Every Day

Every day with Tate I'm just in awe of this funny, quirky, polite, loving little boy.  

Case in point...

Tonight I sat down to dinner with Tate (well he was eating;  I was drinking a glass of water as I wasn't hungry, but that's all beside the point).

I sat down.  Tate said his blessing and scooped some pasta onto his fork, then looked up at me...

Tate:  How was your day at work today Mommy?

Me:  (after picking my mouth up off the floor) It was great Tate.  Wow, thanks for asking me!!  How was your day at school?  Did you have fun at soccer with Coach G?

I was just in shock.  He started the conversation all by himself.  For weeks now I've been working on getting him to tell me about his day.  When I used to ask how his day was or who he played with or what he did I would get "I don't know", "Leo" or "I played."

About a week and a half ago after the umpteenth "I don't know" I told him he should go to the time out spot which was now going to also be the thinking spot.  In the thinking spot I told him that I wanted him to try to think about what he did that today.

Lo and behold I got an earful of the day's events after all of 2 seconds in the thinking spot.  The next day I got another "I don't remember."  I reminded him of the thinking spot, very nicely I might add.  I simply said "Oh if you don't remember maybe you should go to the nice quiet thinking spot so you can really try to remember."

Since then I get nice answers, I can ask other questions...we have real conversations!  I love it!

And then this tonight!  All of his own accord!  Fa-Bu-Lous!

Then there are his sweet manners.  He's pretty quick to say please and thank you; I have to prompt him about 25% of the time, but other than that he's good.  And he is rocking the 'Yes Ma'am'.  Oh my goodness it's so very sweet when I hear him say that to me.  I ask him a yes or no question and he'll very politely say "Yes ma'am" or "No ma'am".  It did take him a bit to figure out he doesn't say "Yes sir" to girls because I used to always say "No sir" to him when I didn't want him to do something.  He didn't understand the difference, but now he gets it.  

He now loves holding the door for me.  He usually only has occasion to this when we're walking in the door from the garage to the house.  But he's so cute about it.  The first time he did it I wasn't aware he was doing it, as I had sent him on into the house to go to the bathroom after watching him to the potty dance.  I got my stuff out of the car and came to go into the house and he was holding the door.  I was not thrilled and told him he needed to go on to the bathroom.  He told me "But I was holding the door for you, Mommy.  That's what boys do for girls."  

Melt my heart.

He does it every time now (unless his trains are calling his name too loudly!).  Always reminding me that this is what nice boys do :).  He's learning that at school...love his school and teachers!!!

We're working on the napkin in the lap at mealtime and extending our manners to others.  

Every day.  Every day something he does, says or exhibits just makes me smile!  

So. Much. Fun.