All about the P-Man

The other morning while I was getting ready, Parker walked into the bathroom adorned with these:

Half of Chris' ties.

Parker gets pretty creative in his activities in the morning while he waits for his Mom - who doesn't function without a shower - to get ready.

(No, three+ years into mommyhood and I still have not succumbed to surrendering my daily shower and mascara.)

Like a few weeks ago. He climbed into the (empty) tub and I hear him shuffling with a wrapper. Knowing very well what it was because this wasn't the first time, I told him that those (ahem, TAMPONS) aren't toys and to please not open anymore because he was wasting them.

"But Mom, I am just practicing!"

"Practicing what???"

"Practicing THIS!", he screeched, as he swung around the string with attached cotton wad trying to knock down the standing, strategically-placed plastic applicator.

Ooohh. Of course! What was I thinking?

He continued on for a good ten minutes as though he were having the time of his life, reassuring me the entire time. "Don't worry, Mom. I am just practicing. I have to get good at this!" He animatedly went on to ask me,

"Mom? When YOU were a little boy, did you practice playing with these, too?"

Oh wow. We're in trouble if little boys who play with tampons grow up to be women!

What can I say?

The boy has a fascination with feminine hygiene products.

I have to tell him several times a week that they are not toys!!! (although I haven't been able to explain to him what they really are, either!!!)
F.H.P.'s aren't the only things Parker is intrigued by. This kid has had an obsession with my HAIR ever since he was a baby! When I would rock him to sleep he would grab a chunk of my hair and hold on for dear life. He STILL does this when I rock him to sleep for his naps!
(Yes, I still rock him for naps!)
He is constantly telling me, "Mom, I LOOOVE your's hair", and to prove his affection he'll kiss it. When I wear it down, he'll tell me at least 4 or 5 times in the course of the day, "Mom, I looove your hair down". He is constantly stroking it and grabbing onto it - and it's not just mine - he'll do this to any girl's hair he can get his hands on. Truthfully, it can get really old because it's just not fun to have my hair pulled on all day, but he seems to be so obsessed that I've found it really hard to break his habit!
I'm thinking that "good hair" is going to top the list of his required features in a wife someday. Either that or we have a future hair dresser on our hands....
A few more Parker quotes worth noting:

• About to jump off his toy chest, he assures me, "Don't worry, Mom. I won't smash Emmie. Cuz we'd miss her!"
• "Mom, I have LOTS of "bless you's" today." We always tell him "bless you" when he sneezes, so I realized recently that he thinks that that is what they are called...
• Parker will see something he wants and he'll tell me, "Someday we'll have THAT!' SOMEDAY!" So I've tried to explain to him the concept that Daddy gets paid to work and that we use that money to pay for all the things that we have. The other day when he asked where Chris was and I told him, he said, "Daddy's at work?" Oh okay. But I don't want him to stay there very long. (PAUSE) Actually, he NEEDS to stay there long so that we can have money to spend."
• Parker hates for me to call him "little". He's always telling me, "I'm not LITTLE, Mom! Call me 'Big Boy'!".
  

And he is right. He IS getting to be a big boy! He is sure growing up fast and it's so fun to see his little personality (and OCD tendencies...) come to life! :)