Separation Anxiety

Hank's obsession with pulleys continues. See above picture.

I am not even going to post about last week's weather, because it is becoming redundant. More snow, more snow, more snow, etc. I'll spare everyone the snowfall totals and just announce that the melting has begun!

When Hank was a baby (and actually up until he was about 2 years old) he had a wicked case of separation anxiety. I remember going to playgroup and having him sit in my lap the entire time, walking into the bathroom at home and having him scream hysterically until I came out, and holding him essentially every waking minute. Georgie has also developed a case of separation anxiety, but not for me. No, Georgie is quite attached to his big brother, which is really very cute. The other night we were eating dinnner and Hank left the dining room. Georgie started crying, craning his neck to find Hank, and would not settle down until Hank walked back into the room. He follows him around all day long, trying to keep up with Hank's busy pace. He totally reinforces all of Hank's roughhousing and naughty behavior as well. Hank likes to grab Georgie's ankles and drag him around like a wheelbarrow. When I catch him doing this, I morph into Mean Mommy, sending him to time out and lecturing about the dangers of dragging little baby brothers around the house by their limbs. Georgie does nothing to help his cause, as he is laughing hysterically while being "relocated" across the house.

I realize I'm about 10 years late on this one, but I just started reading Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" and I am loving it! I was laughing out loud yesterday reading it, tears running down my face. I totally recommend it. I feel kind of a kinship with Bryson, since we are both from Des Moines and now living in New England. I read two of his other books and loved them, not sure why it has taken me so long to pick up "A Walk in the Woods." Put it on your reading list if you haven't read it already!

Oh, and one to file away under "good advice": Before uncapping glue stick for preschool child, always ask what preschool child is going to do with said glue stick. I absentmindedly opened Hank's glue stick yesterday, only to find him gluing sheets of white paper to the floor 10 minutes later. I was all spazzy hand-flapping motions and hyperventilating. When I calmed down, I managed to eek out, "What are you DOING?" Hank smiles. "I'm making a new floor Mommy! A white one!"