Joey and Mommy Fun Day!

For some inexplicable reason, I have a tremendous feeling of guilt whenever Joey and I do something special during the day when Ben is at school that I know Ben would enjoy. At the start of the school year last fall, I was so excited to spend quality time with Joey and go on adventures just he and I when Ben was at school every day but I more often then not end up talking myself out of going someplace "cool" for fear of dissapointing Ben. Poor Joey gets screwed! Benny and I went to the Children's Museum at least every other week when he was Joe's age and poor Joey is lucky if he gets to go there every other month. I have decided that it is time for this to change. Joey and I have tons of play dates and definitely enjoy our days but I am reinstating "Joey and Mommy Fun Day," where I commit to doing at least one fun thing away from the house every week. Starting today with a trip to the Children's Museum for the new Diego exhibit.

I asked Joey last night while we were lying in his bed saying prayers and singing songs before bedtime if he wanted to do something special with mommy tomorrow just he and I. He was really excited when I suggested we go see Diego at the museum! We headed out shortly after breakfast and Joey had a whole itenerary planned for what he wanted to see. First Diego, then the dinosaurs, and finish up at the houses.

We stuck to the plan at first by heading straight to the Diego exhibit. Joey was in awe and it was so fun to watch him take it all in. He was most happy to see Baby Jaguar! I told Dean that it was fun watching Joey conquer the museum as compared to Benny at the museum. First off, Ben has my very easily excitable personality and he is always SO happy to be at the museum and can't stop smiling and nearly sprinting from activity to activity. Joey, like his Dad, never gets overly pumped about anything. He was happy to be there, but was just kind of chill about the whole thing and slowly meandered throughout the museum.

Ben was/is the aggressive kid who runs from thing to thing and if he wants to do something, he is going to do it, regardless of who may be in his way! Ben has never been a "natural' sharer and is super competitive so at the museum as everywhere, it is always Ben's way or the highway. Not so with Joe. Joey was not really intimidated but definitely just kind of sat back and was checking everything and everybody out. He would patiently wait in line to do an activity and if someone cut in front of him, he would look at me sadly and say "I wanted a turn" and would just continue to patiently wait or decide it really wasn't worth his time and move on to the next thing.

I was also super impressed and proud of Joey by how kind and generous he was. If someone came up and wanted to play with something he was playing with, he always took a step to the side and let them join him, or sometimes just said "your turn" and got out of their way. No offense to my Benny but this gracious behavior exhibited by Joe is definitely not something he has modeled off his big brother! That is all Joe.

I told Dean that I really think Joey is going to be our "gentle giant." The kid is a tank (or a "beast" as his brother always says) and could clearly have beat the snot out of any kid at the museum today that dared to get in his way but he is a lover and not a fighter. I suspect Joey is not ever going to be the type of person who starts a fight (thank goodness) but will undoubtedly be the one to finish it...as is evidenced by his interaction with his big brother.

In addition to spending time with Diego we visited the dinosaurs where Joey dug for bones

and he humored me by walking (quickly) through the Barbie visit.

We also quickly visited the train and Scienceworks and finished our visit with a stop at the houses and a ride on the carousel.

It was a great morning spent with my great Joe Bug. We needed some mommy and Joe time badly as it has been a rough past few months for us. It must be so hard to be three years old judging by Joey's mood swings and overall LOUD craziness. He has been a handful and is really testing all of our patience. We are really struggling with talking back and name calling specifically. I was so happy to spend some drama-free time with my Bug and to be reminded of what a sweet, curious, lovable, kind little boy he is. I love you, Joe Joe!