On technology and the Tooth Fairy

My kids wholeheartedly believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.  I actually go to great lengths to perpetuate this belief because I think this is one of the most enjoyable things about being a child.  Last year, they got a personal video message from Santa.  There were also email exchanges and handwritten notes from the Tooth Fairy.

Sadly, the advent of technology also translates into more smartass sophisticated kids who question everything.  Case in point, Joshua had a friend over for a play date a couple of days before Christmas.  He very excitedly asked me to show the video from Santa to his friend and so I did.  Imagine my dismay when while the video was showing, said friend told my son in a deadpan voice -- "you do realize that people make this up, don't you?".

To his credit, Joshua stood up to his friend and said no, it's real.  Gulp.  To end the magic for Joshua would mean ending it for Faith and little Lucia too!

So my son is a little bit naive for a 9 year old.  He doesn't get to surf the net (only for homework and he is supervised).  He plays computer games but with limits on time and what kind to play.  He doesn't have a PSP or a WII or whatever techy gadget kids are into these days.  Most of the grown ups in the family own an iPhone and/or iPad which the kids can borrow for limited periods.  But that's it.  I suppose, compared to his friends in school, Joshua is still a little bit sheltered.  And I like it that way.

I don't know how long I can keep this up but I'm hoping for a few more years.  I've already told Joshua that I think Santa stops giving presents to kids when they reach the age of 13.  I still don't know how I'm gonna go about it but there's still time.  Meanwhile, I'm already bracing myself for a slew of visits from the Tooth Fairy this year.  

Another bedtime story

Just another comedic bedtime in our never boring household.

Both kids were slowly drifting to sleep when Joshua asked me to sing "The bear went over the mountain." I liked singing this to them because personally, I think it is one of the most boring songs in the planet. Heck, it even makes me want to fall asleep and I'm the one singing it. Really, try singing it over and over and over and over......preferably in an undertone....you get the drift.

Faith took exception because she wanted another song. She wanted me to sing the family patented (my mom and grand aunt used to sing this to me) "Sleep my darling, Baby." Which is kind of not a song because those are the only lyrics. And you sing it over and over and over again in any tone you want. I used to sing it to them when they were babies while nursing or rocking them to sleep. I was really surprised she remembers it.

Anyway, the point is, they wanted different songs. Then Faith starts crying...the full monty -- copious tears, enough to make her shirt wet.

What to do? Hubby is already asleep despite the escalating noise. Joshua is looking at me expectantly, probably wondering what I was going to do. It is already past ten pm, we've been in bed for more than an hour, three of us not even remotely close to sleep.

So in the interest of fairness (Joshua asked first), I explained to Faith that Joshua asked to be sung to first and she has to take her turn. So she has two choices, if she doesn't want to hear mommy sing to Joshua she can go to the corner of the room and continue to cry there or she can stop crying, lie down and wait for mommy. She keeps quietly sniffling for a minute and when I asked if she wanted to lie down, she nodded. Finally the crying and kicking stops.

So I sang for about five minutes more to Joshua and asked him if it was ok for me to sing Faith's song. The sweet boy said yes. Then he proceeds to scratch various parts of his anatomy while I was singing Faith to sleep. She was half asleep when I noticed Joshua's hand inside his pajamas furiously tugging at something. Still singing, I tried to get his hand from wherever it was and he resisted.

"Mommy! My pwet (butt) is eating my jockey!" he exclaimed indignantly before going back to what he was doing.

I snorted with laughter mid-song, glad that Faith was already asleep. Joshua followed soon after, apparently done with fixing his undies.

I was left staring at the ceiling.

Wide awake.

Milestone

My daughter Faith hasn't been able to pronounce the letter F.

So everything F becomes a P.

Her name is "Pait" (can't pronounce the th either). She hurt her "poot" (foot). It drove her older brother crazy!

Josh: Not Pait! Faith!
Faith: Pait
Josh: Not P!!! F!! Ffffffffffff. Faith!
Faith: Pait

So I am very happy to share that she can now pronounce her name properly. I knew it was only a matter of time. And she's very proud of herself too!



Me: What's your name?
Faith: Faith.
Me: Very good! Ok, Faith, say Elffffff.
Faith: Elf
Me and Josh: Yay!!! (clapping our hands)


A few days later...

Me: Ok, which dvd do you want to watch? Nemo? Lion King? Cinderella? Happy Feet?
Faith: I want to watch Haffy Feet!!!


Oh well.....

Can you spell S-L-E-E-P-Y???

I've been trying to wean Joshua from his bottle which means he's got a bit of trouble sleeping at night.

Last Sunday night as we were settled down in bed, I was testing his spelling skills. He successfully spelled the words dog, cat and pig. I was telling him what a good job he did when he apparently decided to test me.

"Mommy, what's c-a-u-v?"
I know it wasn't a real word but I decided to play along. "Cauv," I say.

"Mommy, what's b-a-u-v?"
"Bauv."

"Mommy, what's c-h-a-u-v?"
"Chauv." I was sleepy now.

"Mommy, what's c-a-u-w-x-y-z?"
"That's not a real word."

"Ok, what's s-a-u-w-x-y-z?"
"mmm...that's not a real word." By now I was mumbling, almost half asleep.

"Ok, mommy, spell microphone!" he almost yells in my ear. I wake up.
"M-i-c-r-o-p-h-o-n-e," I say.

"Wow, that's really long!"
"Oh go to sleep, Joshua!"
"But mommy..!"
"Shhh," I say. "It's Daddy's turn," I whisper.

And with that, I drift off to sleep.