If Your Car Gets Stuck, Just Turn The Wheel

"If Your Car Gets Stuck, Just Turn The Wheel"

I am sure you picked up in the video that Elliott doesn't have a complete handle on maneuvering the bumper cars yet.  He was much improved this visit, but he still adds new meaning to "taking a car for a spin" and essentially changes the nature of this ride altogether.  At least he rode this ride.  We couldn't trick him into getting back on the mini roller coaster he rode with me last trip.  In fact, each time I show him that video, he reminds me "I don't like that!"

Elliott gave us a funny story on the way home from Kings Dominion.  We stopped at McDonald's after our visit last time, so as things work in Elliott's world, we would need to stop there this time too.  There is an order to Elliott's life, and events only need to happen once to permanently join that order.  It must be noted, it is far easier to join the order than be removed from it.  So off to McDonald's we went.  We asked Elliott what he wanted and he said pancakes.  This presented a problem, since breakfast was over.  In fact, given there are only two food items on the menu that Elliott will eat, pancakes and mcnuggets, his choices are actually pre-determined by the time of day we go there, which makes the courtesy of asking his preference a rather unnecessary risk.  That is exactly why we deserved to be caught off guard by his response.

Katie explained to Elliott that he would have to have McNuggets - pancakes are only served at breakfast.  Elliott wasn't budging on his request, he repeated, "I want pancakes." 

Katie tried to re-frame her explanation, "We eat pancakes when we wake up, McNuggets are a daytime food."

There was a sudden quiet in the backseat.  Elliott had closed his eyes and was now pretending to be asleep.  After a few seconds of imitated nap, he announced "Elliott's waking up," which in his mind should have cleared the major hurdle between himself and pancakes.

The only appropriate response when the conversation reaches this point is to hit the brakes, turn around, and retrace our steps until we find the road we should have taken in the first place: "Elliott, we're going to stop at McDonald's and get you some McNuggets."  The story had a happy ending.

Ian has not been so happy lately.  His first tooth has arrived and others are looking to join it.  This has made things uncomfortable, mostly for him, but he has found a voice loud enough to communicate his sufferings to allow us all to share in his pain to some degree.  And if the teeth aren't bothering him, his insatiable appetite is.  He has convinced himself he needs to be fed every couple of hours.  I'm sure his defense would be something about growing boys, but a reminder is coming soon that he is just that, a boy, and not an elephant, which routinely spends 18 to 20 hours a day eating between 300 and 500 pounds of food.

Along with his displeasure, Ian has begun to communicate things he likes.  I picked him up from grandma and grandpa's last week and found grandpa tugging Ian around the living room on a blanket.  The tiny creature wrapped up in the carpet sled was grinning ear to ear.  That is, until the ride stopped.  Then I heard this high pitched squeal, which is much different than a scream, that went on until the ride started once again, which it did. Repeatedly.  And I was once again reminded that the only compensation our parents ask, demand even, for raising us to the point where we can have our own children, is the right to unapologetically spoil those very children.  The wide smile on Ian's face made that a reminder that was easy to swallow.