Thursday, September 13, 2007

The Social Skills of a Chimpanzee

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. Clay's surgery went very well yesterday. The surgeon came out and told me, "He really needed this surgery. His adenoids and tonsils were just enormous." I'm looking forward to having a child who doesn't stop breathing in his sleep and who doesn't choke on his food. She removed the old set of ear tubes that had fallen out and were sitting in his ear canal. The one tube was surrounded by inflamed tissue, so she cleaned that out and put a patch over the little hole in his ear drum.

He's such a trooper. He ate two cups of Jello and drank some water at the hospital and took his pain meds without a fight so they actually let us go home yesterday evening. The nurse asked Clay, "Are you ready to leave?" He shook his head 'no'. "Don't you want to go home?" Again, he nodded his head from side to side.

Can you blame the kid? Here he was getting to watch t.v. IN BED! People brought him Jello, popsicles, soup, pop, juice, and water that he got to eat IN BED! It was quiet there. He had mom to himself and no siblings were bugging him. No kidding he didn't want to leave. I, on the other hand, did want to leave because I'm now sick and running a fever. I just pray I don't give it to Clay. That's just what he needs on top of recovering from surgery.

He's been pretty much laying around all day today which is good. Well, except for a brief moment this morning when he hopped into the kitchen. I told him, "No hopping Sweetie. You need to lie down and rest, " to which he asked, "Can I walk on my toes then?"

He's doing much better than I did when I had my tonsils removed at 19 years old. I whined to my Mom, at the time, that this was the worst pain EVER. Two days later, I got a kidney stone which promptly changed my mind. Throat pain? What throat pain?

There was nothing funny to write about in the hospital. Although this was the 8th surgery between my kids, it doesn't get easier. It's still nerve-wracking. But having this surgery in a big children's hospital, I saw so many really sick children. I thank God that mine are really healthy.
I've never seen my Spaz so calm as he's been the past couple days. This is the softest blanket on the planet! Seriously. It's a gift from Clay's Godmother, Denise on Long Island. Thank you, DeeDee! He's been carrying this monkey blanket around with him all day.

But since I told you I'd post a story, here's something I wrote a few days ago....


I recently read an article which stated that toddlers are smarter than chimpanzees. The article went on to cite studies that claim the social learning skills of a two year old child are superior to those of an ape. The person who conducted these studies has obviously never met my children.

Let’s talk a little about these five social skills that a toddler could be expected to demonstrate.

1. Saying “Please” and “Thank you” - Your toddler should always remember the magic words - please and thank you. My children are actually pretty good with their Ps and Qs. “Please, please, please can I have a piece of candy?” “Pleeeeease can I just have one more glass of water, goodnight kiss, or story?” “Thank you for letting me bring twenty-two worms in the house.” And finally, “Thank you for letting me wear my Batman mask to the grocery store.”
Yes, they’ve covered the ground on please and thank you.

2. Introductions - When introduced to an adult, your toddler should be able to say, “Nice to meet you.” My toddler hasn’t quite gotten to that point yet. I usually hear something more like “Hello. You look like Santa Claus”, or “Hello. Why is there hair coming out of your nose?”, or my personal favorite, “Hi. Are you going to have a baby soon?” Yep, that’s social finesse at its finest. Shaking hands during introductions or greetings is another opportunity to teach toddlers good manners. Greeters stand at the door as we walk into church, waiting to shake our hands. My toddler usually looks at his feet and tries to hide behind me. Sometimes he’ll be in an outgoing mood and perfectly willing to shake the other adult’s hand, but having seen him lick his palm, wipe at his nose and cough into his hand on the way into the building, I quickly usher him along before he can pass the grossness on to some unsuspecting person.
I think that covers introductions for toddlers.

3. Sharing - It’s important to teach your toddler to share. My children do an exceptional job when it comes to sharing. They are happy to share blame. To the question, “Who broke the picture frame?” all six will reply, “They did it!“ while simultaneously pointing to the sibling on their left. They’re also wonderful at sharing germs, bacteria and viruses. If one gets sick, they make sure they share until all six of them get sick.
More generous, giving children, you’ll never meet.

4. Table Manners - Right from the start, you must show your toddler how to behave at the dinner table. I never have to worry about my children’s table manners in public. Honestly. We simply never go out to eat. At home, well, let’s just say that not a meal goes by where we aren’t graced by some charming bodily function followed by hilarious laughter. Generally, enough food to feed a small village winds up on the floor and the phrase, “This is yucky” is uttered at least twice a week.
Perhaps they could use a little work in this department.

5. Saying you’re sorry - Teaching your toddler to own up to their mistakes and offer an apology when they’ve wronged someone is essential.
“I’m sorry I put my sister in the clothes dryer, I’m sorry I squished Play Doh in the couch cushions, and I’m sorry for using your expensive lipstick to color on the wall,” are all good examples of this lesson.
Yep, I’ve heard them all.

The researchers of this study go on to state that children could understand nonverbal communication, understand the intentions of others, and imitate other’s solutions to problems better than chimpanzees and orangutans. I’m inclined to agree with them.

1. …could understand nonverbal communication - They understand what that look means. You know, the‘Wait Until we get Home Mister’ look that we give our children when they’re misbehaving.

2. …could understand the intentions of others - They understand perfectly what their older brother’s intentions are. “Mom, I messed up Austin’s room and now he’s going to kill me!”

3. …could imitate other’s solutions to problem solving - “Well, he hit me first, so I hit him back.”

Actually I think it’s a toss up on who has better social skills, a chimpanzee or a two year old. But I’m pretty sure a chimp has never flushed a Barbie doll down the toilet, painted a television with chocolate pudding, or given their little sister a haircut with a pair of kitchen shears. Of course, I don’t know too many adults who walk around doing those things either, so I guess eventually, they can be taught the finer art of social graces and in the meantime, they sure provide us with plenty of fun.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Oh yes, many of you commented that my kids sure like yogurt as a medium in their, um "artwork". I'd never really noticed that before, but you're right! And you know what? I cannot stand yogurt. You couldn't pay me to eat that nasty stuff!

105 comments:

Cecily R said...

Based on the way my kids climb the walls and make weird noises when we have company over, they are chimpanzees.

I'm glad to hear everything went well yesterday!

Rick said...

Our youngest had her's out when she was very young. It broke me up to see her coming out of surgery and not being able to swallow or talk - she started crying and then so did I.

Kelly said...

Glad to hear that your son is doing well. This is the first time that I have posted, but I have been reading nightly for a few weeks now. You make me laugh at the end of each day, and you help me realize that my kid is "normal". (By the way, he'll me 3 in about a month. We are just now hitting the I-Can-Do-EVERYTHING-By-Myself-Stage. Which means that he whines when we try to help. But then he whines when he can't do whatever it is on his own.) Thank you for sharing you family with us. It makes my day!

Blinds said...

DO you find yourself hoping that your kids will do crazy things now so you will have more material to write about?

{Betsy} said...

I'm glad Clay's surgery went well and that he is already home. It's totally amazing how well kids recover ~ they just seem to bounce right back. I was 22 when I had my tonsils out and I can tell you for a fact that I didn't come anywhere close to bouncing right back.

I hope you will be feeling better soon and that your kids don't catch what bug you caught! :)

Becky said...

Glad to hear your son is home and doing well. Hopefully you can get some rest now, too, being sick and all. Kudos on another hilarious posting, Dawn! -FrumpMama

Esther said...

Congrats on the successful surgery. You probably need to rest yourself. I jokingly tell my family that I want to check myself into the hospital for some unknown ailment. I just want them to pump me full of drugs so I can sleep for 8 hours solid, and have people bring me food. Then I will suddenly be "cured" and I can come home after a couple of days. You can really tell when you are a burnt-out mom when a hospital stay is the most relaxing vacation you can think of. But there is no need to make reservations, and if I'm in the hospital, my husband will gladly take time off work to take care of the kids.

My only fear is that they'll really find something wrong and that I'll have to stay longer. I just want a break from my kids, but I DO miss them after a while....

I'm glad you are home now and hope your son continues to improve. God Bless!

Daun Ann said...

I am so glad surgery went well. Sorry you're sick.

Next time you're at the zoo, see if they'll trade you 6 chimps for your 6 kids.....

Anonymous said...

The only time my oldest who is now 14 ever slowed down was when he had his appendix out at 10. From the day he was born until now that child has been perpetual motion. I used to tell ppl the only reason why he got away with things when he was younger was cuz he was so darn cute. Now he's a teenager and cracks me up all the time.

Jenn's finding life funny! said...

Dawn,
I am so happy to hear CLay's surgery went well. I know what you mean when you said you were at a large children's hospital. When my daughterwas 3, she got an infection in her eye. They realized it was a very small cavity that had eroded and caused a gum infection. (we had just been to the dentist for check up 3 months prior and all was well.) Anyways, they had to take her top four middle teeth out. So we had to bring her to the hospital to have them surgically removed and I was a bundle of nerves. The family that was sort of sitting next to us, were waiting to get their daughters results in. She was my daughter's age and they found out their daughter had stage 3 cancer. I was so sick for them. I thought to myself, why am I here so sad that Meg needs surgery? This ie fixable, not life or death. It is amazing what makes you come home and spend an extra hour on your knee's Thanking God for the things you don't have to worry about.

Hope you feel better. Costco has Awesome Vitamin C's chewable. They work great on bad colds. Good luck. As a mother of 5 , I know there is not alot of down time.
Jenn

tedebear511 said...

So glad to hear that you son's surgery went well. You said that you have dealt with 8 between your kids. While I haven't dealt with that many, I did have to deal with my son's ruptured appendix at 3 years old which presented strangely and the doc had no clue at first what was wrong. We almost lost him. So I know how nerve wracking it can be.

As for a toddler being smarter than a chimp, all I can say to that is I certainly hope so, cause if not we are doing something wrong. LOL

Jennifer said...

Glad to hear your son's getting better!

Jennifer said...

Yeah I'd have to agree
Toddlers = chimps :)

Glad to hear your sons getting better!

jarvenpa said...

May Clay's recovery be swift, and may the fever you think you are coming down with just kind of vanish in the night. Your blog is delightful, thank you.

Rene said...

Very glad things went well with surgery and he is recovering nicely. I'm sorry to hear you are not feeling well. I hope the kids don't catch anything. The only thing worse than being sick is the KIDS being sick!

It's so funny how you talk about being in a big children's hospital. Ours is my second home. Nurses on 9 different floors know my son on a first name basis!

Oh, and I know for a FACT I'm raising chimpanzees! (Though somedays I think they're howler monkeys)

Anonymous said...

I am so glad the surgery went well. I hope you feel better soon. Who's going to take care of you??? Jello powder makes yummy paint, too...... Had to laugh at the child who wanted to stay in the hospital! He is sooo smart!!

Baking Fiend said...

glad to hear clay is ok. kids are angels only when they are asleep.

take care!

Stella Dean said...

I don't eat yogurt either. Gross. My kids and husband love it though. go figure.

As for the rest, I wanted to say that my youngest was removed from restaurants on too many times to count. She was probably three before we let her go back because she just didn't get it.

Now she is a dream. Of course, I only have two. You have a whole six pack

Rana said...

I sooo look forward to reading your blog everyday. I check it at least 2x a day. My husband is #5 of 6 kids and I often imagine what his poor mother went through while reading your thoughts. On the other hand, 1 of my 2 kids is capable of being quite like your 6. She drives me crazy. I'm also homeschooling her so I get to spend 24/7 365 with her. I have passed your site on to everyone on my own blog. My sister and I both love your site. If I'm not careful, I'll need to go buy Depends!

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional said...

I'm glad the surgery went well, and I agree - yogurt is NASTY!!

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm.....I always wondered where my nearly 2-year-old "Boo" came from--the red hair, chubby cheeks, ear-piercing shriek from birth--he clearly wasn't from OUR family! The yogurt artistry cinched it though; I think I'm raising your seventh by mistake! Let me know when you'd like to pick him up!

Sara said...

Glad to hear the surgery went well! We ended up in the hospital for 3 days as my little monkey refused to drink. Can't say I blame him - his throat hurt, he doesn't like jello, he had his Mommy, his Mommy's hair to play with and got to watch cartoons all day. Even a 3 year old can figure out a good thing when he sees one, lol.

He's much better since the surgery, although he's int he process of coughing up a lung at the moment. Overall though, it's the best thing we did for him.

Sila Lumenn said...

I'm glad things went so well for your little one yesterday, but I'm sad your body finally broke down and got sick. I hope you can get some rest and start feeling better very soon. Tell hubby you need a temporary nanny/housekeeper to take care of things while you take care of yourself. :-)

Cathy Messecar said...

Congrats on doing the mommy-thing well. Children's antics surely provide comic relief to life's hospital- moments.

I've kept up with your flight to stardom, but not commented until now. I'm a grandmother of four soon to be five, and we're fortunate enough to have all within miles of us.

I'm enjoying this stage of life, getting to mother all over again, getting to read a book to a three year old and have her slam the book shut and say, "A-MEN".

Anonymous said...

I so enjoy reading your blog - now I know why I don't have kids! By the way, judging from your blog, the girls behave so much better than the boys - they hardly ever get their 15 mins of fame?Aren't you worried that by publishing the boys misbehavings on your blog, you are actually encourageing them? (this is only partly serious. I watch SuperNanny a lot. And again, every time I am soooooo pleased I don't have kids...)

Hugs (and get well, hope you did not get that flu)
Patricia, The Netherlands

maggiebsmocks said...

WELCOME HOME, CLAY! I love your new blanket!

Dawn, you have so hit the nail on the head regarding our healthy children. It IS all relative.

maggieb!

Jacque said...

Even a child with the nickname of Spaz looks angelic when they are sleeping :) He couldn't be any more precious and I'm glad everything went well.

Suburban Correspondent said...

My little ones are pretty good in the illness sharing department also. But I agree with you - the social benefits of the family dinner hour are vastly overrated. If I could feed them all by IV, I would.

A mother heart said...

I enjoy reading your blog--it always brings a smile to my face. Kids and chimps? I've always compared mine to monkeys, but I guess chimps are close enough!!
Glad to see your little guy is doing well.
As for yogurt, we love the stuff out our house, and it does make really good finger paint. At various times our kitchen table/chairs/walls/floor have been pink, blue, orange, etc, all from the decorating finesse of my toddler and whatever yogurt flavor she happens to be eating.

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about you yesterday; I'm so glad Clay's surgery went well!

I too can't stand yogurt! However my kids' fingerpaint of choice is either chocolate pudding, or last year, I had the task of removing pink Disney Princess nail polish from the TV screen. Thanks for the chuckle...it's good to know my kids aren't the only ones!

maxchs said...

orangutans huh? oh well... hope they didn't demolish your house...XD

kirine said...

I'm glad to hear that your son's surgery went well.

I to say, thank you for making me giggle in the morning. I have 4 kiddos myself and am a stay at home mom so I can understand fossilized food being found. It is nice to know that my kids aren't the only ones that used interesting stuff as art mediums.

Cheryl Prater said...

Dawn:

I think you make all this stuff up.

You expect us to believe that little sleeping cherub with the serene expression and pink cheeks had a baby squirrel by the tail? Gotta a bridge you wanna sell us?

In real life I bet you are 28 and single with no kids. In fact, you're probably a corporate attorney in Manhattan who lives alone in an immaculate apartment done in all white, with lots of expensive mid-century-modern art furniture and fancy frizee carpets. This whole mom of six thing is an elaborate alter ego. You need to seek help.

Glad Spaz is on the mend, he'll be pitching small, wild animals through the air again in to time!

xx Thea Cher

Anonymous said...

I am happy that everything went well with his surgery, my son had his out in March, and it was very nerve racking, but he did great, and looked just as peaceful as Spaz in the pic. Love your blog, it really makes me laugh, out loud- at work.

Ken Tanis said...

Perhaps they share your thoughts on yogurt, hence their choice of it as an artistic substitute?

Cheers on a surprise-free surgery.

Anonymous said...

I am glad your sons surgery went well!!!!!!

Take care of yourself too!!! God knows that when mom gets sick the house falls apart!!!! You are in my prayers, Elisabeth

Anonymous said...

So good to hear all is well with Mr. Spaz. We could all use a little pampering from mom.

Mine have definitely learned how to share germs. I think we should count that towards to the development of the human race.

http://awholelotofnothing.net

Anonymous said...

My daughter had the surgery last summer, right after she turned 4. She was in recovery for about a 30 minutes, when she stood up, and declared, I want to get dressed, I want to get out of here, and I want to go to my Oma's house! It was hilarious. She came home that day, and never went back to sleep. She played and played, I think it was the drugs they gave her, who knows. She acted like nothing happened. It went so well for us, I hope your son has the same recovery! She went through the same thing, choking on her own breath at night. She has grown a mile now that she can eat and sleep! I also had the surgery late, 13. It was awful. On top of that, I got my first period when I came home from the hospital. Not a fun week. My mom was is this homeopathic phase, and didn't let me have any pain medicine!!

Karen said...

So glad that surgery went well. Hope you're feeling better!

Interesting study. Wonder who conducted it, a mom or a scientist?

Anonymous said...

OMG u r hilarious. i love the way u pen ur thoughts.

Unknown said...

Glad to know Spaz came thru with flying colors! Hope he continues to recover peacefully :-) And that blanket does look super cozy!!

With a 2 and 3 year old at home, sometimes I feel like I live at the zoo, so IMO, maybe toddlers and chimps ARE one in the same :-)

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I love your blog. I've never left a comment for you before, but reading your blog has become a really nice little highlight in my day filled with four children.

I did want to ask you something (and I realize you get many questions and no time to answer them all) What does your husband/family think of the fact that you take "poetic license" when you blog? Does it bother them?

Just curious.

Anyway! LOVE your blog. WILL buy your book when it comes out ;)

Carry on!

Beth Wright (P31 OBS Team Member) said...

So glad to hear that the surgery went well. I had my tonsils out-along with sleep apnea surgery at 37 and it was no picnic! Thankfully chidren bounce back (of hop in Clays case) quickly!!!

Unknown said...

I am only going to get kids when I'm already worn =)

Love your writing!!

Michelle said...

So glad Spaz is feeling better! I'm sure you were missed at home. I can guarantee you were missed online!

I wonder about my own little Spaz-ette sometimes ... but then she is just so curious about the world around her and so loving that I figure it's part of the package ... can't get one without the rest of it!

Anonymous said...

I'm glad the surgery went well.
I had kidney stones too. They told me at the time that the pain was worse than childbirth. Then I had kids and realized that was total BS.
I'm waiting for "painting with Jello" stories to come soon.

BTW, my daughter said her first word yesterday: "Cookie!" Her face at the time looked a lot like the photo of your baby with chocolate. It's on our blog, since I know you have all this time to be looking at random people's blogs.

hpalleiko said...

Oh my word - isn't THAT the truth! Its like reading the "owners" manual to my kids every time I click on your blog! I really should start writing down the funny things my kids say.

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

Glad to hear everything went well yesterday....maybe you won't have another surgery for a LONG time or ever again!

Anonymous said...

We have 4 kids and 0 surgeries so far. So I can't identify, but I'm glad things went well for you. I enjoy reading your blog. Insires me to write down the things my kids do for future refference:)

Anonymous said...

I really appreciate your blog. My wife introduced me to it and since we are separated a lot (I am in the Navy and she is a stay at home mom to our 2 children) we both read your blog at separate times and laugh about your stories. I am not sure why your blog ended up being a kind of link between us, but it has. Not nearly as romantic as when we were dating and I told her to look at the moon and remind her that even though we are a half a world apart, we are looking at the same moon, but I guess we take what we can get, right?

Anyway, thank you again! I love your "work" and look forward to everyday's "episode"!

John

Theresa in Mèrida said...

I am glad to hear all went well. I was a nervous wreck when my son had tubes put in his ears. He was 17 and never had ear infections until we moved to the Yucatan, then he had them so bad and so often his inner ear lost all pressure (???). My oldest daughter had ear infections every 6 weeks until she was 2 and never again. Middle child never did.
It was really funny watching him come out of the anesthesia though, he was totally stoned and was mixing up his English and Spanish.
After reading your blog I was inspired to go and look at old family photos of my kids. I wish I had taken more pictures of stuff like underwear hats and playing with the big wooden box in the backyard.
Best regards,

Theresa

Cheri said...

Dawn,

I have also been reading your blog for weeks. I only have one child, a 9 year-old daughter. Not by choice, just by God's plan. She loves reading your blog with me as well. I guess she is living vicariously with your kids! Glad to hear Clay is at home, and hope you feel better soon! My sister has 4 children and has said that she is not allowed to be sick and that moms don't get sick days. I'm sure it works the same in your house. Have a great Friday. Thanks for sharing and keeping us laughing with you.

Cheri

ummmhello said...

Whew - so glad the surgery went well and your son is recovering at home now. Even so-called minor surgeries are agonizing for parents, aren't they???? My older son had an umbilical hernia corrected when he was 5 and as soon as they took him into the OR I crumpled on the floor and cried to my DH that we're the worst parents EVER for subjecting him to such horrors. 3 hours later, my little one WALKED himself out of the hospital!

Anonymous said...

Glad the surgery went well! Your thoughts about toddlers and chimps are right on lol. Can't wait for your book!

http://mommyland.wordpress.com/

trishia said...

"Of course, I don’t know too many adults who walk around doing those things either, so I guess eventually, they can be taught the finer art of social graces and in the meantime, they sure provide us with plenty of fun."

There it is! I have been trying to figure out what makes you accept your children's normal behavior with such enthusiasm... this attitude must be it. Yes, right now they are driving you nuts and embarrassing you in public, but you know inside that this is all part of being a kid and they won't do those things as adults. (well, most of those things anyway, I HAVE seen an adult poke his finger in a meat package once...)

Your sense of humor and love keeps me going through some of my tougher days with my group of 5 little ones. Thank you, and keep those insights coming!

Anonymous said...

I have a blanket just like that, although it doesn't have monkies on it. Best blanket ever! Hope Clay feels better soon

All moments remembered said...

So glad the sugery went well!!! I remember after my fourth child was born when they asked if I was ready to go home I BEGGED the DR to let me stay another day!! Heck I got to drool all over my new baby with NO one else around to be jealous! Food was served in bed! Someone else washed the dishes and my laundry. No ONE asked me to get them a thing! I could nap when I wanted to. WHO the heck wanted to go home!!! LOL

You know the yogurt companies are going to be upset with you girl!! Well at least you have your KIDS use their products! LOL!!!

back to scrapbooking for me!!
www.allmomentsremembered.com

Susan H said...

We have two boys - they are 15 months apart and we chose to do the tonsil surgery on the same day so that one wouldn't freak the other one out and they'd have each other to "recover" with...having both boys down and resting for a few moments was BLISS!! The surgery was two years ago but still a vivid memory for me and they've completely forgotten about it. Nick (he's the older one) was NOT going to lay in a hospital bed with tubes of any kind so he chose to pull the IV from his wrists upon waking up. A.J. (I have an A.J., too - hee-hee) was less of "well-behaved" patient. He STOOD UP in the middle of his surgery and it took three nurses and the doctor himself to get him back on the table to finish the procedure. I guess they underestimated the amount of anesthesia my little man needed to get through it. I too, took photos of my boys resting and remember just how peaceful they looked - I don't know about you, but I felt a little guilty for putting them through the trauma even though I knew it was for their own well-being.

The article you noted made me think of the time that my son, Nick saw a rather large man in a public restaurant - this guy was BIG!! My son proclaimed, "Wow, mom that man sure must like apple crisp!!" I was devistated. There have been times however, when we've been approached by older couples to let us know how well-behaved and adorable the boys are - - those are the days you bubble over with pride!! I appreciate your stories - I cannot wait to hear that you've been published. Until then, thanks for sharing your enlightening stories and wit!! Have a great day!!

Anonymous said...

SO happy you're little one is doing well. =)

About the yogurt art your children like to do. Well, I am in a playgroup and we actually schedule "Messy Art in the Park" playdates. We strip the babes down to a diaper, use clothespins to tack posterboard up on a fence and then let them go with vanilla and chocolate pudding. They have the BEST time. Hopefully by teaching them that this is only done outside will prevent some of the mishaps you have had with our kids. One can only pray. LOL

Keep the great stories coming. They are one of the highlights of my day.

Angela

Anonymous said...

VERY funny, as usual! Most yogurt is disgusting... too sweet! But I love Dannon's All Natural line. You should seriously try it.

Praying for your son's recovery and for you - having a fever while taking care of so many kids is tough! I'm glad the surgery went well.

Anonymous said...

Dawn,

I was just recently introduced to your blog through you hilarious ebay post. I have only 1 2yr old child, I do have to say he is a handful all by himself. Alot of what your kids do, He does. Alot of people tell me he is like 3 kids rolled into 1. Thanks for Sharing with us ... Wish your son well on healing from the surgery.

SARAH said...

I think it is awesome & amazing of how many service men & wives read your blog.
to all of those who are serving our country & living without your loved one right next to you, THANK YOU!


ps. Dawn... get better!

Kandy Seaton Smith said...

So glad the surgery went well and he's doing so good.

Have you ever thought about offering vacations? I bet people would pay to be entertained in your home for a day or two...just put in the standard disclaimer clause and sign 'em up ;)

Tammy B said...

hey, could you ask godmother denise from long island just WHERE she got that cool blanket? one of my twins (no, no, don't feel bad for me, i've only got 3 kids - although they are all girls, so give me about 5 years and then start!) IS a monkey. her lovey is a small stuffed monkey, she has monkey spoons, she can climb ANYTHING like nobody's business, she hangs off her mama just like those little monkey's in the nature shows, her nickname is mon-chi-chi...you get the idea....so that blanket would be pErfect for her :D

Waitingonyou2 said...

Dawn,

I've been reading for about a week now and have forwarded your blog to everyone and their brother! I've had to stop myself short of approaching people at the supermarket with children running up and down the isle and tell them I understand and there is a group that can help! '"Because I said So" Anonymous'! ;)

Any who...I love your blog and it's definitely one of very few highlights in my day.

When you have a moment can you list your children with their corresponding nickname? I just finished reading all your posts and my mind is swimming with Aj, Austin (same, right?) Savannah, Lexington, Clayton, Spaz, Boo, Princess, Nana and others that I've already forgotten. I need a cross-reference, stat!!! :P

Take care and God Bless.

~Erica

P.S. Glad your little one's surgery went well. I had that done twice as a kid!

AlaneM said...

The pix of spaz is soooo cute, I love to see kids asleep - angelic & quiet ahhhh bliss.
I love your use of nicknames - one of my fave memories of my g-pa is him calling me Sam & asking if I had rocks in my head. He did that with all of his g-kids but I liked it so much I named my firstborn Sam!
Our kids nicknames are:
Sam-I-=am
Samsonite
Adah bug
Buggy boo
Princess butter cookies
Eli monkey (there's that primate thing again - he is much like spaz)
MrE

Blessings to you, glad eveything came out ok.
Alane

Cheeziemommie said...

So glad to hear that the surgery went well! Hope you feel better soon too!

Pickel said...

I had my tonsils out at 17 because my Ped. refused to do it before then. I ended up allergic to the pain killers they gave me and threw up for about five days. Yeah, that was painful. I couldn't tell the difference between scabs and jello. EW!

Anonymous said...

That's great that your son made it through surgery so well. I did want to warn you about something that one of my friends told me about when my son had his tonsilectomy last December (he was 7 at the time).....watch out for the bad breath! Oh my goodness...you think you have smelled bad breath before??? Just wait....you will think that some ancient bug/insect/rodent/whatever you can imagine has crawled in your child's mouth and died! Devin's breath was so bad I could hardly stand to be near him! It was terrible! I'm sure it's from the wounds that are healing but oh my was it NASTY! Good luck and keep a clothes pin nearby so that you can hold your nose and use both your hands for something else. Best of luck, Amy

Stacey said...

Glad he is doing well. Thanks for the fun posts!
Have a great weekend.
:)
Stacey

Anonymous said...

Thanks again for another great piece of writing. Glad to hear the surgery went well and hope you are feeling better soon! We frequently comment on how our 15monthold is JUST like a monkey or chimp. He points and grunts or shrieks when he wants something and he jumps up and down holding the bars in his crib just like a little monkey boy. He also smacks his hands against his head or face to get attention ...hmmm maybe I need to be speaking to our pediatrician about some rare primate syndrome. :o) My tenyrold is convinced something is wrong with this one since he doesn't speak and he can't throw a football! Have a good day!

Kelz said...

You are hilarious! Please don't stop writing...Actually you have inspired me to start my own blog...And while I have no kids, I so love to rant and rave about life in my office...oh with the occassional rant on social issues...If you have time (yeah right!) check it out...inkelzhead.blogspot.com

But if not I understand...just keep writing! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

We are glad to hear Clay is doing better and you are both back home. I remember my mother, who had 5, saying, the only time she got to sleep alone all night, and truly rest, was when she was in the hospital! She was only in the hospital to have we 5 babies. Moms work hard.

Anonymous said...

You always crack me up. I'm glad the surgery went well. My daughter had hers removed a year ago and it was the best decision. She was getting strept throat constantly.

Anonymous said...

There's just something about a little boy wrapped up in a monkey blanket. All that cuteness and the monkey faces...yep...very special. My son has a monkey blanket too.

I'm glad Spaz is doing great. And I really can't blame him at all for not wanting to go home. I tried to bribe my maternity ward nurses to keep me longer, but after 5 days they thought someone else needed the bed. I dunno....my last stay there was over mother's day. I'm telling you ~ a better mother's day you'll NEVER have! HOT breakfast, in bed, plus of course, all other meals & snacks are brought to your room as per your request. Even better...the nursery was more than happy to have my baby overnight and just let me know when feeding was required. And they thought I was odd when I refused the offer to have them with me on the last night. Are they mad? I've got them for the rest of my life!!!!!

Really...why would anyone want to come home??!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I was going to let you know that I was praying for your son, but you'll understand when I say I could becuase the little one keeps calling me away for vairious reasons. I'm glad he well and doing fine. But I've got to tell you, in some ways you've scared the crap out me, and in others I know I'm looking forward to her getting older and having more. Yep, I know I'm crazy. Any way, thanks for many laughs. God Bless.

Anonymous said...

Dawn,
I just started reading your blogs this week. I read about you in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. I havd laugh my mom has come to what was wrong with me. I am so glad i read the paper that day. I m 20 have no kids but teach the preschool sunday school at church. I also have two younger bothers, i mean brothers.lol I wish I had written down some of the stuff they had said. Kids say the darnest things. But anyway keep those blogs comeing. Wish I lived close enough to babysit. I adore kids. Can't wait to have my own. Hope you get feeling better soon. I m glad Clay surgery went okay. I have been there. Not fun because i had to miss school. Wasn't happy at all. Anyway gotta run *hugs*

Anonymous said...

So glad to hear that you son is doing well. My 6 year old daughter had her nose cauterized for nose bleeds several months back. When she came to she screamed for 3 hours straight and yet could not understand why her throat hurt - STRANGE! Needless to say they were anxious to get her out of the surgical center ASAP!

Anonymous said...

Did you name Clay after Clayton, MO? We have friends in the St. Louis area and we drive by Clayton often.

Best,

Shari
http://twotimethefun.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Awwww, your little Spaz looks so cute. It brought a tear to my eye seeing the little guy so tired and defenseless. It always pulls at my heartstrings whenever my children are so sick they dont have the strength to be their mischevious little selves. Glad to hear it went well and good luck with a speedy recovery!

Anonymous said...

hello!
i don't know if you've ever heard of it, but there's a book called "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Tedd Tripp. I just started reading it, but it's really good as it tackles how to minister to the heart of a child more than just their behavior. (if you have time to read...) a good resource for any Christian parent i think. =)
i hope Clay is feeling better! what a trooper.

Queen Elaine said...

Long time reader, first time commenter. :)

Glad Clay is doing well. Give him a hug from me, a strange woman with a funny accent in Cincinnati.

Love the social skills review! Brilliant!

Kara said...

thanks for another great post, I am so glad Clayton came through so well, he looks so cute laying there asleep. Hope you feel better soon.
Take care kara
xxx

CACKEL said...

i always love reading about the barbie being flushed down the toilet. my #3 and #4 kids (ages 3 and 1) flushed two boxes of q-tips down the toilet once. we had to have them removed, but our toilets have never worked quite as well since then. it is amazing what goes on while we are trying to have 2 minutes of peace. i am glad that you are spreading the word to just laugh at disasters like this and enjoy kids while they are young and mischievous.

Anonymous said...

I think Spaz is my favorite. When I grow up, I want to be just like him.

Dave

Michelle Frae Cummings said...

Glad to hear he was doing better!

Rachel said...

Kids are so tough! Glad your son is doing well now. He'll probably be back to smearing play dough in the furniture in no time.

Becca said...

I don't blame your son for not wanting to go home, I am thinking about having another baby JUST BECAUSE I can stay in the hospital for three days (repeat c sections) and be pampered for all 72 wonderful hours...hey I will be drugged for the section, I will be on cloud nine. Okay obviously I am messing but the thought crosses my mind sometimes =)

Anonymous said...

Continued prayers for the recovery of your son and yourself!

Anonymous said...

I love your blog Dawn!!!! Keep up the great work..

Anonymous said...

I´m glad Clay´s surgery is over and done with! And that it went well. My son, Dorian, was born with an imperforated anus (his intestines didn´t connect to the outside of his body) and he had to have a colostomy when he was a day old. After that, he had another two, with the last one, closing the colostomy, just this January.

It´s scary when your kid has to go under, but like you, when Dorian was in the children´s hospital for his colostomy, I looked around at all the other sick kids and realized how lucky we are to have a child that, now his surgeries are over, is basically normal and he will never have to deal with kids teasing him for his problem, since it is hidden. Also, his birth defect was completely reversible and there were so many children that had far more severe problems.

Anonymous said...

You blogged about the surgeries your kids have had. My question for you is...with 6 kids do you feel like you live at the doctor's office sometimes? I have 4 kids and there always seems to be something wrong with one of them. So I feel like I live there sometimes. I hope Clay feels better asap and you too!

Katie said...

Hello. I've never commented before but I love reading your entries. I'm glad Clay is doing so well and I hope you're feeling better soon. :)

Anonymous said...

Glad your little guy is doing so well. They ALL look like angels when they are asleep! I look forward to reading your blogs. I also read entries from a friend on CaringBridge.com whose 6 year old has had 2 different kinds of cancer in his young life. They cherish every day with him, and do not take anything for granted. It's so easy to get frustrated with our kids, but sometimes we need a reality check. Where would we be without them? It surely wouldn't be near as much fun. Just a thought. Blessings! k

Kristina said...

Yeah! Glad the surgery went so well!

I hear 'yuck' to my choice of supper ALL the time!

ErickBlack said...

Hi, I read about you in the Dallas Quick newspaper, so I just had to come check out your site. I loved your pokemon cards acution. Good luck and best wishes. Drop by mine sometime if u get a chance. http://freshwriter.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

Love your blog!!! 1st time comment. Found you after a girl on the Mommy group I go to online posted your eBay auction & now I am hooked.

Although I have 1/2 the number of kids as you (ages almost 6, 4 & almost 2), I can truely relate to everything you write.

Keep up the good work!

Another midwest Mom...
Barb

Slatsette said...

I was lucky, I got the Kidney Stone before I had the Tonsils Out.

I was pregnant with my son (1 1/2 months before my due date)and started having raging pain in my back. I finally called my doc and said to her: "Uh, I can't pee and I feel like I'm going to die. Oh and when I do pee there's blood in it"
Turned out I had a massive kidney stone and he was sitting on the remaining working kidney.

Yeah. I found out that kidney stones REALLY ARE worse than childbirth.

When I had my tonsils out 8 months later when I had the tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and nasal surgery I felt like saying "This sucks, but at least it's better than kidney stones and kidney infection!"

Kris said...

Glad to hear your little one is doing well! Love reading your blog.

Hugs,
Kris

Bob's Blog said...

Your honesty is so refreshing, and it is the secret to your success! Nothing stuffy about the writer of this blog! I identify with all of your examples!

Anonymous said...

Glad the surgery went well. I'm not sure if from your description of your son you are hinting that he might be ADHD - but I thought I would throw out there that someone on another group I am on - her son was diagnosed ADHD and then they found out he had sleep apnea and as soon as his tonsils and adnoids were removed and he could get a real nights sleep - the ADHD was "cured".....wonder if your little one will slow down.
I love your blog - I remember when the baseball ebay posting appeared - I'm so glad you are writing almost everynight now - something to look forward to....:^)

Anonymous said...

Here's a good one. We (myself, 4 children and husband who just got back from the middle east) were our furniture "shopping"...more like dreaming. My daughter looks at the salesperson who came over to greet us and says ti him "your teeth are VERY yellow and dirty. You need to brush them." Yikes.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad your son's surgery went well. My daughter had cleft lip surgery at three months. That was hard enough. I can't imagine going through eight surgeries. Good luck to you all.

David890 said...
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