To the best of our abilities, Jay and I try to limit change in our kids’ lives. We changed Thane’s room and bed weeks before Mara arrived. We told Thane continually about the new baby that was coming to live with us and so on. Sometimes, change just comes up and laughs in your face.

After weeks of packing and telling Thane and Mara we were getting a new place, we moved into the apartment on Monday. On Wednesday the old house was empty and we showed Thane (we are big on the closure thing) it one last time. We eagerly anticipated closing on Friday. Friday came, we closed, I unpacked, Jay called and told me that Amber (Jay’s grandmother) passed away.

So we are officially out of the house but the celebrating was not that high on our priority list.

Fast forward a few days and I spent Sunday afternoon in Louisville for Melissa (Jay’s cousin’s) baby shower. Jay stayed home with 2 kids and on a work call for much of the day. You can guess how much fun that was for him. I, on the other hand, had a blast! I even got to give her a ton of Thane’s old baby stuff (she’s having a boy!), which I loved.

On to the subject of the post…here are the funny/strange/interesting things Thane has done in the past week to ten days…

Big House
When we picked Thane and Mara up from school after the move, we told them we were going to our new house. We moved into an apartment complex (the same one where Jay and I lived before we got married). When we drove up, he looked out and said, “Big House.” He referred to it as that for several days. I guess to a 2 year old, an apartment does look like an awfully big house!

Opening Doors
The new apartment has the lever door handles. The house had traditional door knobs. Thane could open those but not his bedroom door one so getting him to stay in his room and go to sleep was never an issue. Not so with the new handles. It is now a game how many times he comes out of his room when we put him to bed. We are doing the Super Nanny approach and walking him back to his room each and every time. We have now added a time out as well. Last night we did that countless times. Tonight…5. I think we are making progress but if anyone has suggestions, I am all ears.

Amber
At dinner this weekend, before us mentioning it, Thane said…I love Amber. We may have been talking about her but I don’t remember. He has repeated that line several times since then.

Falls
At the funeral home, Thane was looking for his cousin Jake down the stairs. He was not holding on too well for he fell, head over feet. I was not there, but when my unnerved husband was rattled, I am actually glad I wasn’t. After I finished consoling him, I tried, in front of cousin Melissa, to get him to say something that showed he was okay.

Me: What’s your name
No response
Me: Count to 10
No response

I begin thinking of what to ask next when he pulls my top out, looks down, and says: “Mommy..boobs”

Melissa said: “Guess he is okay!”

Ghosts
There are tons of words that Thane knows that I have no idea where he heard. However, I am almost certain he has never heard this one before. After the Monday viewing, we had drinks with Mary Beth then a birthday dinner with Adam, Kellie, Jake and Kelsie. When we went to get Thane out of the car to go to Terry and Joann’s, he said, very quietly, “Ghost….Ghost….Ghost” Jay and I then told Terry and Joann not to speak badly of Amber that night. I have no idea what he was actually saying, but it sounded an awful lot like ghost. Eerie.

Today was Thane and Mara’s last day of school for the year. They have off next week and then summer session begins, more easy going. They had a half day this afternoon so after a quick trip to the doctor (Thane has a wicked bad diaper rash) we headed to the new park near our house. Thane was a big fan. He did a good job exploring. A little too much. Mommy was a nervous wreck trying to keep Mara in the shade while chasing after Thane on higher levels than I cared for.

Frogger from Stephanie Hansen on Vimeo.