Nervous Breakdowns

The past week has been a tough one. Nathan had the flu. Will had the flu. I had the flu. Carter, somehow, managed to miss getting the flu. He does have an aggravating cough, but that is really about all. I heard him tell Will, "You are a little too close to my face, Will. You have the flu and until you are better, you shouldn't get right in my face." Poor Will tried to take the $50 flu medication that allegedly shortens your illness by 1 or 2 days, but he couldn't keep it down. The remarkable thing is that Nathan had it from Sunday night until nearly Friday. Will had it mildly Wednesday, then a little worse on Thursday through Friday afternoon. I had it Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon. Carter probably had it for 30 minutes one night while he slept. I've teased Nathan that he must be the weak link but I'd say it was more like he refused to slow down until he absolutely couldn't go anymore. Even in his horrible illness, he took out the trash! I jumped up on the morning of trash collection and said "I'm gonna go get the trash cans to the curb" since I heard the trucks rumbling down the street in a loud, mechanical wave. Nathan said, in a hoarse, quiet voice, "I already did." He's crazy.
Will has really been blossoming lately, despite any setback the flu may have caused. Just this morning he was singing and dancing in the kitchen and I wanted to get the video camera out to capture it, but if I move, the moment is lost. I'm forced to record these moments in my memory. I remember when Carter at 15 months danced around the kitchen in eager anticipation of a cupcake at his daddy's birthday party. Will's dancing is very similar and just as joyful.
He's also adding to his vocabulary at a fast pace. He likes to talk to his Mimi on the phone and she got him to say "Mama, Daa-eee, Dahdar, Mimi, Papa," etc. etc. It went on for seemingly ever. When you ask him to name an animal, he responds with what they say. For example, "Will, can you say cat?" "Meow" "Can you say sheep?" "Baaa aaaa." It's so cute it's sickening. But, he also has began to develop a sense of humor, which is crucial in this house. We have a painting of horses in our bedroom (this is Kentucky) and he loves to torture me by calling the horses "dowg." I know that we went back and forth over this for a solid 10 minutes one day. I would say "No horse." He would smile really big and say "dowg" and point. I started to get the feeling that he knew it's not a dog, but that it's funny to keep calling it that because I would get so exasperated. Then, I realized, he really was doing it on purpose. Nathan, as a half-interested observer said, "I think he's just doing that to make you laugh." It worked. He still does it. He will point to the painting and say "dowg" and I'll heave a sigh and say "No HORSE" and he smiles and says "Dowg!" "Hooooorse." "Dowg." Then he literally tosses his head back and laughs. It really is comic the way he does it and his father radiates pride as he tortures his poor mother.
Carter, too, has been utilizing his expanding vocabulary. His dad gave him some chicken for lunch and left me to coerce it in him. He kept insisting that the chicken was too hot (spicy) and after taking a bite, I had to admit it had a lot of pepper on it. He was so despondent that he said "This chicken is so hot, I'm having a nervous breakdown!" I was then on the phone and I could hear Carter in the kitchen, speaking as though he was on a loudspeaker saying "Intention everyone. Intention please! I _am _ having_ a _nervous _breakdown. Scank you." I have no idea where he would hear anyone say they are having a nervous breakdown. I mean, who knows where he picked that up!
This morning, we woke up to snow on the ground and no electricity. So, I started looking over Carter's newest artwork from school. It was a lovely snow covered tree scene. Then I noticed that he'd misspelled his name. CATER stood between the trees in blue ballpoint ink. I tried to point it out to him and no matter how I worded he looked at me with dull eyes, insisting he didn't know what I was talking about. Later, just about 5 minutes after the lights were back on, Carter presented himself with his piece and said "Mama, you must not have been able to see because it was so dark. But now that the 'tricity is on, you can see better." I looked and a big, dark red R had been inserted into his name in the proper place. I laughed and said "Carter, you are genius." Comedic genius, that is.
Finally, for some reason, Will loves to put on his coat and hat. I'm not sure why, but the other night, he came to my bedside where I was reading and handed me his hat. I put it on him. He left and returned with his coat. I put it on him. He said "Up" and held up his hands. I picked him up and he nestled up to me on the bed. Nathan walked through and asked "Are you going somewhere?" glancing at the clock. I smiled and shook my head no "He just likes to be prepared." Nathan laughed and went to get the camera but before he could return, Will had stripped off his hat and coat and was ready to find his big brother again.
My two little alpha males are passing these cold days wrestling with each other, banging on things, building towers, chasing each other and their mama, and generally all the things you expect from little boys. Carter loves to help in the kitchen mixing, pushing buttons, and licking spoons. Will follows instructions very well; his bathtub sponge somehow made it into the kitchen. Since, Carter and I were trying to clean up, I said "Will, see your sponge?? Can you take it to the bathtub?" He looked at it, walked over to it, picked it up and disappeared. A little while later, I checked up on his work. Sure enough, it was in the tub. Genius.