Armies of Chickens

Hugo didn't want to bathe with his sisters tonight.  This was a first.  The girls were more than happy with the extra room in the tub.  Toula watched and watched from the edge of the bath.  I'm not sure if she was curious what the girls were doing in there or if she was nervous for them or if she wanted to be in the tub at the very same time as the stinkers.  I just don't know.  The girls were funny as they poured water over each others heads and slathered bubbles upon themselves and then their partner in crime.  They each screamed with anger as I pulled them one by one from the water to dry them off with their bunny towels.  Then I bathed Toula, while the girls watched from the outside edge of the tub.

Once the girls were tucked into bed, I called Hugo into the bathroom for a trim.  His hair was cut at the sink.  I let him play with the iPad for a bit to help him keep still for me.  It worked for a wee bit of time.  Eventually I had to bribe him with stories of chicken wings popping out of his hair and tales of armies of chickens on the move about his scalp.  I suppose it sounds very silly, but it works for Hugo.  He'll still sit very quiet for me so that I may rid him of these armies of chickens and he wiggles to try to see them in the mirror as I pretend to point them out.  I've been telling him these stories for a long, long time now.  I love that he trusts me so.  Means I have to push myself to be a better mom for him with all this trust.

Another first for Hugo tonight was a shower.  He has always hated them and refused for the last few years to even try one.  Tonight was different.  Hugo jumped in the shower before the water was warm.  I warned him it wasn't ready, but he said it was wonderful.  A second later he jumped from the spray saying it really was too cold!  Mean momma me pushed him back into the cold water and we laughed and laughed as I got wet too.  Soon the water was warm and Hugo loved it.  Said he never would bathe again, only shower.  Well la-di-dah!  Imagine your parents might have some good ideas!  I shampooed his head and stayed to help rinse the soap out of his hair, Hugo piped up with, "Privacy please!"  Privacy?  This word coming from my flasher of a son was laughable.  It's like, with a new hair cut and his first lone shower my babe imagined himself all grown up.

Hugo & Marlo

Hugo seems to prefer his sister Sabine over Marlo most of the time.  I think he likes Sabine's gentleness and quiet ways.  He has always preferred her in one way or the other over her twin Marlo.  Yet when he wants to play, to be silly, Hugo hangs with his sister Marlo.  I don't think he is aware of this.

I bathe my three kids all at once.  Bing, bang, bong and the work is done.  They all hop in the warm bath water, splash in the bubbles, play with some toys and then I begin to scrub them up.  Marlo is usually my first victim.  Then Sabine, followed by Hugo.  Once all three have been scrubbed I usually take leave for their rooms to ready their night clothes, tidy the beds, play with Toula and wander back into the bathroom to check my email, play a game or two of solitaire on my phone all before announcing my very cruel intentions of ending bath time.  Sabine used to always jump up to exit the tub first, now I have to drag her out.  I must note here that once she realizes my intentions and begins to voice her refusal, Hugo votes her out.  As I dry the screaming Sabine and carry her into the nursery, Hugo and Marlo turn the bath into their pretend pool and Marlo copies every little detail of Hugo's play.  She is going to be a fish this summer.  I look forward to the day when Hugo realizes that he likes to hang with his sister Sabine for one reason and his sister Marlo for another. 

Mommy School

Hugo and I have been holding Mommy School while the girls nap the past little while.  Surprisingly, he reminds me each day.  Today we sat out in the sunshine and he chose pages to cut from his Kumon book.  He is really looking forward to his new big school where Cheyenne, Jared, Kacey, and Rachel all attended.  I've realized Hugo doesn't know his address or my phone number.  Hugo does not know his birthday.  Hugo can skip and he can balance on one foot.  Hugo can write his first name, just not his last.  We have work to do.

After dinner we generally head upstairs for a quick bath before bedtime.  Hugo loves to bathe with his sisters.  Tonight I found myself wondering if a fourth could fit comfortably in the tub?  And Evie left me a present.

Bathtub Watch Dogs

A sad story was told to me about a local woman whose baby drowned in the the bathtub a few weeks ago.  Supposedly, the mother left her child to answer the telephone.  I don't know more than this, nor do I care to fill my head with any more details of this tragedy.  But, I have thought of the poor mother.  And I've thought about how lucky I am to be a momma to three beautiful, bright children.  The thought of my girls in the bathtub brings a smile to my face because there is no way on God's green earth that Marlo and Sabine would even consider the slightest possibility of my leaving the bathroom while they are in the tub.  If I even make for the direction of the bathroom door, no matter how engrossed they are with bubbles and toys, they'll both jump, bolt up right and bellow at the top of their lungs while clinging to the side of the cast iron tub in dreadful fear of my leaving the room.  They don't act this way in any other room in the house.  Ever.  Only while they are in the bathtub and only if I seem to make for the doorway.  They're my bathtub watch dogs, not gonna allow their Momma to make a mistake.  I'm glad someone is watching out for me.

Exciting Hugo News!

I know, I know, I already posted today but... Hugo pooped in the toilet!

I thought this day was long away. I've heard all sorts of stories about boys and their not pooping for forever. Well, Hugo was in the tub enjoying his bath tonight. He'd been playing in the water for a good amount of time splashing, talking, dumping water everywhere. I was on the phone with my Mother-In-Law catching up on the family news. All of a sudden Hugo grabbed his bum and said something about pooping and I quickly said good-bye and tossed the phone to the side! Hugo was lifted onto the toilet, he made some slightly funny faces and then there it was in the bowl! His first poop - not caught by a diaper or exploded up his back or running/gushing down a leg! A real poop in the toilet bowl. Wow.

';[l/ (Hugo's Mark)

The weather has been beautiful the past few days. Warm with no humidity and breezy, breezy, breezy. The nights have been cool and perfect for summer sleeping with the windows open wide.


During daylight hours, Hugo thinks of our bed as his personal jungle gym. He rolls about across its surface. Daily perfects his jumping technique and somersaulting posture. He hides among the pillows all ET like, waiting patiently for me to spy him. He also constructs tunnels under the quilt and leaves little boy toy treasure behind for me to discover.


With the windows wide open Hugo has learned that the sheer curtains blow over the bed with the wind. He hasn't spoken the word wind yet. When the wind blows and he feels it against his skin he'll tell me that, "It's cooollld" and hug his arms to his chest, even if its hot out. Silly boy. Hugo doesn't understand that the wind is moving the curtains. He gets pretty upset when he tries again and again to right the curtains or to simply keep them from covering his current line up of cars. I wonder what his brain is telling him about these pesky curtains? Could they be alive? Could they be possessed? Could they have it out for him and his cars? I find it pretty amusing to watch him battle with the blowing curtains. He bats at them with his hands and arms. He'll yell at the sheer curtains saying, "Stop!". If they continue to persist for too long he'll even use his monster voice.


This week Hugo expressed something new about himself and I've been provoking him ever since to hear his words again.

Tuesday night after Hugo's bath I wrapped him up in his towel and carried him to his dressing table. I hugged him close and set him down to towel him off. He likes the towel to remain covering most of him as I do this because he thinks he's cold. So anyway, I started to massage lotion into his skin like I have after all his previous baths. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by his littleness and how he is my son. Memories of his baby self flooded in and I felt so much love for him. I began to tell him that he was my baby, my special baby and how much I loved him and I'm sure I would have gone on and on except he interrupted me. He said, "I boy!" I stopped and starred at him and went wow, how did he figure that out? I told him he was right, that he was my baby boy. Nope. He didn't like that. He piped right up again with, "I boy!"