A one scene announcement

Location: Outside Jim Oliver's Smokehouse on Monteagle Mountain
Time: Sunday afternoon

Me:  Boogie, Gigi got to help you with your lessons to see how well you're doing, but she and PopPop don't know how well you are doing with ASL.  Let's show them!
Boogie:  Uh... OK
Me (signing): a
Boogie: a
Me: k
Boogie: k
Me: 11
Boogie: 11
Me: 55
Boogie: 55
Me: Dad
Boogie: Dad
Me: Girl
Boogie: Girl
Me: Mom
Boogie: Mom
Me: Pregnant
Boogie: Huh?  I don't know that one.
Me (speaking): What do you think it is?
Boogie: Pregnany maybe?
Me:  Right!  Good job. Soooo... (signing again) Mom pregnant
Boogie: Mom pregnant
Me: Mom pregnant
Boogie (looking thoroughly confused): Mom Prgenant
Me (leaning in and whispering): Mom's pregnant!
Boogie: You're pregnant? (screaming)  You're having a baby!  I'm going to get those hundred babies I want!  Yay!

So to make a short story even shorter: We are pregnant and very happy to be pregnant!

Sometimes I fail and win at once

I have a confession.  I completely lost my patience today.  Will was tired and rubbing his eyes.  I kept trying to help him go to sleep.  He just wouldn't sleep.  There are days when he wants to be with Boogie so much that he will fight anything to be able to have even just one more minute with him.  I thought that if I took Will to his room then I would be able to snuggle him or put him in his bed to rest.  Apparently, out of sight is not out of mind!  I, for the first time in his life, put him down to cry.  After a few minutes I went back to rock him and cuddle him and help him reach the rest I could tell he needed.  It worked.  I felt a smile in my heart as I watched him begin to drift into sleep.  In all the battle had lasted an hour.  And then, in walked Boogie.  Immediately Will was wide awake and clamoring for his big brother.  Immediately all the time and work was for naught.  And it frustrated me.

I sat Will with Boogie and told Boog that since he wouldn't just let me get Will to rest then Will could be his responsibility.  I thought that Boog would experience Will's exhaustion and decide that maybe he doesn't have to come and "check" on me all the time.  Instead Will was delighted to be with Boog and Boog was not at all put out!  After a few minutes I reminded Boog that he still had more school work to do, more learning to accomplish.  He was not phased in the least.  Thirty seconds later  I heard the very familiar sound of his voice.  When I focused in I realized he was reading.  He was reading to his baby brother, accomplishing both entertaining Will and practicing a skill. 

The lesson I wanted to teach him failed miserably.  I failed miserably at getting Will to sleep.  And yet, my family won.  My Boogie and my baby won.  And that means I win too.