Puzzle, Games, Sugar, and Nightmares

I was up with the birds to attend my Rotary meeting. Grampa was home, so could do the early morning babysitting. After returning, I wasn't feeling so well. After Grampa had left, I suggested Kevin watch some morning TV on my bed while I dozed off my stomach queasiness. Therefore, it was late morning before Guinness had his walk to doggie park and Kevin had his long bike ride.

A few days ago, Kevin asked that we bring a bag for picking up the garbage under a grove of spruce trees where there is a natural, private fort with much litter. We did that today. What a caring boy!

It was too late for our regular friends, but we met a new friend - Annie!



Kevin was eager to get back at the Wonder Woman puzzle and had found two pieces before I joined him at the table. He has always made up songs - tunes and lyrics. While he has been with me this time, I have tried to capture some of his words from a distance, but they usually elude me. As I was reading email and he was working on the puzzle in the dining room, I heard him singing the phrase, "Praise the Lord" three times along with other indistinguishable words.

It is a fairly difficult puzzle, but we conquered it!

When I pulled the puzzles out of the attic yesterday, I also brought down some games -- Go Fish and Flinch. We played Go Fish with good success since he won two games fairly and squarely. ;-)

Then I opened the Flinch cards and nearly had a meltdown myself. I didn't realize it was my mother's box of cards!!! She loved that game! The score cards for playing with a friend at her assisted living home were in the box. Kevin did not understand why Grandma had become so emotional.

I thought the game would reinforce some counting for him, but the backwards counting was a challenge. Since I could not remember the rules to the game or what determined a win, it was a moot point game with no tears.

This evening, neighbors hosted a shower to celebrate the upcoming marriage of a couple in our development -- Ellen and Larry. (Ellen is the "mother" of Lucy, the other chocolate lab who lives here.)

Kevin joined me at the party. He was very well behaved and a little charmer.





I didn't want any stray marks from crayons or markers to remain on furniture at the Blacks, so I only took a sticker book for him to work on. I understand that he did ask Mrs. Black for some crayons, but she graciously told him she had none.

Time was running late, and I knew we were pushing it as the desserts came out. On the tray were Nanaimo Bars.

They ended the evening! Strange what a dose of sugar can do to a child! He was suddenly running off up their stairs while I was demanding his return to no avail; he hid under the coffee table, then chair.

If you are not familiar with this Canadian staple, look up the recipe. They are beyond sweet!!!

Upon arriving home, we took Guinny out for his final potty break. Kevin noted a garter snake on our patio. I ran for the camera! :)

Earlier today, we saw a Praying Mantis on the wall of the house while doing some weeding in the garden. Kevin is a wonderful helper!

While getting Kevin ready for bed, Guinness was running around with a plastic bag in his mouth, teasing me to take it from him while trying his best to keep it away from me. I didn't think much of it, though I wondered where he found it. After Kevin was in bed and I returned to the kitchen, this is what greeted me:

I don't know if the cupboard door was left ajar, or if he has learned to open it. Dear, God, No! In trying to remember what was in the organic bin, there were banana peels, cherry seeds and stems, watermelon and cantaloupe rinds, also corn cobs! Not a smidgen of any of that left! Guinness is sleeping in his crate tonight...

Several minutes after putting Kevin to bed, he came looking for me in tears. He insisted that I must lie down with him as he was scared. He said he was afraid of monsters under the bed. As we talked, he told me that he has bad dreams "a lot." I encouraged him to tell me about his dreams. He refused saying that it would make him cry. He asked why we have bad dreams. I used the lame (or factual?) answer of our brains working through the many problems we have. I told him that everyone has problems and everyone has bad dreams. Apparently, there is blood in some of his dreams. He also wanted to know why there are so many bad movies with blood in them. I have no answer for that except that grownup men like those movies.

I asked if he dreams of Mommy. He does not. I told him of my dreams about her - that they used to be nightmares until I had a vision of being with her, hugging her, and she assured me she was just fine. Now she is a part of my pleasant dreams - like a character in a play.

He had spoken earlier about his itchiness, wondering why he has it. I contemplated when he will be old enough to tell him about the issues he has had to deal with as a result of being in an orphanage for 15 months, and how it tore his Mommy's heart apart that he had to wait so long before he was in his parents' loving arms. But that is not my place, nor do I know enough about his problems to explain them - such as his sensory issue.

An hour later, I awakened finding him fast asleep - hopefully for a good, long night.