Growing pains

My little boys are getting so big and old. Although I know this isn't an original thought, I have to say I find it terrifying when they develop a new skill, especially one I didn't mean for them to develop. Last week they learned how to use the mouse on my computer, which means that I can leave them watching a Sesame Street song video on YouTube, and when it ends, another video will begin, because they've moused over to it and CLICKED on it.

I used to be able to keep them off my computer by turning off the screen, but then they learned how to turn it back on again, and now with this new mousing ability I was afraid they'd never play with their toys again, just mess with my computer all morning. So I took action. Normally I just leave my computer on all the time, but now at night I turn it off. In the morning, when Baby B says to me "Let's do songs on the 'puter, Mommy," I say, "No, the computer is asleep. It needs its rest." This will work until they learn how to turn it on, which will be next week.

But for the last few days they've played with my CD/tape player instead of the computer. Previously they were not allowed to insert or remove CDs, because they kept scratching them, but this week I decided to give up and let it happen. I put my favorite CDs up on a high shelf and left the children's CDs on a low shelf. I was sure the player would be broken within 15 minutes, but it wasn't. They've gotten really good at using it, which kind of horrifies me. I mean, they're THREE. But I guess most three-year-olds these days can manipulate all sorts of electronic devices. This is just what it now means to be three.

I like most of their toys (if I didn't, I'd casually lose them), but my current favorite has got to be their train set. I like it more than they do, I think. I keep accidentally buying more trains for it (to Rocket Boy's horror). Last weekend we were in Lancaster and we dropped by ToysRUs to buy diapers -- but also to look at trains. I let each boy pick a new engine, plus we also got a station crossing thing, that has gates that go down and rings a bell and all that. So cool. So expensive. But when we were driving (90 miles) home, opening the trains in the car, we realized that stupid Mommy had bought an ELECTRIC James for Baby A but just a regular Edward for Baby B. Oh dear!

Well, there was no way to lose the electric James -- Baby A had fallen deeply in love. So on Monday I paid a visit to the Ridgecrest toystore, where I found an electric Thomas, and now Baby B has an electric train too. The electric trains pull all the other trains around -- we have already burned out one set of batteries (in what? four days?) -- and because the boos attach too many other engines and cars to them, the trains often fall off the tracks. It's very traumatic and exciting. Boos play with their trains every day anyway, but this week it's serious -- the first thing they head for when they get out of bed. I can actually work on something else -- do the dishes, read the paper -- while they negotiate their train business. Such big boys!

Of course, all the way home from daycare today Baby A was screaming at the top of his lungs, begging me to pull over so that I could PUT HIS TRAIN IN HIS SOCK (Baby B had successfully put HIS train in his sock and Baby A was jealous). So yeah, they're still babies. But not for long...