Preschool Antics

My four-year-old is going through a "sensitive" stage this week. He needs lots of love, hugs, snuggles and affirmation. He has been testing his boundaries, but he's been so cute about it! I find it hard to get angry with him. I try to be lovingly firm with my son but inside I am often suppressing gales of laughter. Who needs TV? Children provide much better entertainment!

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As I buckled my preschooler into his car seat yesterday he rattled off the following rhyme. (I assume he made it up himself. I take no credit for teaching him the language.)

"Winter is cold, summer is hot ... and d**n is a bad word, Mommy."

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Today I spent several hours working in the kitchen. With my little boy's help I put supper in the crock pot, started a loaf of bread, and baked an apple pie. Midway through the afternoon I heard Baby Girl wake from her nap, so I hurried upstairs and left my son in the kitchen alone. (He often plays downstairs on his own.)

When I returned to the kitchen my boy was nowhere in sight. I looked in the bathroom and behind the couch. I finally found him hidden under our small table in the living room ... clutching an open bag of chocolate chips. He had stolen the chocolate from my baking cupboard while I was busy upstairs! My son was so embarrassed when I discovered his misdeed, he hid under his blankie and wouldn't come out.

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How else do I know my son is going through a sensitive stage?

Yesterday he borrowed the DVD Toy Story 2 from the library. We viewed part of the video today at lunch time. My little boy watched most of the movie out of the corner of his eye as he peeked around the edge of his sandwich. Who knew Woody and Buzz could be so fearsome? (My son also thinks Franklin the turtle, one of the most innocuous cartoons out there, is too scary right now.)

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My little boy is precious. He is growing so fast, I sometimes wish I could keep him four years old forever. Who knows how much longer I will enjoy snuggling him on my lap, reading Eye Spy and Curious George? His preschool years will be over in a wink.

And every mom needs a good laugh now and then!