We have secretly replaced Mo's milk with Folger's crystals..

At this point I would bet'cha 10 bucks ... BINGO:!:

You forgot to tie him INTO the blanket, boomer.

My parents used to sorta do that on occasion, when I was being particularly wriggly. My mother sewed hamburger's old ties onto the corners of my comforter, tied the ends together under the mattress, and then slid me into the envelop. Sort of a smallterroristBeth straitjacket. Oddly enough, it kinda helped me calm down. The totally surrounded, swaddled effect does work in some extreme instances.

There's a reason people swaddle babies. Not just amusement at the tubalar baby effect.

Oh my goodness ehBeth!

You must have been a handful!

Swaddeling worked very well when he was smaller but now Mo is a big giant boy and very strong. (Did I mention the 10 pound hammer? Did you wonder how he flipped the sofa to remove the legs?) I'm pretty strong but today there is no holding him back!

Maybe duct tape.....

We did get a big package of Christmas gifts in the mail yesterday. I tried to place them in the living room but that was just too tempting. I boxed them back up and put the box in the garage. The morning started out with Mo letting himself out the dog door into the garage to retreive the gifts.

Christmas is how far away......?

Ah, yes. Big ones are hard to hold still. You could try letting him open one small gift a week -- but only if he refrains from tearing up the house.

Sounds like he's quite a handful. I don't envy you.

Is there someplace you can take him where he can safely run like a madMo for an hour or two? Some kind of kiddie gymboree thing. That's what my best friend did with her oldest. Set him loose in a safe place and encouraged him to run and run and run. He'd eventually fall over.

We usually go swimming on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday I try to devote some time to my job -- which is why I have more A2K time on those days too.

We do have a membership to the Children's museum but during the winter months it is a complete germ factory. I'm not germ-phobic but I really can't afford (literally can't afford) to get sick right now.

We have a zoo membership too but with the rain today it wouldn't be too cool. Plus, we're going one night this week for Zoolights.

If the rain stops we might head for the park.

Mo can be a real handful! There is no doubt about it. We really try to not thing-orient him so I don't know about letting him open presents. Honestly, I don't think he really "gets" Christmas yet but those festive boxes are very alluring.

Do you have a kid's gym program near you?

I'm leery of recommending active to combat active, cuz it sometimes backfires - but it does work for some.

Do you have a sense of whether it's Mo's brain or body that's on overdrive right now?

Ah, I see. I bought my son a small exercise trampoline when he was about Mo's age. I'm not sure if that will work for Mo as he could use that to catapult himself onto other things. But if you had a designated area...

Ah well. Hey do you have any yoga tapes? My kids actually enjoy watching and trying to do the moves.

Ever try Rescue Remedy?

Mo is always in motion, when he's not, he's asleep. We don't have a kid's gym around here. The parks department has a million cool programs but they all require parent participation and I do have to spend some time working.

Right now he's doing some rapid fire drawing so I'm thinking its his brain on overdrive. As long as he confines it to paper or the chalk wall I'm cool.

Yoga tapes are an interesting idea. They might at least help me relax a bit!

Isn't it about time for Mr. Boomerang to be home?

I think after a day like this I'd be waiting at the door, keys in hand with a list of small errands to run.

1. Pick up some milk. (I think we all know now that Folgers is not a good Mo drink substitute.)

2. Drop off the dry cleaning.

3. Stop and use that book coupon while you are out, or sit and read with a cup of tea in peace and quiet for no less than thirty minutes.

Have at least three things on your list so when you say you have just a few errands to run, you will be telling the truth. When asked what they are, just say "I need to pick up some milk, drop off the dry cleaning, you know, just a few things. I should be back soon. Oh, and dinners in the oven."

Hang in there. Every minute is getting closer to bedtime and closer to a new day so the two of you can start all over again. (That's supposed to be a positive!)

I don't even have any idea what Rescue Remedy is.

Fill me in!

I have no personal experience with exercise balls, but I understand they have a charmed fascination for small boys with too much testosterone.

Warning: The ball must stay in the designated area where there are no sharp corners or breakable objects.

James Whitcombe Riley, The Hoosier Poet, wrote a wretched piece of doggerel with the refrain, "but jest afore Christmas I'm as good as I can be".

James Whitcombe Riley didn't have much contact with real, live small boys.

I have to leave, but here's a link:
http://www.rescueremedy.com

Rescue remedy - I was hoping it was a place for exhausted, at wits end parents to drop their kids off for a couple of hours so they could get relief and the kids could get their energy out.

But, no.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=40808&catid=50470&aid=333158&aparam=rescue_remedy

I broke down and got a trampoline a few months ago during one of these stretches -- E.G. was out of town, I didn't really know anyone here yet, and sozlet was on a rampage. It's been a lifesaver. We just have it in the family room and if she's feeling too feisty she jumps on it. She bounces while she's watching TV, she bounces between doing other things, she bounces and bounces and bounces.

It's smallish, doesn't take up too much space, and has a bar to hold on to. It's the kind she had in a class she used to take which she LOVED.

I have to go check the brand if you're interested (usually it's right there <points> but I put it in the basement for the party as it takes some technique and is tooo tempting for any kids that see it and didn't want little girls falling all over and breaking things [objects, body parts].)

Oh and Temple Grandin has written some really interesting things about hug therapy. She's put it to slightly grisly use -- things like a special apparatus to calm down cows before they're slughtered -- but interesting theory and research.

Mr. B does not usually get home until about 7:30 so I have about 4.5 hours to go still. I think I'll start emailing him photos of our day.

We were supposed to go to the grocery today but that ain't gonna happen. Pizza night!

Errands may be in order this evening but I have a serious feeling that I'll be taking a Tylenol PM as soon as Mo hits the sack.

And you're right, Squinney, tomorrow is a new day. This one has been unusual so I hope things get back to normal tomorrow.

A giant excercise ball or a trampoline (brand name requested, Soz!) might really be a good idea for the rainy season.

Mo is super affectionate and will give hugs upon request but perhaps hug therapy has a different syle and motive?

He's not being naughty or bad he's just being overly active and a bit crazed about everything. I don't know how to describe it. He's not tearing things up or doing damage or bothering the animals or that kind of thing. He just seems driven to keep moving without pause. And doing things I wouldn't think he could do - like lifting the coffee table onto the back of the sofa to make a slide. I'm still not sure how he managed that.

Testosterone explains a lot. Or you can fall back on the mystical influence of sunspots.

Aren't you delighted that he doesn't have a chemistry set? Or a driver's license? Or access to the internet?

Well I gotta get me some of that testosterone stuff.

Noddy, you are SO making me look forward to the future. I take heart in knowing that you raised many sons and that you're still well put together!