Crudeness with Elmo

Why is it part of human nature to find crude things funny? That's something I've wondered for a long time. Regardless of what the "scientific" answer may be, we all STILL laugh. The crudeness I'm talking about is farting, burping and things to do with the nether regions of ones' body. I'm JUST as guilty as the next person. I giggle like an adolescent boy when someone trouser coughs or lets a really good burp fly! What I DON'T understand is the fascination a boy has with crotchral area. I'm sure you are anxious to read what Triscuit has done now, so I won't keep you waiting any longer.

One evening, I was cleaning and preparing dinner, when I walk into the dining room to find this on the dining room table:
I thought, "Hmmm. Maybe Toblerone was playing around and didn't realize what he was doing." I wasn't going to think the worst. So, I separated the lightsaber and Elmo and put them in different areas. Meantime, Weenie comes home from work. As I'm bustling about getting food dished up on plates and placed on the table, I run into it again....Elmo with the lightsaber between his legs. THIS time, I question Triscuit.

Mum: "Triscuit? Did YOU do this?"

Triscuit: *Smirking* "Yes."

Mum: "Why?" (and TRUST me...I had to cover my mouth to hide my smile. Try sounding authoritative with a smile on your face! It's impossible!)

Triscuit: *Shrugs shoulders*.

By this time, the jig is up and Triscuit sees me trying to hide my smile...so he comes out with it.

Triscuit: "Because Elmo needed a thingy."

Mum: *Visibly and audibly LAUGHING my head off* "Honey...that's not nice."

I look over at Weenie and he's laughing, too. We make eye contact and it's over. We are laughing so hard we are crying.

Mum: *Still laughing hysterically* "Weenie, you need to talk to your son."

Weenie: *Throws his hands up in the air as to say, 'What am I supposed to do about it'?

Mum: "He's your son...!"

Weenie: *Trying to compose himself*.."Triscuit...that's rude and wrong. Don't EVER do that again. You wouldn't want Grandma and Grandpa to see you doing that, would you?" (Triscuit has a healthy fear of Weenie's Dad).

Triscuit: "No."

Mum: "What if PA (my Dad) were to see you doing that?"

Triscuit: "He'd laugh."

Uh...yeah. My mothering years are going to be FULL of laughter with THIS kid. Hey...at least I will have HAPPY wrinkle lines!

By the way, my Dad DID laugh!

Smack Talk and Cussing

Seven year old boys....need I say more? I'm sure you're thinking, "No...no need to say more". Well....too bad.

Smack Talk

Triscuit has become a smart alec...and it seems to have happened overnight. You cannot say ANYTHING to that child without him being sarcastic (yes...I know...he comes by it honestly) or argumentative. Here is an example of what goes on in my world.

Conversation One:

Mum: "Triscuit". *Pause for a few seconds* "Triscuit!" *Pause again for a few seconds* "TRISCUIT!"

Triscuit: "What Mama?"

Mum: "Answer me the FIRST time you hear me call your name!"

Triscuit: "Sorry."

Mum: "Honey...can you help pick up toys before Daddy comes home?"

Triscuit: "Why? It's not like I made the mess."

Mum: "EXCUSE ME???"

Triscuit: "Toblerone made the mess...why should I have to help clean it up?"

Mum: "Because I'm busy and I need you to be a big boy and help out."

Triscuit: *Mumbling under his breath* *Picking up toys and THROWING them in the toy basket*

Mum: "Son...you need to change your attitude."

Triscuit: "I don't have an attitude Mama."

Mum: "Uh...what do you call THROWING toys around and mumbling under your breath?"

Triscuit: "I call it, "Not Fair".

Mum: *TRYING MY HARDEST NOT TO LAUGH*. "Honey...life isn't fair sometimes (yeah...I pulled that one out of the "sound like your mother" file).

Triscuit: "Sorry Mama (not sounding the LEAST bit sorry)."


Conversation Two (he just pulled this one on me today):


Triscuit: "Mama...I lost the remote to my TV (before you guys yell at me for allowing him to watch too much TV or play video games too much, WE DO SET LIMITS. We have a timer going). Can you help me find it?"

Mum: "Honey...you need to learn to use your eyes and hands to FIND something. Look under your dresser, make your bed, look in your toy box. You have to pick things up and LOOK (another from the "sound like your mother" file)."

Triscuit: *After 5 minutes of looking*. "Mama..I can't find it."

Mum: "Mama can't come to your rescue every time you lose something. Please go look again."

Triscuit: "A parent should help a child find something. That's what a parent should do."

Mum: (Wondering WHERE he comes up with this stuff) "Triscuit. You lost it...now YOU find it."


Cussing


Weenie and I learned through our nephew, "B", that whatever you say around a child will be repeated to another adult SOMEWHERE down the line (that other adult usually is a grandparent). So, we have a "NO CUSSING" policy. Regardless, Triscuit has still picked up a few words down the line (probably from various TV programs).

Situation one:

One day, I was playing a game (yes...I like to play video games. Not often, but I do play). I missed something and had to start the level over. All the sudden I hear:

Triscuit: "DAMMIT!"

Mum: "What did you just say?"

Triscuit: "Dammit (said with a smirk)."

Mum: "WHY do you think you can say that word? Do you hear Mommy and Daddy talking like that?"

Triscuit: "No"

Mum: "Then why do you think YOU can talk like that?"

Triscuit: "It's not bad. It means darn it or shoot."

Mum: "What is the rule, Triscuit? NO CUSSING ALLOWED IN THIS HOUSE! If you do NOT hear Mommy and Daddy using the word then it's NOT an OK word!"

Triscuit:. "I'm sorry (again...said with a smirk)."

Mum: "Nope. This is the third time I've caught you using this word and OBVIOUSLY you haven't learned that it's bad...PLUS you said sorry with a smirk on your face. So...now you get soap."

Triscuit: "NOOOOOOO!!!! I DON'T WANT SOAP!"

Mum: "You need to learn that you can't talk like that. It's disrespectful and wrong."

Triscuit: "I PROMISE NOT TO DO IT AGAIN!!! PLEASE!!!! I DON'T WANT SOAP!!!!!"

He got soap...and grounded for the rest of the day.



Situation Two:

Triscuit and I were watching "Deadliest Catch" one day (if you've never seen it, it's a good show). One of the captains on the show has a saying..."It's like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest".

Triscuit: "Mama? What does ASS mean?"

Mum: "It's a derogatory word for butt."

Triscuit: "What does "derogertory" mean?"

Mum: "Ass isn't a nice word honey. It's another word for butt. I don't want to EVER hear you use it. You understand?"

Triscuit: "Yes Mama.

Mum: "So...WHAT word are you NEVER going to use?"

Triscuit: "THAT word."

Mum: "Good boy."


I know that his seven year old nature will give way to more maturity (and bigger issues than this), so that's why I CHOSE to find the "funny" in these types of situations. The older I get the more I realize that life is too short to be so serious about things!

Sickness

I haven't posted anything new lately because THIS MUM has been fighting a kidney infection. As soon as I feel better, the posts will be plentiful!

My apologies!!! :)

Part One: Toblerone's 2nd Birthday

Toblerone's birthday was June 21st. The "party" consisted of just family (he's only 2...we will throw bigger parties as he gets older). He received a few gift certificates, so after Triscuits party was over and done with, we went shopping. For those of you that know me...I HATE SHOPPING...but for my kids, I will do just about anything (within reason, of course) to make them happy. We hit almost every store you could imagine. Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart, KB Toys (KB was in the mall. NEVER GO TO THE MALL ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND), TJ Maxx...the list goes on. We found 3 DVD's for Toblerone that I thought he would really enjoy:

These two aren't bad. At least they're educational:

Then there is THIS one:

When I picked this one up, I thought it would be a great way for him to learn about Dinosaurs. HOWEVER, in true Elmo form, it's annoying and a little bizarre. The fairy (the purple haired figure on the front) calls on the Dinosaur Fairy to turn them all into dinosaurs. I know, I know... It's not made for adults...it's made for children. I need to learn to be a little more tolerant. After all, children don't stay small forever, right?

While on our shopping excursion, we kept running into "Tickle me Elmo", "Tickle me Cookie Monster" and "Tickle me Ernie" (ERNIE? Creepy). We searched for an Elmo at a good price, but we couldn't find one. Weenie went to K Mart on Monday evening and actually found them marked down to $15. Being that it was SO cheap, Weenie brought it home after work and made a little boy ECSTATIC!

I'm sure you're thinking, "WHY get something so freakishly annoying that you have to listen to day in and day out?". Well, it goes back to making a little boy happy (plus, it has an on/off switch). I may dislike Elmo for obvious reasons, but Toblerone LOVES him. It would be selfish of me to ban him from something just because Mommy doesn't like it.

I WILL promise you this, though. As soon as Toblerone outgrows Elmo...Elmo will find himself a new home with Oscar the Grouch.

I will be posting pictures from HIS party, too...as soon as I confiscate the camera from Weenie.

Part One: Triscuit's 7th Birthday

Triscuits birthday theme for this year was "Ben 10". For those of you that don't know what the cartoon is about, it's about a little boy that gets a watch from his grandfather (the grandfathers voice is Lee Majors...for us "old folks", he was the "Six Billion Dollar Man"). The watch has alien technology. When Ben dials the watch to a specific alien and hits the watch, Ben will turn into that particular alien. Of course, he's a hero, so he uses his powers for good. It's a typical boy cartoon! Although the cartoon, in my opinion, is good...the aliens he turns into are rather strange. Triscuit asked for the Ben 10 action figures (boy dolls) and the Ben 10 watch. He was SO thrilled when he opened the watch! You notice how BIG this watch is compared to the kid wearing it? Imagine the wrist being 1/3 smaller. Triscuit runs around (all 52 pounds of him) acting all big and tough, dials the watch, hits it (and yes, the watch DOES make noise...goody) and calls out the alien that he wants to turn into. The LAST alien he "turned into" was Humongousaur. I'm glad this technology isn't real. Imagine coming around the corner into THIS:The picture doesn't do this thing justice. You can see THROUGH his chest and the insides look slimy! Eww. While Triscuit was running around, he heard "Spidermonkey" come from his watch. Weenie and I haven't seen a character named Spidermonkey, so we told him there was no such thing. When Triscuit hears something coming from someone (or something) and NOT from Mommy or Daddy, he automatically assumes that it HAS to be true (typical kid). It quickly became an argument. Triscuit has this "way" about him. He harps on stuff until he gets the other person to think HIS way (go back to the post "Triscuits Personality Test". You will understand what I'm talking about). ALL DAY LONG, it was, "Spidermonkey" this and "Spidermonkey" that. We told him to be quiet and STOP talking about it, but he just WOULDN'T!!! Finally, we had to take the watch away. Well, while looking around the internet this morning, guess what I find? You guessed it...SPIDERMONKEY!The cartoon has two parts to it...Ben 10 (which is him as a kid) and Ben 10 Alien Force (which is him as a teenager). The Alien Force one is fairly new, so Weenie and I haven't seen any episodes with Spidermonkey in them. I think we owe Triscuit an apology.

I have more to report on the birthday front. I wanted to post pictures I took during his party, but the camera they are on is AT WORK with Weenie. I will try and get them downloaded tonight.

MAUW!

Weenie and I LOVE cats and would LOVE to own one, but because I'm so allergic to them, we won't ever get that chance (unless I scrape up enough money to buy a hairless one). Triscuit has asked me almost everyday since he was 5, "Mommy, can we get a cat?" Regardless of HOW many times I explain to him that Mommy sneezes her head off, gets hives and can't breathe, he is still relentless about it. So, Weenie and I took them to Toys R Us and bought them their OWN cats. NO, NOT REAL ONES...stuffed ones. We spent about 20 minutes looking through the bin of stuffed animals until we found these two:
Toblerone's is the one on the left and Triscuit's is the one on the right. Triscuit is a true animal lover. He especially loves Lions and Tigers. He wants a tabby cat that looks like Tigger. Toblerone, on the other hand, is just OBSESSED with cats. Probably because of THIS:

(If you are wondering what this is from, go to YouTube and type in "Kitty Cat Dance" in the search box)

While we were in Toys R Us, Toblerone would give out an occasional shriek of excitement...but it wasn't until we were down the stuffed animal isle, that he began screaming, "MAUW! MAUW! MAAAAUUUUWWWW!" While we were trying to control his enthusiasm, the other customers were passing us by with very weird expressions on their faces. Imagine, if you will, these expressions being on HUMAN faces:

First, there is the "SURPRISED" look:

This one, I didn't mind so much, because his outburst WAS pretty loud.

Then there was THIS look:This look I got from OTHER parents who CLEARLY understood what it was like to have an excited toddler in the stuffed animal section.

THEN THERE WAS THIS LOOK:

When I got THIS look from the other parents, it made me pretty mad. My face may have shot the same look BACK in their direction, but my INSIDES were doing this:

Don't go into a TOYstore and expect it to be QUIET. Children are NOT angels and don't know how to control their emotions...especially a 2 year old! Dig the thorn of irritation out of your butt and RELAX!

This is what I've been seeing since he GOT the cat:

I would say the trip to Toys R Us was a success...wouldn't you???

Fur

I'm sure some of you are looking at the title and wondering, "What do you mean 'fur'?" Please make sure you aren't drinking anything. I don't want to hear, "I shot my drink out of my nose".

When I was talking to my Mom about the "Melmo and Lost Teefeses" posts, she reminded me of something Triscuit did last year on our trip to Nebraska. She asked me NOT to write about it, but it's just too funny NOT to share it with the rest of you. Sorry Mom...I have to!

While on our trip last year, we went to a mall after church. As every little kid does, he cries out, "DADDY! I NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!" Mind you, we (well, Weenie) taught Triscuit how to pee SITTING DOWN (it saves you having to clean urine splatter off the surrounding walls and floors). Up to this point, Triscuit has NEVER peed standing up. They walk into the bathroom to discover all the stalls were being occupied. As Triscuit stood there dancing the pee-pee dance, the only option was the urinal. As Weenie was instructing Triscuit how to do it, I guess he thought, "I'll SHOW him". Apparently, Triscuit was REALLY concentrating on just WHAT to do. As they stood there taking care of business, Triscuit looked at Weenie and said, "Daddy? When will I have fur?" Weenie had a VERY hard time keeping a straight face. Weenie's response was, "You will have fur when you get older." Triscuit looked up at Weenie and said, "Mommy has fur too. I wasn't supposed to look, but I did...and I SAW it." After Weenie told me this, the thought in MY mind was, "When was Triscuit around to see that I had fur!?!?" I'm the type of mom that doesn't believe kids should see their parents naked. Not only is it subjecting them to wonder about things BEFORE it's time (although with boys, I often wonder if they ever STOP thinking about it), but I don't want to be the subject matter of a psychological visit later on in Triscuit's life. I can hear him now, "I can't get the image of my Mother out of my head!" Freud would have had a hay day with that one.

The innocence of childhood. Don't you wish they could STAY that way?

The Vitamin Fiasco

My Dad just e-mailed me this (oh...and this is a response to the "Triscuit's Personality Test" post):

"You said that you had a lot of Triscuit's personality traits (I said I DIDN'T). How about sneaky (vitamins), drama-queen (arm over the forehead with head tilted back)? I am sure I can think of others."

So...yes. I've been called out. As an adult, you forget about the stupid things you did as a kid...HOWEVER, YOUR PARENTS DO NOT!!!!

The "sneaky" thing my Dad is talking about is this. When I was about Triscuit's age (maybe a little older), I HATED taking vitamins. If the vitamins were "Flinstone" vitamins or something along THAT line, it wouldn't have been so bad...but NOOOO! My Mother, who LOVED to get icky yucky crap from the health food stores, used to get these NASTY vitamins that smelled (and I imagine, tasted) like horse food. I STILL remember the consistency in my mouth! Gritty and chalky! I hated them SO much! One day, after my Mom had slipped me the nasty thing, I went up to my room to play. I couldn't bring myself to chew it, let alone swallow it, so I took it out of my mouth and placed it UNDER the blanket of my baby doll cradle (which, my Dad had built out of cardboard and painted red...I loved that thing). I'm sure I was thinking, "COOL! I got away with it!". Every time my Mom would give me that nasty disk of blech, I would do the SAME thing...run upstairs, take it out of my mouth and put it UNDER the baby doll blanket. After a few weeks of this, my room began to smell a little funky. Because I was little, I didn't put two and two together...."spit + vitamin = vitamin goo". As time went on, the smell got worse and worse. Finally, I couldn't handle the guilt anymore. I finally went to my Mom (I think I went to her first) and told her what I had been doing. I remember her getting REALLY mad! I also remember her saying, "I WONDERED why it smelled so bad in here!" Um...Gee Mom, don't you think if it SMELLS bad that it would TASTE BAD TOO!!!!


To this day, everytime I walk into a health food store, the smell reminds me of the vitamin fiasco!

MELMO!!!

Well...it's not MELMO, it's ELMO. That's Toblerone's word.

Weenie and I have embarked on the ever-so-fun task of potty training Toblerone. Because I was working full time when Triscuit was at that age, the sitter I had for him did all the potty training FOR me. This is the first time I've had to start the potty training process. Of course, I needed suggestions and a friend of mine told me about, "Elmo's Potty Time". The first time I watched it, I cracked up (as did Triscuit). Since repetition is key with toddlers, we watch this DVD at LEAST 3 times a day. After the first few times, the hilarity fades quickly. After the fiftieth time, it becomes ANNOYING and IRRITATING! Just to give you a clue as to what we are watching, here is a picture:

Some of you reading this don't have children and I'm sure the picture is irritating enough for you. Imagine being in MY shoes. Three...times...a...day. Although relentlessly annoying, it seems to be working. Before we bought the DVD, we bought the potty chair. Unless your kid KNOWS what it is, he will look at you as if to say, "What the heck is this? Why is it cold? What am I supposed to do with THIS? Where's my flippin' diaper?" That's EXACTLY what Toblerone did. After he watches the thing, he will come over to me and literally BEAT his crotchral area, give an excited grunt, then RUN over to the potty chair and POINT with enthusiasm! He won't STOP beating himself until you take his diaper off and place him on the potty chair. He's been successful all of 3 times, but hey...trial and error is a part of life.

This is what I see when he's on the potty (look at the hands):

What's up with THAT? Human nature...I know. It's still embarrassing.

Lost Teefeses

Triscuit is at the age where he's loosing his teefs (teeth) at an alarming rate. He has lost about 3 in the same amount of weeks. A few teefs ago, I dropped the ball while playing "tooth fairy". Weenie gathered the change together and put it on the kitchen table. MY job was to retrieve the toof and place the change under his pillow. Yup...you guessed it. I FORGOT. The next morning, Triscuit woke up at the butt crack of dawn and was pretty disappointed that there was no money under his pillow. He trots downstairs and what does he find on the kitchen table? THE CHANGE that MOMMY forgot to put under his pillow! I woke up to Toblerone yelling "Maaaauuuummaa" over the monitor along with this strange jingling sound in the background. I groggily sludge my way up the stairs to get Toblerone out of his crib when I start stepping on quarters. I'm thinking to myself, "What the heck is THIS?" Then, I remembered...I FORGOT to get his toof and give him money! I start mulling over in my head what I'm going to tell Triscuit. I have this sick feeling in my stomach. I HATE to disappoint my children! I quickly thought up a story in my head to tell Triscuit. My PLAN was to tell him the Tooth Fairy hurt her wing and couldn't fly up to place the money under his pillow (yes...I know...the story was rather lame). BUT, before I could open my mouth...TRISCUIT had already come up with an explanation. Here is how the conversation went:

Triscuit: "Mama...the Tooth Fairy left the change on the table."

Me: "REALLY?!?!?!?! I wonder what happened!?!?!"

Triscuit: "Well, she threw my pillow on the floor looking for my toof. Then, Toblerone woke up. When YOU came up the stairs to check on Toblerone, YOU scared her away! She wanted to leave it under my pillow, but YOU scared her away."

Me: "Are you sure she took your toof?"

Triscuit: "Yes...it's not there. She threw the pillow on the floor looking for it (said with a "Well DUH" tone)."

After Weenie woke up, Triscuit repeated the story to him. With a smirk on his face, Weenie tip toed up the stairs to retrieve the toof. The elusive toof had fallen off his bed and somehow ended up in his basket of shoes.


NEVER forget to play "Tooth Fairy"....otherwise, you will end up looking like this:

Non-Verbal Communication

Since Toblerone was small, I have been working on sign language with him. We learned with Triscuit that sign language REALLY helped with frustration levels. The only DOWN side to that is it seems to prolong the act of speaking. Triscuit didn't speak until he was 4. He understood what you were talking about and followed instructions well, but actually speaking words was a no-go. With Toblerone, we are running into the same situation. From what I remember with Triscuit, the doctor said there was nothing to worry about. Apparently, with boys, language is usually the LAST thing they master (I could be really sarcastic and make a comment right now, but I will refrain). We try, non the less, to get Toblerone to SPEAK.

The first sign that Toblerone learned was "More". Here is what it looks like:

The next sign he learned was "eat". Here is what IT looks like:

Given he's a boy (I swear God made boys with bottomless pits for stomachs or hollow legs to fill) and built like a quarterback, I see these two signs CONSTANTLY. From the time he wakes up in the morning until the time he goes to sleep at night. "MORE EAT, MORE EAT". Now that we are focusing more on VERBAL communication skills, we are TRYING to get him to say the words along with signing them. I will do the best I can in trying to convey how you THINK it would sound...but I hear, "Mur Ee" "Mur Ee". He seems to forget the ending of the word. Along with getting him to speak, we are trying to teach manners. So...after a request for "Mo Ea", we sign "Please". Please is SUPPOSED to look like this:

The hand on the chest is SUPPOSED to go in a circular motion, but Toblerone beats his chest like Tarzan. When he wants something REALLY REALLY bad, you hear "Thwap, thwap, thwap, thwap...", coming from behind you along with an inflective and enthusiastic grunt (sometimes accompanied by a courtesy point). Yeah...it's quite comical to experience. Most people look at him like he's a little "off", but he's just very animated.

I'm still teaching him sign language. I would rather him know sign language AND learn to speak at the same time. It may give him an edge later in life. Currently, we are working on more intricate words. I'm trying to teach him the alphabet, but he still has problems controlling his fingers. I'm just hoping I don't see this one of these days:

Yeah...I can imagine trying to explain THAT one.

Triscuit's Personality Test

As the second year of our home schooling approaches, I decided that I REALLY need to learn a little more about Triscuit's learning style. I went to this website, http://www.personalitypage.com/home.html, and conducted a personality test on Triscuit. What I learned was simply AMAZING. Not only does this describe Triscuit to a "T", it describes my HUSBAND. As you read this, keep Weenie in mind (Weenie is my husband). The comments with an * next to them are my interjected thoughts on that particular point.
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Portrait of an ENP Child (Extraverted iNtuitive Perceiving)

ENP Traits

They have a lot of energy *(Spastic is a little more like it)
They're curious about everything, and seem to be always asking "Why?" *(He he he)
They have lots of ideas and love to talk about them *(or talk about anything and everything under the sun)
They always have several projects going on
They want to be original and interesting *(Oh...he's original, alright!)
They like to be leaders, and resist following
They're very social
They're very independent, and want to do things for themselves
They want to be the center of attention
They probably tend to be dramatic, and enjoy acting or performing *(Hit the nail on the head with THIS one)
They're outspoken and energetic, and may interrupt frequently, or finish people's sentences for them *(this is what his kindergarten teacher had problems with. In HER mind, the LOGICAL explanation was ADHD).

Potential Strengths

They're usually cheerful, optimistic, and fun to be around
They're enthusiastic and fearless *(fearless??? I wish Triscuit didn't have so MANY fears!)
They believe that anything is possible *(even jumping off the couch and flapping his arms like a bird so he can fly...he doesn't know physics yet)
They have very good communication skills and a strong ability to persuade others to come around to their point of view *(so true!)
They usually have a good vocabulary, and can express themselves well in written and verbal form
They're very clever *(How about "sneaky"?)
They show an unusual understanding of people and situations for a child *(I love this trait in Triscuit)
They have good people skills and are usually well-liked *("Charmer" is the PERFECT word for this)
They naturally see the possibilities of a situation and the "big picture"

Potential Weaknesses

They frequently forget rules, or else they never knew them in the first place *(You don't know how often I hear, "I forgot".)
They have a lot of projects going on at one time, and may be scattered
They frequently don't finish their projects
They're usually very messy, and dislike cleaning up *(isn't EVERY child?)
They tend to speak in a very loud voice without realizing it *("Use your INSIDE VOICE, Triscuit!")
They have difficulty making decisions, and often resist decisions
They are often unaware of their physical environment *(Shouldn't the word be OBLIVIOUS?)
They may not take good care of themselves
They're not usually very aware of time or schedules
They don't like being controlled by others, and may be rebellious
They dislike being asked to do anything, and will often act very "put upon" by any request *(I cracked up at this one. Rolling of the eyes, the sighing, the expressions on his face...DRAMA KING!)

ENP Learning Style

ENPs like to be busy and active, and need a lot of stimulation to keep from getting bored. They find tasks that require rote memorization intensely boring. They also don't do well with following pre-defined steps that someone else has come up with *(Weenie?). ENPs like to be involved in their projects. They will only put effort into things that they are very interested in doing, which typically means that they need to have come up with the idea or contributed to it somehow. Alternatively, they can be motivated to participate in projects if someone else has really sold them on the idea, and thus inspired them to be interested in the project. ENPs are distracted easily from the task at hand, and need to really develop their ability to focus in on what they're doing and close out environmental distractions. This is an acquired skill for ENPs. This does not mean that the ENP should be put in a room by themselves to work on their assignments. This would actually be detrimental to the ENP. They work best with others, and around others. They should be encouraged to work on their projects in the presence of others, but to remain focused on what they're doing.
ENPs have trouble finishing projects that they have begun. This is partially due to the fact that they are easily distracted environmentally, but also due to the fact that they quickly lose interest in their projects once they are past the planning phase. ENPs love to come up with interesting ideas and things to do, but find the process of actually implementing their plans to be tedious. ENPs will not finish all of their projects, and this should be understood, but the ENP should be encouraged to complete some projects all the way through to the end. This is an important step for the ENP, who needs to learn the value of following through.
The most valuable thing that can be taught to an ENP is the concept of narrowing their focus. The ENP has many ideas going on at once in their head *(Triscuit is SO much like Weenie in this area), and believes that they can do everything. They are not realistic in their scope. They should be told repeatedly "pick one thing and do it well". The adult who is able to impress this upon the young ENP will be giving them a tremendous gift.
ENPs are not very concerned with their grades, or with doing their homework *(Triscuit isn't so much like this. He seems to be VERY concerned about his grades). They will resist doing assignments that they find tedious *(THIS part is true. Once he has a concept down, he gets bored quickly). They are far more interested in understanding the theory behind a problem than they are in actually doing the problem *(I discovered this towards the END of the school year. Wish I would have known this at the beginning!). They learn best by theory rather than by example. They need to understand the theory before they can do anything. Teachers should communicate the theory behind the practical application in order to get through to the ENP.
Let's use division as an example. Some children learn how to divide numbers best by doing it over and over again. They learn by example and repetition. Once they have done a lot of different division problems, they understand how it works and are comfortable with dividing numbers. ENPs learn division best by understanding the concepting of dividing a whole number into smaller parts. They see a circle with a line drawn down the middle, and understand that the whole has been cut in half, or "divided" in half. Once they understand the theory, they can apply this to their division problems and they are comfortable with dividing numbers.
ENPs are goal-oriented, and do well when given the goal and left alone to achieve it in their own way. They don't like being told explicitly how to do things. They value their own ideas and competence, and treat explicit instructions almost as an insult to their intelligence. They want to be given a goal and a general theory, and use their own resources to fill in the blanks *(Um...Weenie? Does THIS sound familiar?).

ENP Special Needs

ENP children are extremely perceptive about people, and can determine someone else's attitude pretty easily. If a parent disciplines their ENP child reluctantly or with hesitation, the ENP will pick up on that immediately and perceive that they might be able to get away with pushing you to not discipline them. In general, the ENP tests their boundaries regularly, and will always try to push their boundaries out a bit further *(no truer words have been spoken). If they're supposed to be in bed at 9:30, they'll push for 10:00. When they get 10:00, they'll push for 10:30. Boundaries and guidelines need to be defined explicitly and firmly for the ENP child. ENPs believe that anything is possible *(one of these days, Triscuit will be the founder of individual human flight), so they have a hard time accepting that they can't get their way . This creates a problem for parents trying to create guidelines for their ENP children's behavior. ENPs believe that surely things could be worked out in any situation so that the ENP gets want they want, and consequently they have a really hard time accepting that they're not going to get their way. For an ENP, being told that they can't do something or have something is perplexing and troubling *(tell Triscuit "no" and you will hear ALL sorts of possibilities). They will push repeatedly and ask repeatedly for whatever it is that they're seeking *(this drives me insane). In order for them to accept their parent's judgment, they need to be told WHY the parent has set the rule or boundary. The rule needs to be defined explicitly to the ENP child, with no room for alternative interpretation *(He he he he he he...Weenie explains things to Triscuit with such PERFECTION! Now I know WHY!).
ENP children are very independent and find their greatest source of self-esteem from their abilities to do things well *(SO true). They want to do things for themselves, and resist having their parents or other adults telling them what to do *(THIS ASPECT IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING TO ME). An adult can best encourage a growing ENP by showing interest in their projects and admiration for the ENP's ideas, and by letting the ENP figure out how to do things on their own without too many specific instructions *(I have some serious work to do in this area. I tend to be VERY specific in instructions and he instantly tunes me out). This is different from the approach that should be taken when defining guidelines for behavior. Rules and boundaries should be set firmly for the child, but specific instructions on achieving goals should be avoided.

The "Missing" Letter

Adult personality types contain four letters, while for kids aged 7-12 we use three letter types. What happened to the missing letter? It's there, we just can't usually determine what it is until after a person is around 13 years old. ENP kids will grow up to be either ENTP "Visionaries" or ENFP "Inspirers". At this stage in their development, it's not obvious whether they will choose Thinking or Feeling to complement their preference for Intuition. You will see the child practicing both Thinking and Feeling as they settle down into their preferred function. In some children, it's possible to distinguish their "missing" letter, but for many kids we just have to wait a few years to be sure.
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As you can see, I have my work cut out for me. I am the exact OPPOSITE of Triscuit and Weenie. I tend to be the wallflower of the group. I'm quiet and usually FOLLOW rules. I am a peacekeeper/maker and am very concerned about others. I always put other peoples' feelings/health before my own...so the above concepts are foreign to me. Because I'm his mom and want the very BEST for him, I am trying EVERTHING to gain better understanding of him. I fell in love with Weenie BECAUSE of most of the stuff listed above. He has strengths in areas I couldn't imagine having...and vice versa! I LOVE the fact that Triscuit is so much like Weenie, but being IN LOVE with this type of person verses MOTHERING one is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

For those of you reading this and have children between 7 and 12, this personality test gives you a "heads up" of just HOW to deal with your children! I know, as this school year approaches, I will be changing how I teach him!

Welcome

I've been a fan of this website for quite a while and thought, "Hey...what the heck! May as well join in the fun".

Here is a little information about myself. I am a 34 year old mother to two wonderful little boys. I worked various positions in the pharmaceutical field for 11 years before I got tired of the company I worked for. At that point, I switched gears and worked in the dialysis field for 2 years. When I became pregnant with my youngest, my husband and I decided that in the best interest of our children (and my sanity), it was time for me to stay home. I've been a stay at home mom for almost 3 years now. Being a stay at home mom is the HARDEST job I've ever had, but it's also the BEST and most REWARDING!

Listed below are the names of my children (and will be the main subject of my blogs). Get used to them, because you will hear about them OFTEN!

TRISCUIT (nickname given by my best friend) will be 7 on July 6th. He's 4'3 and weighs 52 pounds (in other words, he's tall and skinny). He's a very loving and perseptive child with a few "quirks". He has a billion and one things going on in that head of his AT ALL TIMES. His way of logical thinking is just hilarious! You will learn about them as time goes on. I have MANY, MANY stories involving Triscuits way of reasoning.

TOBLERONE (again, nicknamed by my best friend) just turned 2 on June 21st. The amazing thing about this kid is he's 3'3 and 43 pounds. He's tall and STOCKY. His stature is one of a quarterback. Since he's two, his personality is still emerging...but what I've seen so far, it's a very STRONG and SPORTY personality! Since he was 10 months old, he has had this obsession with any kind of ball. As a matter of fact, after the two NORMAL words they learn (mama and dada) his next word was "ball".

Along with doing everything a stay at home mom does (cooking, cleaning, changing diapers on the young one, laundry...the list goes on), I also home school Triscuit. He will be starting the second grade in August. Life got REALLY intersting when I took on THAT task! Again, you will hear all about that as time goes on.