All day at work yesterday, my back was killing me (not sure why), so by the time I took the subway home, picked up Luke from preschool, pushed the stroller home up the slope-that-is-Park-Slope with my heavy backpack on, I just wanted to collapse.  Josh was out for the evening with an old friend, so Luke and I had the evening to ourselves.  He's definitely in toddler mode these days, so I had my fears about tackling dinner, bath, etc. alone, given how tired I was.  For example, getting him dressed in the morning can range from a high-level UN negotiation on a good day, to taming a screaming, flailing beast on a bad day (and of course, the minute we're out the door, he's *completely* fine; it's just the indignity of actually getting dressed that causes hell's fury to break loose). 

Anyhow. 

Last night, I think Luke could tell that I was just at the end of my rope.  Tired from a long day of commuting and teaching and meetings and and and, back killing me...  As I got him dressed in his PJs, he was incredibly sweet and compliant.  And just after I finished putting his PJs on, I said something like, "Mama's back really hurts, sweetpea. I've got an owie in my back!"  Without any fanfare, he put down the toy car he was playing with, said, "I rub it." walked behind me, and started to stroke my back with his little hands, in the most gentle and loving manner possible.

I actually broke into tears, it was so incredibly sweet. 

You know, Josh and I do our best to shield him from our bad moments--times when we're upset, or not feeling well.  And in general, I think that's a fine practice.  But telling him that my back was hurting last night actually gave him the opportunity to reach out and show the most delicate and sweet compassion.  It was wonderful.

I love that little man. 

Josh this morning in bed:  zzzzzzZZZZZZZZZ
Luke:  "What's that?"
Mama: "That's Dada snoring."
Luke:  "He sounds like a cow."

Last night, for the first time, Luke (naked after his bath) was just about to crawl up onto our bed to read books before bedtime, and he says, "Go pee pee in the potty?!" and runs over to his potty to do a pee.  Amazing!  He's been doing peepee in the potty for some time now, but this was the first time he put two-and-two-together:  (1) I'm naked; (2) I'm have to pee; (3) I don't want to pee on the floor or on the bed; (4) I'll pee in the potty!

Great stuff.

"Luke, where does a kangaroo keep her baby?"
"In the toilet!!"

"Aw, sweetie, your ear is hurting?"
"I need go doctor and get medicine." 

What a cutie....

Luke's been successfully napping at home now for a few months.  Every now and then, however, he just doesn't nap, though we let him chill in his crib, talking and singing to himself, for about an hour.  The thing he doesn't know is that we're listening on the monitor, so we know full well that he's not sleeping!  The few times this has happened, when I go in to collect him, he says (with a winning smile on his face, trying to convince us), "I had a good sleep!" to which I reply, "You didn't sleep a wink...".  It's all very cute.  Anyhow, today, after a no-sleep nap, he comes running into our room saying, "I did a wink!  I did a wink!"  Took me a minute to figure out what he was saying, but I finally put two and two together.  He was saying, "I didn't sleep a wink!".  Very funny.  I tell ya, kids are incredibly entertaining.