The Truth About Boys


My boys eat fish sticks or chicken nuggets at least four nights a week. They pick their noses and were born with the innate sense that farts are hilarious. The house is always cluttered, there are always crumbs in the seats of the car and sticky fingerprints on the windows. Sometimes they like to read books; most of the time books make good frisbees or weapons. Every toy in the house is missing at least one peice, making your brother cry is good entertainment and timeout is usually worth whatever you did to get there. Welcome to the Chretien house. Mothers have this constant voice in their head telling them that they could do better, their house could be cleaner, their waist smaller, and their kids more polite. I fall into this trap almost daily, and I am slowly learning that my success not measured by these standards. I may not be the perfect mom, but I know that my boys are happy. They know that they are loved, and they love each other. All day long they will fight over the same toy, the same book, the same spot on the couch. But, when evening comes, and they have sleepy eyes, jammied feet, and sweet smelling hair damp from bathtime, I know that we must be doing something right. This blog is dedicated to two sweet boys learning, playing, growing, and finding their place in the world, and to their mommy learning how to guide them.



Sunday, October 30, 2011

Tummy Bug

Disclaimer: The following blog consists of bodily functions... squeamish beware!
Oh, poor Aiden. He has been fighting something yucky for about 5 days now. It started with just throwing up once right before bed, but after that it seemed like he was fine. He was okay all day the next day at preschool for his Halloween party and seemed okay at dinner and bedtime. But, he woke up at 10:00 that night throwing up and just sick, sick, sick. The next day, oddly enough, he was fine again. Sadly, he had two parties to go to that day; our annual Halloween Potluck Playdate that we have done with our good friends for 3 years in a row, and also a birthday party that afternoon. Even though he seemed better, I didn't think it was a good idea to go. I felt so sad for him! He woke up and begged me to let him wear his costume and promised that he felt much better. The poor kid was so sad to miss his parties. He spent Saturday resting up and watching movies, and went to bed early. I thought he was finally kicking the tummy bug, but he woke up at 1:00 a.m. worse than ever. He really had me scared! His belly was big and distended, and he would scream any time he tried to move or sit up. He was just writhing in his bed, clutching his belly and crying. After about 20 minutes of this, I decided that something was wrong and we needed to get to Children's Mercy. Having to sit upright in his carseat was very uncomfortable and he whimpered and cried, "it hurts, help me!" the whole way there. It's so sad to see your baby in pain. The way he was acting had me afraid that it was his appendix or a hernia or something. When we got there, he was not in good shape. He is normally very at ease at the doctor, and will chat everyone up, even when he doesn't feel well. This time, he was just crying and screaming that it hurt. When they got us back into triage, he sat up all of a sudden, and puked everywhere. I thought that might help him feel better, when he suddenly yelled very urgently, "I have to go poop!" I scooped him up and ran to the bathroom, and the poor kid let out some of the longest, loudest farts I have ever heard! I literally watched his belly shrink back down to size. After a good 10 minutes of this, he was a new kid. Every nurse or doctor that crossed his path was greeted with a' "hey, I thought I was super sick but it's okay, I just had to poop!" It was such a relief that it wasn't something worse!
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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Louisburg Cider Mill





















We spent a fun day at the Louisburg Cider Mill with our good friends Rachel, Olivia, and baby Brynn. Aiden just loved little Brynn! He was so protective over here, and was checking on her in her stroller every 5 minutes. Both boys really love Olivia, too. They all had such a nice time running around with each other, watching the apples get washed and pressed for the cider, and enjoying some fresh cider and apple cider donuts. We had a great time enjoying the fruits of the harvest!




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Sunday, October 16, 2011

Boys will be boys.

"If Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer were alive today, we’d say they had ADD or a conduct disorder. They boys are who they are, and we need to love them for who they are. Let’s not try to rewire them.”
I found this quote the other day, and it really spoke to me. I am a fairly mellow kind of gal; I enjoy my quiet time and I like my house clean. I really don't understand boys. With boys, everything is the faster, louder, and messier, the better. That is so beyond my comfort zone! I have spent the last couple of years trying to mold them into something that they're not. I am realizing that I need to find a balance. It is still important to me that I have children that are polite and respectful, that try to do well in school and sports, and that show love and tolerance to others. However, it's okay that every now and then they are going to break stuff, cover themselves in mud, or color their entire arm blue trying to look like a Smurf. It requires a daily conscious effort for me to not sweat the small stuff, and to really take joy in the little things. Yes, a bathroom soaked in 2 inches of bubbly water may throw a kink in my evening, but they will remember laughing hysterically and having a blast with their brother. So, tonight, when I tuck them in, they are going to giggle and talk for 45 minutes before they finally close their little eyes, and that's going to be just fine.
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