OCD Boy

First of all, we found out this week that Elyse passed the third round of Hemmetter idol and is moving on to the Finals in April. Now, she says she's nervous, but I know she'll do just fine. I've never seen her freeze in front of a crowd. Second, Paul made it into Elyse's school. We don't like the school we're assigned to, since it's almost innercity and is so tiny it's like the size of the Kaysville post office we had growing up. It's a relief to know I won't have to be shuttling kids to two different schools and he's made it into the same advanced and accelerated program Elyse is in. When it comes down to it, it's only elementery school and not, you know, an ivy league college or anything fantastic. But as a Mom you worry so much about your kids' little self esteems. It's less stressful for me knowing that Paul won't class himself as the dumb kid in the family because he isn't going to the exact same school as Elyse. Why did we even bother trying to get Elyse accepted in the first place? It sets a precedent for the rest of the kids and it's way too stressful on the parents. And now that she's been there two years I don't feel like pulling her out and away from her friends. And it's so much better than the scary school we would have to go to. Anyway, Paul is very excited about Kindergarten and seeing Elyse at school. On to Luke. As he's approaching age two more and more of his personality it shining through. Elyse was my pattern-loving, logical tom-boy. Paul lives in imaginary land and is my story teller and pretender. Luke has turned into Obessisve Compulsive boy who likes to stick to schedules and has an almost scary memory for such a little kid. I asked him to help me unload the dishwasher yesterday and to my surprise, he knew where everything was supposed to be put away. Down to the last vegetable peeler and cookie sheet. He also likes doors closed. All doors. I took him to the laundro-mat with me last week when our washing machine wasn't working and what does he do? Run down the aisles shutting every single open washing machine door. He follows people to the bathroom and unrolls the toilet paper to the exact same length every time for people to tear off. He even knows when laundry day is. He wants to haul buckets to the laundry room, opening all the doors along the way, and has to be the one to push all the buttons on the machine. He also has to be the one to carry his dirty diapers to the garage and his wet diapers to it's separate pail in the toy room--and he remembers the difference. He's weird. He even remembers where lost pacies are and his shoes. I can't get my five year old and seven year old to remember where their shoes are. He is a very particular little boy and maybe age will mellow him out, or a good dose of medicine will. He's always in my stuff. Not Matt's stuff so much, but mine. Like my brushes, make-up, curling irons, nail polish, and tupperware drawer. He also likes to hijack my library due date cards that they tuck into the back of the book. I don't know what it is about those things, but they are like candy to that boy. He's my little CONSTANT shadow. He's pretty cute. Weird at times, but cute. He gives me hugs and kisses and giggles and then will turn around and be so adament about not eating his meals that he spends repeated turns in the time out chair. Children. How can they be so adorable and exasperating at the same time?