Ok, ok...so I may be overreacting slightly. But I finally got Kellen back today (thank you so much Maw Maw and Paw Paw!!) and what he did tonight makes me think - ok, confirms my thinking-that he's got a lot going on up there. Will explain in a minute...
Matt and I left him in Ft. Worth with Maw Maw, Paw Paw and Aunt Boo on Sunday so that he could spend some more time with his aunt before she flew out on Monday...and they had a blast!! Anyway...Matt was planning to help out with evacuees on Monday during the day, which didn't end up happening because it was a holiday and there were many more volunteers that day than anticipated. So, he ran errands during the day, all the while still thinking there was the possibility that they were going to call him to come and work...which they eventually did...and he went here in town and helped out in the afternoon/evening rather than in Houston as originally planned. This was actually reason #2 why Maw Maw and Paw Paw had Kellen - I had to work, daycare was closed, and if Matt ended up helping out in Houston or in town...Kellen was to go where??? So this worked out really well for us. The original plan was that Matt would swing by Conroe on his way back from Houston, so quick-change of plans...and we decide that Matt will try and pick up Kellen on Tuesday. He has to work a 24-hr shift on Wednesday, so there shouldn't be a problem with Tuesday...I was geared up and ready to go pick him up after I got off of work on Tuesday, but Matt and I chatted about how much work I could actually get done with no interruptions, the fact that he could study and try to take a test or, if unable to take a test, get some things done around the house (which actually turned into him helping out here in town).... So, change of plans again and Kellen ends up spending another night away...he's having a blast, barely missing us...(I'm not quite sure how I feel about that, actually). I ended up staying at work until ~9:30...and man-o-man did I get some things done! I can tell that this is taking its toll on my body...even with the muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory meds in my system...my back is really sore...wait a minute...perhaps that could be from this weekend's adventures at Six Flags, too...hmmm....
So anyway...today. The grant proposal is done, off of my desk, submitted. Whoop!! At 5 PM I'm out the door to meet Maw Maw in Plantersville to do the Kellen swap. We had a nice dinner...I think he was a little happy to see me! As we were getting ready to leave, he starts to pull what I've now discovered as a fast one...
"Kellen throw up," he says as he's strapped in the car seat with the car loaded, vehicle started, and Mommy getting into the car, ready to leave the parking lot to head back to College Station.
Concerned, of course, I turn and look at him. "Kellen, do you need to throw up?"
"Yes."
"Does your tummy hurt?"
"Yes."
"Do you need to get out of the car and throw up?"
"Yes."
I get out of the car, tell Maw Maw that I think we might have a problem, unstrap him from his car seat and take him to the grass and start to rub his back. I'm thinking that Maw Maw might have a munchkin houseguest for another night...but I must be a miracle worker, because he - almost immediately - begins to try and climb up me, play with sticks, rocks, etc.
"Kellen, does your tummy hurt?"
"No."
"Kellen, do you have to throw up?"
"No."
Whoa buddy...what's going on here??? Where-when did he learn this one??? As it starts to dawn on me whats happening...I pick him up, walk over to the car, and he begins again.
"Kellen throw up. Tummy hurts."
I open the car door. "Come on Kellen. Time to go home. You're going home with Mommy now."
"Kellen throw up!! NO!" And then a monster appears where my child was only moments before...bucking against me as I try to strap him into his car seat. "Kellen THROW UP! NO! TUMMY HURTS!"
I look at Maw Maw, I'm sure with total exasperation in my eyes...and let her know that I think he's faking it...and will test my theory on the way home. If I end up with puke in my hair, I'll know I was wrong. As I'm sitting here with clean hair...I realize that I wasn't wrong, and that somehow - my child has learned to lie...
At some point in time on the way home, the monster went away and Kellen reappeared...it's nice to have him back. We got home, he was SO excited to see Bailey and by this time it's WAY past his bedtime. So, we start getting ready for bed, changing clothes, bedtime stories, etc. We read a couple of Winnie the Pooh books, then an alphabet zoo book, then I tell him to pick 1 more book. So he goes and picks the frog book that never has made its way back to Maw Maw and Paw Paw's where it belongs. We read this book and then I tell Kellen to get in bed.
"Clifford book - read Clifford book, Mommy!" he begs...
"Do you want Mommy to read you the Clifford book?"
"Yes ma'am."
I know, I know...you shouldn't give in, right? But I haven't seen him since SUNDAY!!! And how can you say no to THAT??? And it's just a bedtime story. So, I sit down on the floor and read him the Clifford book - well, I begin to read it to him, anyway. In this Clifford book, Clifford counts objects 1-2-3. We've been reading this book for ages, so he's seen me use my pointer finger to point to and count the objects on each page as I read the page...don't we all do that as an educational tool? Anyway...today, as I do every so often, I asked if Kellen would count, because in the book it asks "Can you count three ____ (houses, airplanes, trucks, cars, trees, children, etc.). Usually he says, "No, Mommy do it." But not today...today he counted to three...the first time he did it he didn't point to the objects, so I then asked him to do it again and point to the object on the page...
He did it! And actually counted 1-2-3 and pointed to each different picture like he's seen me do a hundred times before...I know that this doesn't count as reading, but man, I'm so proud of him! I got really excited and hugged him, told him how proud I was of him and how proud he should be of himself for counting in the book like that.
He just slowly turned his head every so slightly, gently put one hand on my mouth and said, "Too loud Mommy."
I guess I must have gotten a little carried away and forgot to use my night-night voice...
So we read the entire book that way, and he really only got confused on the very last page when they list all of the objects that have been listed before all on one page...he got confused between the three trucks and three cars...understandably so, I think...
I'm so glad that I gave in and read that last book to him...to think that I might have missed that moment with him...Wow...
*Just for the record, the isn't the first time he's counted...he can count to 10 (at least that's as high as I've ever heard him count), but the first time that he's cooperated with the counting in conjunction with this book.*
Then it was off to bed, say our prayers, which of course start with "Bless Daddy work..." (when he blesses anyone, he says their name and then work, even if they're in the room) and it's night-night time! I'm thankful that he was able to spend some quality time with his Aunt Boo and that I was able to get so much work done while he was gone, but I'm so glad that he's back.
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