Finally, someone will fall asleep leaving the other staring at the opposite bed, waiting hopefully that the game isn't over. Eventually, the second one will put his head down and reluctantly drift off to sleep.

It is a riot to watch, but also just a touch frustrating, especially when one of them is sick and really needing to sleep, or when they keep beating up the walls, especially since our neighbors can probably feel it through the walls.

It seems the brothers are really bonding. Not only at night, but even throughout the day, they really love each other and enjoy their time together. For the past several days, Michael has been obsessed with hugging Matthew saying, "I love you, little Matthew." It is so sweet.

The other day, Michael even went to Matthew and spontaneously said to him, "I'm getting used to having you around" and then he barreled into him giving him a big hug. Now, I was pretty taken aback at where on earth Michael got that phrase from, until Michael Sr reminded me it was from one of the stories we read to them. Still...it was in perfect context and perfectly heartfelt.

We love our boys and are enjoying seeing their relationship grow!

Michael Pictures!

How Jesus Flies...

Michael has a book of airplanes and he was reading it in bed during quiet time. When I walked in there, he was on the page with this airplane and said, "Jesus's airplane!"

Indisputable Proof

Some say religion is just an opiate...things people make up to make them feel good when they are down.

But those people were not in my living room today. If they were, they would know that God is real and not just a psychological concoction.

Over the past few months, we have been dealing with temper tantrums. It's just the age, and Michael is just a passionate little boy. I don't fault him. But boy, it can be draining.

Sometimes, it's just a matter of something falling on the ground that causes a complete and utter meltdown.

Sometimes the cause are less trivial, but normally, it's the little things that set Michael off in a big way.

Sometimes, it's just a snowball effect that, even after being in a perfectly pleasant mood, something pulls a trigger and every little thing, even opening or closing a door can make him go into a fury.

As these have been happening pretty regularly for a while now, I'm becoming pretty good at being immune and not getting sucked in. Sometimes, it's hard not to laugh because it's just so completely irrational to be that upset over such a small thing, and it's just kind of funny how ridiculous it all is.

Sometimes, though, it really raises the blood pressure and ignites a spark in me.

Fortunately, I'm learning that there is absolutely nothing I can do to calm him down except be calm myself. As much as I want to lecture him on good behavior. As much as I want to look him in the eyes and explain that this is not a big deal, as much as I want to threaten some lost privilege if he doesn't snap out of it, most of the time, those things don't work.

His dad has a way with him that usually can bring him out of it pretty well. Either by making him laugh or something, but for me, I'm not so skilled, and I just have to ride it out.

Meanwhile, I'm growing increasingly sensitive to the thinness of the walls and windows in our apartment complex. With as high a volume as Michael can get to, and as frequently as these things happen, it can be very humbling to see neighbors around and to know that they can hear pretty much every decibel of Michael's misgivings, and they don't have the luxury of seeing just how trivial it usually is. Sometimes, I want to run outside and yell, "I'm not beating him! I promise! The Cheerios just fell out of the bowl. I repeat: This is just a matter of spilled Cheerios!" Because honestly, if I heard Michael wailing and didn't know what was going on, I would think there was some unusual form of torture taking place.

Now, I'm starting to just deal with this situation with "lap lockdowns" where I hold him on my lap while he is in his tantrum and quietly tell him, "When you calm down, I'll let you go." That usually works eventually, but we often have to go through a good deal of a fight before he calms down. Sometimes, he has to "max out" his angst and reach some peak before he can settle down. But at least there is the benefit of me being able to hold him, and ease him down, without just abandoning him to his tantrum alone in a room (trust me, I've used this tactic too, but sometimes, I feel bad about isolating him when what he really needs is assistance in managing his runaway emotions).

The other benefit is that when he does calm down, he actually sinks into my lap and kind of rests for a few minutes. So what started as a form of restraint ends up as a hug without any real change on my part, but really just on his. As he calms down, he doesn't fight the lap, but actually is comforted by it.

But today, lap lockdown worked for a bit, only to lead to him being set off the handle by any little given thing time after time. After enough screaming, Matthew is finally perturbed enough to have to chime in. When Michael would scream, so would Matthew and now I'm really expecting some investigator from CPS to show up at my door because the noise is that bad.

Even though I know getting upset doesn't do anything to calm anyone down, I'm growing ever more frustrated inside. I just want it to stop. I want Michael to get a hold of himself. In my mind a spanking will exercise a certain "shock" to him that may get his attention, but I know that it will pour only gallons of gasoline on the fire I'm desperate to extinguish.

How do you calm a kid down? Really, only they can do it! You can distract them with laughter, but even that was only a hold off for not more than a minute before he succumbed to his own emotions again. There is no off switch from the outside. They have to choose to be calm.

So you know what I did? I prayed.

Not a quiet-to-myself sort of prayer, but I wanted Michael to know I was praying. I made the sign of the cross, and spoke slowly and in very simple words. I prayed to Jesus to help us be good (me included so I don't do lose my temper!); I prayed to the Holy Spirit to fill us with gentleness, kindness, patience, joy and peace; and I asked our guardian angels to pray for us and help us be good and put good thoughts in our heads.

And you know what happened?

Of course you do.

It worked. Michael instantly calmed down, relaxed and started smiling and he has remained that way ever since, hours after the chaos. (Matthew too, by the way, but that makes sense since he was only following Michael's cues).

Now, if religion is just in people's heads, tell me how a toddler possibly could have responded in that way. He couldn't possibly just resort to being calm because of some psychological trick. He is not capable of that! He really, truly changed his disposition. Completely.

He wasn't just changing in response to me. Honestly, I was actually calm the whole time, despite all the tantrums. I'm learning that is the only thing I can do is remain calm and wait for him to wind down. So it's not like I was crazy and then I suddenly calm down because I prayed.

Honestly, I couldn't help but laugh. Laugh at how easy that all was, laugh at how I should have done that a lot sooner, and laugh at what a beautiful favor God granted me.

I know that this isn't magic. And I know that these moments of dealing with tantrums are part of my own refinement and sanctification, so it's not like I will never experience a tantrum again or that praying will always instantly take them away. But I do know that God always answers prayers, so whether it is in the form of calming the kids, or just giving me more patience, I know that I really do need to pray as a first resort and not when I'm all out of options.

But it really did show me, yet again, of not only the real presence of God, but also His real concern for even our most trivial trials, and the religious sensitivity and purity of a child who is so responsive to God's work of grace. Michael responded instantly and was filled with an inexplicable peace. It really goes to show how close children are to God and how much He loves and cares for them and uses them as a mirror for His love for all of us.

How many times do i throw my own tantrums at God for this that and the other. How many times am I just as petty over my own things as Michael is over his spilled Cheerios. How many times do I forget that God is our loving Father who knows what is best for me, even when I don't agree and throw my own tantrum like Michael who forgets that I know what's best for him.

Anyways, let the skeptics say what they will, but no one could doubt the power of God in my living room today to so instantly and effectively change our little situation.

Let me have recourse to Him sooner and more often!