Adventures with Jack

We had a pretty funny weekend--it was nice because for the most part we didn't have to go anywhere or do anything but it was definately memorable for Jack! First of all, he got his mouth washed out with soap for the first time. Oh my gosh, I had no idea how hard this is for parents! He has been SO mouthy lately. I mean, when he gets mad, he will literally stand with his arms at his sides and just scream out loud. Or he roars. He claims it's his tummy making him do it, but I'm just about tired of it. So he got in trouble for something--who knows what--probably inflicting injury on Scott, which is his favorite thing to do. (He just doesn't realize how big he is so when he jumps on him, it just KILLS poor Scott!! He also has a nasty habit of headbutting. That little head of his is HARD and it HURTS! Please tell me that this is a phase and I'm not raising a sociopath...please?) So anyway, I sent him to his room and for the millionth time that day he started mouthing off from the "safety" of his room. He was crying and yelling that I am a mean mommy and he hates me, blah blah blah. Not on my watch, man. Following my usual child-rearing technique I like to call "WWCD?" (What Would Camille Do? My friend Camille is an AMAZING mommy. She lets her kids get away with NOTHING and as a result, they are super duper well behaved. I want to be like her when I grow up.) I knew exactly what Camille would do. I went in his room and told him to follow me into the bathroom. Poor kid had no idea what was waiting for him. I made his sit on the toilet and while I got the soap (all natural, homemade so I knew it wouldn't make him sick--Thanks for the soap, Ginny!) and while getting it wet told him that mean words make his mouth dirty and dirty mouths have to be washed out. I made him open his mouth and I washed it out with soap. BOY WAS HE MAD! Hoo doggy! He (of course) started crying and said I used too much soap, it tasted bad. I made him keep it in his mouth for a couple of minutes then let him rinse his mouth out and we brushed his teeth. While I definately consider myself a "mean mom" I make sure after I punish him to hug him and love him. So I'm hugging him and we're both crying and, well, he's been remarkably well-behaved since then.

Yesterday, Sunday, we enjoyed our favorite pasttime--the after church nap. I tell you, there is nothing like it. A couple of hours after we were all up, I was looking at Jack's head and noticed that his hair was combed weird and it looked like he had a bald spot! Scott said he thought it was cut that way when our new friend Heather did his hair, but that was like 3-4 weeks ago...finally, it dawned on Scott that maybe Jack cut his OWN hair. Yep. Jack confessed that he did it during naptime. This is what it looks like:

Finally, on a sweeter note...who knew Jack was so good at praying? He normally hates praying but he said the prayer at lunch time all by himself with no help at all and then prayed last night at bedtime! It was so sweet to hear him ask Heavenly Father for the things HE wants, not the things we whisper in his ear to ask for. He asked Heavenly Father to keep us all healthy, especially Mommy and the baby and he prayed that I wouldn't be so sick. GAAA what a sweet boy! Then, after we'd given kisses goodnight and left his room, he came into the living room where we were watching a movie and kissed us all goodnight again and rubbed my tummy and said, "Good night, angel!" Oh my raging hormones. I just cried and cried.

The moral of these stories are that it never ceases to be an adventure with this kid and I'm so grateful to be his mommy!!