Independent Eater

These are from our quiet morning yesterday. I know they’re all nearly the same picture, but I just love the subtle differences. I also love the morning alfalfa in Curtis’s hair. He was enjoying feeding himself some yogurt and doing a pretty good job of it, if I do say so myself. I was enjoying not having to talk unless I really wanted to. I’m not a morning person, and being peppered with questions and requests first thing in the morning is one of my greatest challenges with having kids. If I drank coffee, I’m sure I would be one of those don’t-talk-to-me-until-I’ve-had-my-coffee types. Curtis even let me do some reading over breakfast.

Curtis is flat-out refusing baby food most of the time now. I can’t say I blame him, but now I don’t know what to feed him. Even more “grown up” foods like yogurt are refused unless I let him try to do it himself. So now I’m really limited by what he can chew, what he can feed himself, and what he will actually eat. And he’s already such a little guy that I constantly worry whether he’s gotten enough. I don’t know if he wants to snack constantly because he’s hungry or because he just wants to snack constantly.

About a week before Thanksgiving, Curtis started getting up in the night a lot. His mood and all the signs pointed to teething. He only had 6 teeth at the time—4 on top and 2 chipmunk teeth on bottom. I kept feeling on either side of the 2 bottom teeth to see if he had swollen gums or anything, but there was no sign of a tooth on its way. Finally, early in December, after many wakeful nights, I noticed some white poking out at the back of his mouth. He was teething, just not in the place I expected. He was getting his first set of molars, and his bottom left already had white points poking through the gums. Now, that molar is completely in; the top one above it is working on cutting through, and the 2 on the other side of his mouth have swollen spots and just a few teeny points poking through. I never expected him to skip over getting his front teeth and go straight for molars! But they have come in handy. I can give him a lot more things than I could give the girls at this age. He still can’t eat really crunchy stuff unless it will soften in his mouth (he loves to beg me for my croutons).

I survived my Primary lesson today with the new class. They are a totally different bunch of kids. The last class and this group both were some of the kids I had when I served in nursery, and it is so fun to see them a little bit older. There are many who wouldn’t say 2 words to me in nursery, but now they talk my ears off. I love it!

I think as long as I can keep these kids happy and interested, they shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. I know that was kind of the main goal with the last class, too, but it didn’t seem to come as easily. I think the main thing I worry about is that these kids I have now are so wonderful because their last teacher was wonderful, and after a few weeks with me, they’ll be difficult to manage because I’m not doing it right. (I realize that probably won’t happen, but it is my greatest fear right now.) I may have to work out a random way of choosing kids because I don’t want them to feel like I favor Phaedra. It’s hard when she so eagerly raises her hand every time I ask a question. I love that girl so much. I hope she won’t feel like she’s stuck with me too much this way, but so far so good.

Grant is home. He built me a blazing fire this evening. I’m sitting by it as I type. I just can’t seem to get warm unless I’m cuddled right up to Grant under a blanket or sitting by a fire. I’m so content (lazy) when Grant is home. I could just hibernate in his arms and let the whole world pass us by. Too bad the kids would run amok, and Grant couldn’t earn a living that way. Otherwise, I would totally do it. But in reality, Grant even has to work late tomorrow night . . . and I think Friday too. Hopefully not any other days, but you just never know. He keeps me guessing. Have I mentioned I hate eating dinner alone (with no other adults)? I’m sure I have, but it bears repeating. I have no plan for how I’m getting through the long day tomorrow. I don’t even have ideas for dinner. I’m just trying not to think about it. Denial. Denial. Denial.

I have more thoughts, but I’ve probably lost most my readers by now. And Grant is done with homework and ready to watch TV with me. Or play Lego Starwars on Xbox with me. Don’t laugh. We’ve found it to be a really fun togetherness activity. That Yoda sure can jump.