Liam Update: 2 Years, 6 Months

Today, while I was distracted with buying a website domain, Liam found a butcher knife and started banging on a toy with it. I didn't know this is what he was doing of course. I get up to go check on him and as I do I hear him say "Ow, mommy!" I walk in the room and see him with the knife. I immediately think 'okay, he's hurt but he has both hands and feet, his stomach, neck and head look fine too' I gently approach him and take the knife. I ask him "where are you hurt?"...as I scan each finger to make sure they are still attached. He lifts up his leg. There is a streak of blood by his foot. He had somehow, while wielding this butcher knife, created a small cut by his ankle. Small, but it looks kinda deep. I stop the bleeding and clean it well with rubbing alcohol. I notice blood is still on the sink. I search him further. He has another cut on the back of the other leg. Oi. I clean that one, neosporin and bandage it as well. So tomorrow, I'll check it again to make sure it doesn't look infected, check for fevers and all that.

I had been cutting lettuce with it and thought it was high enough out of his reach. But that boy continues to grow and so does his reach. I know now, though I should have thought of this before... put all knives away.

Our typical day lately consists of us waking up at 6 a.m. I change diapers, put Violet in the playpen with her morning bottle. I get Liam some milk and either a bowl of cereal (Life, Cherrios, Kix or Honey Bunches with Almonds) or a cereal bar. I turn on the t.v. to PBS Kids. Then I either get the trash gathered for the garbage pickup (twice a week), do the dishes and get the kitchen cleaned (I hate doing dishes at the end of the day), or lay back on the couch and fall in and out of sleep. around 7 or so, Violet is ready to get out of the playpen and Liam is busy showing me things or asking me to play this or that. This or that consisting of "Here mommy, a rope" while he shows me a soft tape measure that he is attaching to a toy, or chair, and he says in a strained voice "Pull!". Or he wants to play with "dominoes" or "cards mommy" which is the new memory game I got to play with him. The dominoes we just set up and knock down...Violet usually ruins that one for us...but it's funny and we all laugh. Or Liam is asking me to "color MAP mommy! M, A, P..mmmmAP!"...we have been drawing/creating maps together.

I recently bought him a "responisiblity chart" from Target...it's really cute. Has magnets. I created a "Potty Chair" section with one of the blank pieces included, I also added to the chart, "sharing", "no hitting", "brushing teeth", "saying I'm Sorry", "helping out", and "no whining" (cuz he has been lately...imitating Violet's cry). OF course he's gonna whine, but it just depends on how much of it he did, whether or not he gets a magnet star or happy face or whatever next to it. If he can get the whole thing filled up, I will give him a present. On a side note, If I have a present to give Liam (like markers or paper, or something he was gonna get anyway like a book or puzzle) I say "Liam I have a present for you" and Liam always says "FOR ME?! Oh dank do".

I probably should have started the chart off with just three things. My main goal is to get him to use the potty chair. He has the concept of using the potty chair. It's a matter of convience at this point. Going potty takes away from whatever else he needs to do. And then changing his diaper, especially a poopy diaper, takes FOREVER. I try to tell him the quicker he comes to get his diaper changed, the quicker he can get back to playing. This reasoning isn't getting through. Much like when we have to go out somewhere, anywhere...even to the backyard. Liam likes to walk around the house in a t-shirt and diaper. I did not teach him this, I always put pants on him. But one day he had started taking them off. Now ANYWHERE he is comfortable, he just takes his pants off. I try to tell him 'only at home'. So if we need to get somewhere, I need to clothe him, this exhausts me just thinking about it. He always runs away, laughing. Like it's a game. I do not laugh. I wish I did. I wish I thought it was cute and funny and not get so impatient about it. Because I want him to have patience. How do you teach a virtue that you don't possess yourself? So it takes a lot of energy and effort and counting to ten to get him dressed. So even though he can hardly wait to go outside, he makes it take much longer then it should by not letting me dress him or change him.

Grocery shopping with him has been impossible lately. He acts out the most in public. He'll hit me, in the face (though I say again, I don't hit him) over and over and over and over. I get so frustrated because I don't know what to do. I will give him a time out. He laughs at me and hits me again. At home I would just put him in his room and close the door for a few minutes if he refused to go for a time out. But what do you do in the store? I really need advice on this one. Any out there?

On another note, he has his sweet moments. He'll point to himself and say "Liam" to me "Mommy" to Violet "Violet" or "baby". Then I say "Violet is your sister, but she's also your friend" and he'll say "yeah, friend" and give her a hug and kiss. (of course later on he'll be trying to close the door to her room on her). He'll kiss attack me, which I love. SOMETIMES in the store he'll say "awww Mommy HUG" then "Now Kiss!" He loves helping me cook in the kitchen, and thank Heavens, has listened to me and not touched anything hot. a few days ago he came up to me and said "Mommy! Make CUPCAKES" like it was a great idea... we had made some for Easter.

Speaking of Easter. This was the first year Liam dyed Easter eggs. And wouldn't you know I forgot the flip video :*( and the camera. My mom set it all up and he had so much fun. Easter Sunday we had Church...which he was a little wound up for (he didn't have candy, but did the day before so he didn't sleep well). I stayed with him in Nursery again, but was able to leave for about 5 minutes. My mom suggested I leave longer and longer each week.

Later, we had an Easter Egg hunt at my parents house in their backyard. My son, ran right for the fishes pond and threw his basket in the water. Which made my mom laugh at least...not my dad so much, no my dad is very good natured about my son throwing things in the pond all the time. I finally got him to 'find' an egg, then only because it was right next to it, he found another one. That was it. He was done. He pried the eggs open and started eating the candy. While his other cousins made out like bandits. He didn't even notice. Then he threw the eggs in the pond. Some candy too, which my dad scooped out immediately.

My goal now is to get that boy a proper hair cut. And I tried. Oh yes I tried. He will not sit still when one drop of hair hits his neck. Starts itching like a mad man. So hopefully soon we can go get that mop cut. Maybe go with Daddy at his next appointment. Yeah Daddy son day. I like it.

I love you Liam, you keep me on my toes.