Lots of Sugar, No Nap, No Gingerbread House

That sounds like a nightmarish subject title, but I dare say today has been a good day.

This morning I actually woke up without feeling the need to turn over and go back to sleep so I might be over the change-in-meds hump. I even ate 2 breakfasts! Ok, wait, that's not good. But I haven't really been eating well lately and The Hub found some Gluten Free bagels that are sooooo yummy. Unfortunately when I looked at the ingredients, about half way down it lists skim milk powder. Really? In Bagels? Bummer!

My assistant came in early this morning because she requested a meeting with me so I skipped my Mom's Group meeting (also because they were baking cookies at the church for the bake sale and I'm making Gluten-free ones so I have to do it at home). But she forgot what the burning topic was so we just put out a few tiny embers and then just chit chatted (I guess we are a little bit like corporate-sigh). It actually made me feel pretty good that she forgot why we were meeting, based on my recent executive function skills, or lack thereof. That is until I realized that I do pay her to have them. Ha! But anyhoo, she picked up an early call from a mom who reminded me of the gingerbread house making party she was having at her house. Dangalang I totally forgot about that. Good thing The Elder does well with FUN changes in the schedule. It was like a surprise - and believe it or not, he does like surprises. At least the concept of them. (He's not always keen to "we are having a surprise for lunch" and then it is ground beef or green).

So feeling bad that not only did I not RSVP and downright FORGOT about the event, we didn't participate in the decorating but came for the socialization. It also started at 12:30 and I thought we would leave our house around 1 since she was ordering pizza (of the gluten variety of course) and we would have time to eat at home and get some downtime since the party fell during The Younger's Nap Time and The Elder's Quiet Time (which translates to the computer time).

When we got there, The Elder went straight to the trains and The Younger went straight to the candy, and me? I went straight to the adult interaction. Adult conversation about adult topics. Not about poop or Dora or what toy we can't find because of the holiday scavengers. Ahhhhhh, to feel like a grown up again. That was nice.

This event had the potential of being the social event from hell. There were a million kids there and it was chaotic. I was actually glad we decided to not make a house. Not only were folks fighting over "who has the red frosting can" but we had some "bring it on" moms being a little competitive in their creativity of their "child's" house. It was actually more hilarious than catty, and definitely fun for me playing the observer role.

But to my delight, it was a social gathering from heaven for The Elder. No fighting. No biting. No shoving or pushing. And everytime I looked he was sitting with at least 1 or 2 other little boys playing with the same thing (Cue: Mouth dropping open). I felt a little weird relaxing and enjoying myself, afraid that any minute some kid was going to coming screaming for his mom with his finger pointed at The Elder. But it n.e.v.e.r. happened!

He was so incredibly perfect. I gave him a 10 minute warning before we left and he ran off to play with the kids so fast I wasn't sure he heard me...."Hello?" "OK, OK. 10 minutes." He heard me. Then at the 2-minute warning I thought that I would try to "hurry him along."

"We are leaving in 2 minutes. Would you like to come downstairs and start getting ready." Mimicking that I was putting on a coat.

"No Fanks. I have 2 minutes."

When it was time to go, he said good-bye to his friends (with prompting) and I helped him put on his coat. While I was getting The Younger and myself ready to go, The Elder just stood by the front door, waiting for us. Not entirely patiently as he whines "come on," but hey he IS four.

By the time we were in the car, The Younger was totally hyped up on sugar (a mixture of M&Ms, Smarties, Tootsie Rolls, and a number of things I saw him put into his mouth and spit out again - the grossest of these being partially masticated gum drops. Nasty!). We got in the car and The Elder says "I'm Thirsty!" and The Younger yells out "I'm Tired!" (And he is not getting a nap at all today. Tonight is Date Night with The Hub, so poor AP, or lucky her, because he will go down fast tonight.)

I pass them both juice boxes and The Elder is slurping away. Being high and probably has the shakes and blurry vision, The Younger couldn't get his straw in the box and was pitching a fit. I asked The Elder if he would help his brother with his straw. He stopped sipping for a second, thought about it for a while, then replies...

"No Fanks"

A Big Brothers Rite - Be mean to your siblings. What a ridiculously NORMAL day we've had! Woo Hoo! (I'm knocking on wood!)