Cheerios & other happenings.

Quinn is currently eating his breakfast. This morning he requested cereal, which I generally protest given his lack of proficiency with utensils & the fact that most of the milk is ends up on his lap or the floor. This morning though, I agreed, if only for the sake of variety. He just dropped his spoon on the floor for the 5th time, but I'll give him credit for his effort & for his determination (he's totally unwilling to accept help at this point). But seriously! The mess! I have to stop myself from picking each Cheerio up as they fall on the floor one at a time (or more often a dozen at a time), but instead, I sit here - listening to the way that he enthusiastically says oops! & remembering that he is learning. 

And then, I think back to last week when I was making dinner, & Quinn did what I knew he would do eventually. Despite constant warnings that the stove was hot!, he touched a pan that was just that. I saw him do it, but couldn't get across the kitchen quickly enough to stop him. His look of You can't stop me, Mama! quickly changed to Oh, no! - & then the tears came. Big, sad, hurting tears. His red fingers were under cold running water for the next 15 minutes, & then we snuggled on the couch until his eyes were dry.

Several times a day - still - he'll look at the stove & say, hot! & then burn! when I ask him what happens if we touch it. Sad face.

(Why is it that we can only learn certain lessons through our mistakes? I now understand 1/125th of what my parents went through with their own seven children.)

My dad has a favorite quote from Joseph Smith - I teach them correct principles, & they govern themselves. My parents have always been good at teaching us - directly when we were younger, but also mostly through example - & then letting us choose for ourselves (within the confines of structure, safety, & general family rules, of course). When we made mistakes & needed help though, they were always the first to dive in & give it. Our biggest supporters. With the hindsight of a bit more maturity & a few little ones of my own, I really respect their style of parenting.  

Cheerios is certainly a mild example of this, but this is my life, & my two year old is now covered in in sticky cereal-milk. His face, his hands, his striped pajamas, my just-cleaned floor - all sticky. I just tried to help him scoop! up the cereal instead of flipping it over & trying to dump it in his mouth (lesson: gravity), & now I'm all sticky, too.

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We had Mike home for the long weekend & it was so nice. The sun was out, we spent a lot of time at the park, & the boys were so happy to have him here. Mike let me sleep in each morning after West was fed (someone please tell me how to get this child to take a bottle), I cooked a lot (I loved these tacos - mango & coconut, oh my goodness), & we got a lot done at home. We attended a birthday party with friends on Monday morning & went out for a Valentine's date on Saturday night, but otherwise stayed close to home.

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We have a crazy six weeks coming up - lots of travel for Mike, some travel for us together, & a few visitors. It's going to be a busy & happy spring.

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Oh! It is impossible to not pinch West's cheeks.