Joren at 3 yrs 8 mo.

I had a dream last night that some friends let us move into their house fully furnished for a few years while they were away. The man had an artist's station in the front room that had this giant palette set up of chalk pastels. I was just about to move the palette out of reach when I got distracted and Joren got to it first. He started throwing the chalk pastels all over the room staining everything and breaking all the pastels. Then somehow he tipped this giant bucket or something and tons of rice and ants and popcorn that started popping in mid air went spilling down two open staircases and filling all the cracks and crevices of the house. Ants were climbing everywhere and popcorn was popping and the mess just went on and on. That's when Joren woke me up screaming at 4:00AM from a nightmare. I went from one nightmare to the next. :)
When I mentioned the dream to Paul he said, "you know what it means right?" I had not examined it yet, I was just still trying to remember it. He said, "you feel Joren, or kids are keeping you from art and from having the house that you want." HA! He's right.

Joren has been a major handful the past few months.

On the Fourth of July Paul and I were unpacking at the beach house. Paul was watching Joren and Eirik and I was with Teig. Paul came in to use the restroom and I went out to see the boys. The other uncles were starting the fireworks in the street. I could not see Joren. I was surprised because he loves fireworks. I started to run around looking for him. I ran through both houses, around both houses, I started to panic! Paul started to panic. We had everyone looking. I ran to the beach. Paul ran to the beach. We scanned everything. I pulled Paul behind the house and we prayed a desperate frantic 4 second prayer and split. He ran down and alley and I ran back to the beach. A guy there was watching me, I asked if he had seen a boy and he said he had the phone number of the police men who had him. They had just picked him up. I called and they brought him back to me. It probably all took about 15 minutes. Later Joren told us that he had to go exploring. He had to see the water. I was hysterical. I have never been so scared. Paul tied Joren to him with a rope for the next few days. After that Joren was not allowed out of our sight for more than a second. He meant no harm, but he was in great danger. I love my Joren. I'm so glad he is safe.

"My thrasher found the bees and put it in my blood and in my legs and now i have super jumping powers."

Joren's primary teacher told him he could only have one crayon at a time so Joren called him an idiot and spit at him.

Joren's swimming teacher told him to stay on the stairs unless it was his turn so he pinched her and tried to pull her swimming suit off and spit on her.

He had to leave both classes.

Joren has a habit of throwing sharp hard objects at his brothers head... all the time and loves to threaten till Eirik is screaming in a corner.

He insists on wearing no shirt or having his shirt unbuttoned (or he wears a vest). He says he's always too hot. He won't keep his shoes on and they are often getting lost. He woke up at 4:00AM and would not go back to bed last night. He likes to say, "you're not my muver!" and has an endless habit of running into your legs at full speed with the attempt to topple you over. He also loves to bite our legs or bum. He uses tons of toilet paper and loves to fill bowls with water and leave them around. He calls them his finger bowls. He collects rocks from everywhere we go. We always have rocks in the car. And he loves to tease and bother his brother.

However; he is kind and funny and sweet. He is clever and obedient and joyful. He is learning and sounding out words and has a great imagination. He understands and says he's sorry. He eats well and does not often complain. He does not fight me at bedtime much anymore. He brushes his teeth and loves to read books. He stays calm when people around him are acting nuts. he does not mind being by himself. He is so amazingly cute and has good style. He makes the quirkiest faces, like sideways smiles. I love him, and I'm more committed this week to being more patient and letting him explore and learn with more patience from me. He is three after all. And he will only be three once. (Thank goodness!) :)