Sawyer in Action

A day in Santa Barbara

Set-ups

Asking Sawyer to do chores efficiently is not realistic. He wants to do them in an artistic way. For example, whenever he puts away the dishes he makes a setup with them on the floor. And the same with his toys when I ask him to put them away. They do look better in a "setup" than all over the floor so I let it go until Coen comes and destroys them.

Nails & Nose

Bad Habits: Biting nails down to the nub, at least he stopped biting his toenails!!
                    Picking his nose and disposing of the treasures by mouth

Smelly Feet

Sawyer hates socks. He hates them. Always has. We have been through so many different types of socks. So he didn't wear them for awhile. Wow. Did we get complaints! We found out quickly that he did not get a choice in the matter. Like it or not, socks are required. He still gets away with it once in a while.....like tonight. I got my smeller out and was trying to track the scent and I found it. Sawyers smelly feet.

Angel

Sawyer was an angel today. He said thank you after everything we did (going to the park, frozen yogurt, TV time) and helped out around the house, and entertained the other kids. He has kind of been angry Soy for the past little while. It doesn't seem like anything I do pleases him enough. He wants ice cream, I get it for him, its the wrong color. He wants a hot dog, I get it for him, but it has seeds on the bun. He wants to stay up, I let him, but he wants to stay up longer. But tonight he was satisfied and he was very gracious. He said "Mom, you were so nice today, thank you." And he said "This is a nice house, I am going to help you take care of it by cleaning up these scraps of paper." And "Mom, good makes more good and bad makes more bad." It was like he had a maturity booster shot. He was planning all of these things for "my" birthday party because he wanted to take care of me. He wants to do a scavenger hunt, princess and makeup pinata, picnic, swimpark, relay races, and food. He told me whatever I wanted to do we would do it and whatever i wanted to get I could get it. And he also included three pets in the deal. "but they have be ones that we can take care of easily".

Cafeteria Food

"Mom! Ella told me that every school has a cafeteria!" This exciting news came after school one day during Sawyer's last week at his current school, Stevenson Elementary in Burbank.  He loves him some cafeteria food. He tells me that he eats everything on his tray. We only let him go every once in a while so its become a treat for him.

Receiving

This Christmas Sawyer learned the art of receiving. We had talked about the importance of gratitude for gifts throughout the month, however on Christmas eve when he opened his pajamas he was not prepared. He threw a little fit and voiced his disappointment at the gift. Joel talked with him about how lucky the kids were to get so many presents and how some kids don't get any and he seemed to understand that. Later as I was tucking him in he said "Sorry Mom, about the pajamas". I really feel like  he is very mature for a 5 year old. He has his tantrums but he sincerely wants to do good. There is so much love in that little guy. There always has been. I felt it even when he was a baby, the way he would look into my eyes. And I remember him not even 2 years old comforting me while I cried. My biggest fear as a mother is not nurturing and encouraging the natural beauty and goodness within each of my children. They are each so different and thus need different things. I pray that I can remain vigilant in keeping close to the Spirit so I can discern their individual needs.