Daddy's Weekend with Kids

If any of you follow my facebook, you've seen about 50 pathetic "I'm sick" posts since Friday.  I hate being sick!  I don't really know anyone who actually enjoys it.  :)

So Brian has been in charge all weekend.  He's so great with the boys!  I would literally be pulling my hair out by now, but he's still pretty calm and collected.  I have no idea how he does it.  (ACM random comment: Carrie Underwood is HOT!  She can sing and she is so beautiful!  The girl needs to learn how to dance, but the little hip shakes are enough for now.  Blake Shelton: talented, but kind of a dufus.  Reba: hilarious!  I love her, too!)

So after my nap today, I went out into the kitchen to get snack.  Andrew was walking down the stairs singing a little song: "I'm going downstairs.  I'm going downstairs."  So he starts asking me about what I'm making, and then I heard Jacob crying upstairs.  This conversation took place:
Me: Why is Jacob crying?
A: Because I pushed him
Me: You pushed Jacob?
A: Yes
Me: Why did you push Jacob?
A: Because he did this to me (while stomping his foot on the ground)
Jacob came downstairs in a few minutes and Brian and I got the full story.  The boys were supposed to be cleaning up the play room.  Jacob said that Andrew wanted him to clean the playroom all by himself (does this sound familiar SARAH HICKS?!).  So we gathered that Andrew was playing instead of cleaning.  Jacob asked Andrew to clean up twice, and after he did not follow instructions, Jacob got angry with Andrew and stomped on him.  In retaliation, Andrew pushed Jacob and came downstairs....apparently unaffected by what had just happened....because he was singing happily on his way down.  While we were talking to the boys (at the base of our stairs), Jacob first lied about stomping on Andrew.  When he finally came clean, he got a lecture about lying.  So, of course, the natural thing for Jacob to do is cry.  I can relate, though.  I remember when disappointing my dad was the worst thing in the world.  So it really made me sad to see him so upset.  So then it was Andrew's turn.  Brian called him to come down a few steps to sit at eye level.  Andrew was just laying on the landing, and he took it like a man.  He got up, walked down those few steps, and just sat and kept constant eye contact with Brian.  This kid doesn't care about anything!  I don't get it. 

We are still trying to figure out this love and logic thing, too.  Jacob totally gets it.  We have two gates to get into our kitchen, and I heard him ask Andrew, "which gate do you want me to open for you?"  They have been given a lot of small choices so that they feel more in control...but really we are still in control.  And we hear Jacob mimmick these tricks all the time.  Anyway, Andrew seems older than 3 to us.  It's probably because he is always shadowing Jacob.  But at the end of the day, he is still a 3 yr old.  So we are having a hard time using the new tools that we've learned about effectively.  We think we have overlooked the age gap between the boys. 

(ACM random comments: Chris Young - meh.  Zac Brown - great!  The Band Perry - awesome!  Keith Urban - love him!  I think I'd like to attend this some time.  Vegas, live country concert - what's not to love?!  Yay!  Dallas' own Eli Young Band!)

Also, boys' birthdays are coming up.  We decided that we would only get the boys one gift from us.  We are having a party with their friends in two weeks, and they are going to get tons of crap.  I am so torn on what to get them!  ugh!  Any suggestions of things that are fun but maybe not real toys would be great!  :)  Thanks team!