We watched a video on our media player from bed and then came downstairs to run some trains. Grandpa brought us breakfast from Bojangles, but Baybay wouldn’t stop playing to eat. Later in the morning the Baybay Man got an attitude and had to serve half a dozen timeouts. When I returned from the bathroom he’d taken about half of his HO track apart. Luckily, it’s easy to fix and tonight I’ve been soldering those joints back together so it’ll be more difficult for him to take apart in the future.

We went to Bogan Park shortly before noon and had a fantastic time. We took a beach ball and a frisbee and played on two playgrounds at the park. We stayed about an hour-and-a-half and would’ve stayed longer if it hadn’t been so cold and cloudy.

From the park we went to Granny’s for lunch. She had some grilled cheeses waiting for us. Baybay was so sweet to her. All on his own he told her that he loved her and gave her a big hug and kiss. I’m not kidding.

He stayed with Granny and I came home. Mama picked him up after school, and she said Baybay’s sweetness continued in my absence. He was saying, “Please” and “Thank you” and doing things for Granny. On their way home Max said he wanted to go to Mimi and Grandpa’s to play with his trains, so Mama took him there.

She taught at other schools after school for three days this week, so she’s been really busy. She was exhausted when she got home and took a two-hour nap. She and I went to IHOP for dinner and then to Home Depot for a soldering iron and solder. Boy, my life has changed. Five years ago I would’ve laughed at anyone who said I’d be soldering anything.

We stopped by Mimi and Grandpa’s to pick up our favorite little buddy, and when we got home they went upstairs to get their baths. They’re in bed now watching Barney and I’m about to join them. I had a whole lot more to write tonight but I’m out of time.

The three of us are looking forward to going to Delaney’s third birthday party tomorrow. Delaney and her parents, Jon and Lauren, are our friends and neighbors.

Max has been in a good mood today. He also had a great day at school and got a sticker. Because of his good behavior at school Daddy had a lollipop waiting on him. Max also got a yellow rubber ball from his class’s treasure box. We’re so happy he had a better day!

Daddy took Max to Mimi and Grandpa’s after school to play with trains. Mimi had pizza for her favorite grandson. He stayed about an hour-and-a-half and then came home to take his nap.

Max took a nice afternoon nap and awoke as Daddy’s client arrived. I was also just getting home from teaching County Staff Development, so Max and I went back to Mimi and Grandpa’s. This was so Daddy and his client could work in peace.

Max and I just got our baths and Daddy finished up, so we three are about to call it a night.

He got into trouble at school for talking during circle time and consequently had to pull a vegetable. I had a lollipop waiting for him when I picked him up from school but took it away when I saw that he’d pulled a vegetable. I didn’t take away his trains because I figured talking was a minor infraction compared to acts of aggression.

We went to Granny’s after school so I Max could stay with her while I ran an errand. When I returned, my little buddy was in timeout for being too rambunctious. And then he was rocking too hard in a rocking chair on her front porch and broke a storm window. I’d told him not to rock so hard, but he didn’t listen and that’s when I took his trains away for the rest of the day.

He wanted to stay at Granny’s, so I came on home and let Mama pick him up when she left school. I met them downstairs and when he and I got to the top of our stairs, he threw one of his shoes down the stairs. He wasn’t angry; he was just enjoying throwing things. I told him not to throw the other one but he did so and lost train privileges for tomorrow, too.

We went upstairs to watch a video and when I returned from getting his PediaSure, he’d thrown pillows and blankets, at least one of which had rearranged everything on Mama’s nightstand. I put him down for his nap around 4:00 pm and he awoke shortly after 7:00 pm. He was in a good mood and handled his loss of train privileges without incident. We learned that we’d overlooked his assistant teacher’s, Mrs Sarah’s, birthday, so he and Mama went to the mall to get a present for her. Only Mama came home. Baybay wanted to go to Mimi and Grandpa’s to play with his trainset at their house, and they were glad to have him.

When Mama left she asked the little fellow if he wanted to go home with her or stay at Mimi and Grandpa’s, and he chose to stay at Mimi and Grandpa’s. Grandpa phoned a little while ago to say that Max had eaten well this evening and was well-behaved.

Punishing Max and dealing with his destructiveness has worn me down, but I still wish he were here to snuggle up with Mama and me tonight. I look forward to seeing him again in the morning when I pick him up to take him to school. Hopefully, tomorrow will be easier.

Today he wore jeans and a red shirt with white stripes “Heart Breaker” embossed on the front. He looked so cute.

When I picked him up from school, we were going to TrainMaster to pick up Max’s HO Thomas who’d received a digital upgrade. Going to the train store was predicated upon Max’s not pulling a vegetable at school today, which is what he and his classmates have to do if they get into trouble. When Max got into the van I asked him if he’d pulled a vegetable and he said he had, but when I checked his folder, he had a sticker, which indicates good, or at least acceptable, behavior.

So off to Trainmaster we went. We carried Spencer in for what turned out to be another quick fix to keep is forward wheels attached. We stayed in the store for about an hour before heading home. Surprisingly, we left the store without incident, which may have been a first. Max loves playing with the three wooden railways in the store. Today I introduced him to the store’s owner, Scott, and pointed out the Scott’s the one who fixes his trains. Baybay was impressed.

We had a pretty good time at home and I probably kept Max up too long. He got cranky and aggressive and I told him we were going upstairs to watch a video on our media player and to settle down for his nap. He couldn’t handle stopping his train play and began hitting me. I warned him about hitting me and he continued, so he lost train privileges for the rest of the day. It was around 3:00 pm when I finally got him down for his nap, and he was awake by 6:00 pm, though thankfully in a good mood.

He and Mama went to Mimi and Grandpa’s for dinner and the little fellow put up a bit of a fight when he first arrived. He wanted to play with his trains at Mimi and Grandpa’s and not have dinner. Mimi and Grandpa made him come to the table, and that didn’t go well, at least initially.

Grandpa’s been gone for eight days and Max is spending the night with him and Mimi tonight. I’m going to miss our little snuggle buddy tonight and look forward to seeing him in the morning.

Max didn’t want his diaper changed this morning after a number-two, and as I was changing it, he dug his fingernails into my arm to scratch me. I popped his little fanny one time with my hand, which made my little buddy cry, and, honestly, it almost made me cry, too. But it straightened him up during that diaper change and he hasn’t been violently aggressive with me since then. He’s been rambunctious and slapped at me, but he hasn’t hit me hard or scratched me again.

We went to Monkey Joe’s in Lawrenceville today. We usually go to the Dacula location, but Max said he wanted to go to the “birthday Monkey Joe’s,” and since he was privileged to attend his friend Devon’s birthday at the Lawrenceville location, I knew that’s where he wanted to go. I hope he doesn’t want to go back to the Lawrenceville location, though, because it had three times as man coin-operated machines as it did inflatable attractions for the kids. It was disheartening to pay US$8.99 for admission and see my little buddy trying to play machines for which we had no money. There was an ATM inside Monkey Joe’s, but I don’t think we have cash advances enabled on our credit card account, or we choose not to get cash advances because of expensive fees. If Max does specify the “birthday” Monkey Joe’s location again, I must remember to take a sack full of quarters.

At Monkey Joe’s I saw Max slapping at another boy about his age. There was no contact but I, of course, reprimanded Max for making that aggressive motion at the boy. Later Max put his hand on a boy’s shoulder to keep the boy from getting into the jumper first, and I reprimanded him again and told him that if he touched someone else, he’d have to go to timeout. He touched someone’s face when they were jumping, so I made him exit the jumper and serve a timeout.

That bit of correction seemed to have worked. I saw a little girl push Max, later jump in front of him, stick her tongue out at him, and tell him to go away, and never did Max fight back. As far as sticking up for himself, I want him to just protect himself from injury and get out of the situation. I couldn’t believe the little girl was so mean to Max and the other kids. Her mother was chatting with another parent, but I wondered what her life must be like to make her so antisocial.

Max and I played on some arcade machines that were begging fruitlessly for coins, and then we came home. Those machines were entertaining for Max even though they were playing demo movies of gameplay. They made me feel like a dufus for having paid to get into the place and then being unable to take advantage of most of the attractions.

Baybay and I came home, had lunch, and went upstairs to watch some Max & Ruby videos and settle down for his nap. I finally got my little buddy down for his nap shortly after 3:00 pm, and he awoke shortly before 7:00 pm.

He’s been in a good mood most of the evening. He played with his Polar Express train set and had big fun with it by attaching a piece of string to the back of it. George, our cat, saw the string bouncing along the tracks and had to get in on the action, too. Max had me laying in the floor with him to study the train’s every movement, and it wasn’t long before Mama joined us.

Mimi came over with a big sack full of clothes she’d washed and ironed for her favorite grandson. That was very sweet of her and we appreciate her help. Grandpa’s been doing that tedious chore for a good while, but he’s been in South Georgia working on his house. He’s supposed to come home tomorrow, and I know Max will be glad to see him. On our way to Monkey Joe’s today, as we passed in front of the mall, Max said he wanted to go walk with Grandpa. That’s sweet, especially considering that Grandpa hasn’t walked in a few weeks because of his aching heel.

Max and Mama are upstairs watching Barney as I write this, and I’m about to join them for my favorite time of the day—and Mama’s, too.

When we left Granny’s Max and I went grocery shopping. Max did a great job at Publix. He even gave me a compliment to the lady behind us in the checkout line. He said, “My Mommy is smart. She’s a teacher.” That was so cute!

Max wanted to go to Mimi’s when we left Publix, so we did. He stayed there while I unloaded the groceries and Daddy washed the van. When I went back to Mimi’s, Max and I played Frisbee and then went to Mrs Wigley’s to ride his tricycle. He had a lot of fun.

Lil’ fellow was ready for a nap when he got home. He had pulled his tricycle all the way to Mimi’s from Mrs Wigley’s. His lil’ cheeks were so red.

After his nap we played bubbles. He thought that was so cool. It wasn’t long before Mimi came by to drop off bread, and Max wanted to go home with her. We’re about to go pick up our lil’ fellow and call it a day.

Grandpa is still in South Georgia working on his house, so, unlike on most Sunday nights, Max is staying with us tonight.

When I went to pick up lil’ fellow he was tired and ready for his afternoon nap. While Max napped Daddy and I got a little down time.

As soon as Max got up he was ready for more train action. However the trains got him too excited. We had to send him to timeout several times, and we’re not sure the trains are going to survive Max.

Daddy just went upstairs to take a shower, and we’re not far behind. More rest will do us all some good.

I phoned Granny from the road to check on Max and she said his behavior had been “fair,” and when I arrived he was in timeout. He was a happy, very excited fellow while I was there and was eager to get home so we could work on his “moddy wailwoad.”

When we got home he was still excited but soon was irritable and prone to tantrums. I don’t know how he evaded going down early for his nap and having his trains taken away for the rest of the day, but he did. When it came time for him to go into his bed for a nap, I asked him if he had a dirty diaper. He said he didn’t, but I knew better. I warned him about going into his bed for a long nap with poop on his skin. I told him he’d be raw and in pain. That did the trick. The little fellow picked up his potty, took it to his diaper-changing table, and used the potty as a step stool to get up on the table by himself.

As I was changing his diaper he acted as if he were going to get sick and throw up. I thought he was reenacting a Fireman Sam character’s difficulty breathing during a fire. I was wrong. The poor boy heaved up both bottles of PediaSure and made one heck of a mess. I put him into our shower and washed both of us. I finished cleaning the mess while we waited for Mama to get home. Baybay was in a great mood when Mama arrived, but when she told him he was going to go down for his nap, he threw a major tantrum.

And when he awoke from his nap nearly four hours later he was still in a foul mood. But when Mama suggested that they go to Mimi’s and play with trains, his mood turned completely around. Mama called from Mimi’s and said the little fellow was a happy camper.

They’re still at Mimi’s as I write this, but they’re about to come home and we’re going to pile into our bed and watch something on our media player, maybe Major Payne.

We played with his HO engines Spencer and Diesel when we came home, and then had some lunch. During lunch he melted down and lost train and iPad privileges until after his nap. During the transition from downstairs playing and having lunch to settling down upstairs, he had another meltdown and lost the privilege of seeing a video before his nap. The little fellow was down for his nap at 1:55 pm.

He awoke around 5:00 pm and was ready to get right back to his trains. Mama was drained when she came home about the same time, so we shipped Baybay off to Mimi’s and I went to the train store to pick up a few provisions for Max’s model railroad. I bought a pair of incline sets for elevating the track, some plaster cloth, and trackbed. Then I went to Home Depot for other building supplies for his model railroad.

I missed a couple of necessary items at the train store and will have to return tomorrow. At this point of building his first model railroad layout, we’re going to glue the insulated sheathing to the fiber board, set and glue the risers in place, cover the risers with plaster, paint the plaster, glue trackbed on top of the plaster and risers, and glue and set track on the trackbed.

Gee, now that I look at this list, I’m afraid it could be a couple of weeks before his track is ready to use. When I headed to the train store, I was hoping to have it done before I went to bed tonight. I wish Grandpa weren’t in South Georgia right now. He’s the perfect person put a construction project into the fast lane.

This is a very simple layout. Its theme is Thomas & Friends and will feature two concentric ovals with a two or three sidings for freight and passengers. It may also feature Tidmouth Sheds and a turntable if I can figure out how to fit those onto the 4′ × 8′ space.

Mimi hardly could get Max to eat anything while he stayed with her. He was focused on his trains and didn’t want to do anything else. Once I ran an errand for Mama and unloaded everything at home, I went to Mimi’s to pick up my favorite little buddy.

When we returned to home he was excited to see things for working on his model railroad. I don’t think a double cappuccino would have revved him up any more. Mama and I are exhausted and hope our little buddy will settle down. They’re upstairs watching a Fireman Sam video as I write this.

Last night we didn’t watch Major Payne. The movie didn’t encode properly and its video was useless, so we watched The Adventures of Milo & Otis instead. Milo & Otis isn’t an animated film, so we didn’t know how well Baybay would adjust to it. The film is a narrated story of a dog and cat and Max loved it. We didn’t finish it last night because we began watching it so late, but it’s what Max asked to watch this morning after I changed his diaper. He asked to see the movie again tonight, but we’re trying to get him to watch something shorter so we can catch up on our rest.

He had a good day at school and got the sticker to prove it. A dentist visited his school today and gave them nice goody bag, including some mouthwash. They tried the mouthwash at school, and Mama asked him tonight if he was going to try it here at home. He said, “No, that’s yucky.” When I picked him up he had his mind set on trains at Mimi’s, so off we went. I came home and had my mind set on peace and quiet, but when our notebook Mac wouldn’t charge I was frustrated. I tried positioning the AC adapter in every way I could, gave up, and made an appointment at the Apple store to get a replacement.

While I was at the Apple store getting a replacement AC adapter Max melted down at Mimi’s, tore apart his track, and on his way to timeout he tried to tear up a few other things. Mimi tried to bring him home, but I wasn’t here. She phoned me and in about fifteen minutes I pulled into her driveway to pick him up. I didn’t have to wait at all. I didn’t even have to go in. Mimi was waiting with the Baybay in her garage and promptly sent him out to the van as I pulled up. I know how she felt. She put his trains in timeout at her house and I’m glad she did.

I brought home my little terrorist, fed him some Cheez-Its and PediaSure, and then put him down for his nap.

When he came downstairs after his nap, his mind was set on trains again, so the three of us gathered around his HO train table and watched Spencer and Diesel make laps. I don’t know what I did wrong, but he pushed me away from the table and I went downstairs to vacuum out the van and wipe down the mats. Baybay summoned me from the top of the stairs to go “mash” his “dinger” (finger). I told him I wasn’t going to mash his finger, but then it dawned on me what he meant. He wanted me to help him push the buttons on his railroad’s controller.

The little fellow ate a good portion of his grilled cheese this evening and promptly returned to his train table. He and Mama just went upstairs to get their baths, and if they get out in time, we’re going to watch some of Major Payne for the first time. I bought the DVD because I wanted to give Max a visual for the discipline he’s going to encounter if he doesn’t straighten up.

Mama and I are glad he’s home tonight and we’re looking forward to snuggling up with him. Going to bed at night is Mama’s and my favorite part of the day.

We went to Granny’s after school for lunch, and on our way he said he wanted classmates Hannah, Parker, Mayzie, and Noah to go with us on our Disney cruise. We had a pretty good time at Granny’s. We watched a Barney video and played frisbee outside.

It was time for Baybay’s nap when we got home and he napped for nearly four hours before Mama went in to get him. He awoke in a great mood and ready to play with his trains.

Mimi came over for a visit this evening and Max begged to go home with her to play with his trains at her house. She agreed to let him go to her house tomorrow after school, and the little fellow wasn’t keen on her leaving without him. He recovered quickly, though, and had dinner. He and Mama just went upstairs to get their baths, and then we’re going to pile into bed together and watch something on our media player.

The little fellow was irritable this morning and served a few timeouts. We were going to go to Monkey Joe’s today, but Max lost that treat as well as train privileges for the rest of the day as consequences for his aggressive and destructive behavior.

He was tired and hungry and drank two bottles of PediaSure when I took him upstairs early for his nap. We watched a Fireman Sam video and then came back downstairs because he said he wanted to eat Cheez-Its. He didn’t eat many but asked for another bottle of PediaSure, of which he drank half.

I took him up to bed and he napped for a little more than four hours. He awoke in a good mood but has been rambunctious and willful all evening.

This morning was a challenge that got me down and out for the rest of the day. I hope for a better day tomorrow.

One the way home from Granny’s Mimi called and asked if Max wanted to come down to play trains before his nap. Mimi and Grandpa have set up a track in their den and have used cardboard boxes for tunnels. Grandpa even cut holes in the tops of the boxes so Max can watch the trains as they go through the tunnels. Max loves this setup.

Before coming home Mimi took Max to Mrs Wigley’s to play ball. They had a lot of fun and Max got to use up some of his abundant energy. When he got home he was super-tired and ready for his afternoon nap.

Max got up just in time to go to Mimi and Grandpa’s for dinner. He was more excited about the train track than he was about eating. When I left after dinner he was busy conducting his trains and peeping in the tunnels. He’s hanging his hat with them tonight and Daddy will catch up with lil’ fellow in the morning.

While Daddy was gone Spencer, one of Max’s new HO-scale engines, had a wreck. When Daddy got home he tried to fix it, but he lost Spencer’s screw when it went down one of our sink’s drains. Daddy wasn’t a happy camper. He took Spencer back to TrainMaster and Scott, the store’s owner, mended Spencer with a new screw and washer.

Max and I went out on errands this afternoon. We went to Office Depot, Five Guys for lunch, and Suwanee Town Center to play. Max was very well-behaved and we had a lot of fun. One other stop we made was at Walmart to pick out his Valentines for his classmates. He chose Cars 2 valentines. We also got some sprinkles for Valentines cookies we’d planned to make this evening.

Max took a nice nap when we got home. Granny and I went out to eat at the Outback while Max napped. She came back home with me so she could see her favorite grandson after his nap. Granny helped me get the cookies ready for us to decorate. Mimi and Grandpa came for a visit, too. We all enjoyed Valentines cookies.

We three have had a very long day, so we’re all about to turn in for a good night’s rest. We’re glad lil’ fellow is here to snuggle with us.

Grandpa brought us breakfast this morning and then returned to install some hooks for us to store our water hose outside. The hooks had been were installed but weren’t being used at his house and had rusted over the years. Grandpa got rid of the rust and painted the hooks black and now they look great.

Grandpa had to serve a timeout today, too. When he brought us breakfast he discovered that Baybay’s Bo biscuit was missing from the bag. He got angry and said the word stupid, which is first and only word Baybay has been warned not to use. Grandpa’s use of the word didn’t escape Baybay’s notice. As soon as Sheriff Baybay heard Grandpa utter the word, he exclaimed, “Ooooo, he say dat werd!” Poor Grandpa had to serve his first timeout in sixty-four years.

Today was Baybay’s first day with his new HO-scale, Digital Command Control-equipped Diesel and Spencer engines. Diesel and Spencer are both Thomas & Friends characters. We bought these engines a few weeks ago and waited for our local train store to receive and install DCC decoders into them. With DCC the little fellow can have multiple engines running around the same track and maintain independent control over each. Separate remote controls (called throttles) are available that will let us operate trains together on the same track. One person can control one train and another person can control another. Train speeds, sounds, coupling, braking, lights, and track switches may be controlled using DCC.

Max was so excited. Actually, so was I. I’ve never set up a DCC-operated train set before and therefore have limited knowledge of it and was elated to see that everything worked right on the first try. Max was overwhelmed. He danced around his little four-feet-by-four-feet layout until he was breathless and talking a mile a minute. He put his little cheek down on his train table and studied Diesel and Spencer as they chuffed along the tracks.

He was having such a good time. I tried to get him to stop and eat some lunch but he wouldn’t. I finally persuaded him to get into his highchair, which I put beside his train table, and to have a few Cheez-Its and Cheetos. As soon as I went to the bathroom, though, he got out of his highchair all on his own and was running around his train table with his chin hovering less than an inch above the tracks.

He wanted me to swap Diesel’s freight cars with Spencer’s passenger coaches (or maybe it was the other way around), but he couldn’t figure out how to tell me what he wanted. He melted down with arms a-flailing, which lead to a timeout, which led to his hitting me, which lead to his trains’ being in timeout for the rest of the day.

We went upstairs and watched a Fireman Sam video so we could settle down for his nap. Boy, was I ever glad to put him into his bed so I could finally get some peace and quiet.

An hour later Baybay awoke with a number-two. I ran out of wipes while cleaning him up, and I left him on his changing table with firm instructions not to move while I fetched more wipes. What do you think he did?

Of course he moved and soiled his pajamas and changing table. I finished cleaning him up the best I could and then put him into the shower and washed him with Dial soap. He was in a great mood and seemed to accept that he couldn’t play with his trains and to understand why they were in timeout.

Finally, Mama got home and took over for me. She took him to Bogan Park and then they went to Mimi and Grandpa’s. Baybay’s spending the night with Mimi and Grandpa tonight, and, believe it or not, I already miss him.

He melted down last night at bedtime and scratched and hit me. After being warned, he continued his aggressive behavior and Mama and I sent him to his bed, which Mama rolled into his room. That would’ve been the first time he’s slept in his room in a couple of years, but I felt like I was punishing myself, too, so we got up and Mama picked him up from his bed and brought him back to our bed. Next time we send him to his room for the night, that’s where he’ll stay, but since it was his first time being sent to his room, we let him stay in there for only about fifteen to twenty minutes.

So Mama and I are off to bed to watch All in the Family and look forward to getting our Baybay back in the morning.

While I was finishing our doughnuts Mrs Eileen told me she had something she wanted to share with me. What she had to share is something Max has said before, but it was especially gratifying to learn that he said it without my being nearby. Mrs Eileen said that when they were creating cards for us dads, they had to answer what they liked most about their dads. She said she asked Max what he liked most about me, and he replied that I was his best friend.

I love being my little fellow’s best friend, but I am his daddy first.

And in the blank that describes what my job is, the little fellow answer was, “to take care of me.” He was spot-on with that one.

When I picked him up I was surprised to learn that he didn’t get to pick a toy from his class’s treasure box. I shouldn’t have been surprised, though, because he pulled all three of his vegetables this week—two on Tuesday and one yesterday. The little fellow seemed to understand why he wasn’t privileged to choose a toy from the treasure box. The first thing that popped into my mind was to take him to Toys“R”Us and buy him anything he wanted, but grit my teeth and held back because that’s the way things are set up at school, and that is what he must follow if he’s to be a member of his class.

So we came home and he melted down about my opening the van’s door. He wanted to be able to open it, but I didn’t know and he had a bonafide tantrum in the van all by himself. Then when we got upstairs he melted down when I began to open the surprise he had for me. I put him in timeout and let him calm down enough for me to open it. It was a ceramic plate with his handprint in the middle. He began to melt down again and wanted to hold the plate, and though I let him grip it, I wouldn’t let go of it, which escalated his meltdown. Back to timeout he went. Twice.

Finally, I got him into his highchair for lunch, and Mimi stopped by to see her favorite grandson and get a hug and a kiss from him. After lunch I let him have a big Christmas-tree-shaped lollipop that Santa had left in his stocking. I was surprised to see him eat about half of it before putting it down on the wax paper I laid on his tray.

We went upstairs to watch Fireman Sam and settle down for the little fellow’s nap. It was a few minutes after 3:00 pm when I put him down, and fifteen minutes later when I went back upstairs I heard him talking to himself. I left him alone and in a few minutes all I could hear was his music, calm lullabies that he’s listened to since before he was born. He napped for nearly four hours, and when he awoke Granny was here. Granny, Mama, Mimi, and Grandpa went out to dinner tonight and I stayed home with Max.

Max had a big time with Granny, but he was too rambunctious with her. The boy has surplus energy and he just doesn’t know what to do with it. And neither do we. We could tell that his roughhousing was a turbo-charged ebullience and not anything aggressive.

After dinner the little fellow went with Mama and Granny to carry Granny home. He wanted ice cream at Granny’s and she was glad to give him some.

When Mama and our little buddy returned home he was as wild as a buck. Just now as I write this I hear Mama threatening to send him to his bed without a video if he doesn’t calm down.

We’re about to watch a Berenstain Bears video from bed. Hopefully, Baybay can settle down in a little bit.

This morning he lost the privilege of playing with his trains for the rest of the day because he hit me. Then when he went to school I guess things didn’t improve. Mrs Eileen, his teacher, brought him to the van this afternoon and filled me in on the details.

Now Max can’t play with his trains tomorrow, either.

We went to Granny’s after school for lunch, and Granny let him know that biting is unacceptable. Then, after we came come Mimi stopped by and let him know that biting is unacceptable. Mama’s been on his case all evening, too, and we believe we have him straightened out on the biting.

Grandpa would have gotten onto him, too, but Grandpa is battling a stomach virus, which we guess he caught from us. In the twenty-one years I’ve known Grandpa, this is the first time I’ve known of him to have a stomach virus.

Mama and Max are playing in the floor as I write this, and we plan to be in bed by 9:00 pm with lights out by 10:00 pm. Max has a runny nose and needs some extra rest. Mama and I could use some extra rest, too.

I’m going to school with my favorite little fellow in the morning for Doughnuts with Dad.

Oh, how I hope for a better day tomorrow.

While Max was at school I washed our van and helped Grandpa move a chifforobe from the top floor of his garage. The chifforobe was made in 1942 and is destined for Mimi and Grandpa’s house in South Georgia.

When I picked up Max at school he was telling the woman who brought him to the van that he was going to get (HO-scale) Spencer and Diesel today. I told him that if he didn’t pull a vegetable at school today, which is what he and his classmates have to do if they get into trouble, we’d go to the train store after school to pick up Spencer and Diesel. We bought these two engines a few weeks ago and left them to get digital decoders installed so Max and I could operate multiple trains from the same controller.

I asked Max if he pulled a vegetable today and he said he didn’t. He was right. He didn’t pull a vegetable. He pulled two of them, one for hitting and one for pushing. I didn’t know this until late this afternoon.

After school we went to TrainMaster and not only picked up Spencer and Diesel, but dropped off Thomas so he could get a decoder installed into him, too. And we bought enough track to put another oval around the oval he already has. We did all of this and he’d pulled two vegetables at school.

When it came time to leave TrainMaster Max had a minor meltdown. I told him that if he melted down again, he wouldn’t get to play with Spencer and Diesel today. Well, when we got home he hit me when he was getting out of the van. He was angry because I wouldn’t let him open Spencer and Diesel in our basement garage. As a punishment for hitting me I told him he’d have to wait until after his nap to play with Spencer and Diesel. It was while he was napping when I checked his school folder to confirm his behavior. I felt terrible. I had rewarded him richly today after he’d exhibited the same behavior that landed his trains in timeout all weekend.

Oh, well. I don’t know what else to do at this point other than keep on dishing out the punishment when the little fellow misbehaves. I’ll escalate the punishment, too, until his behavior is more reasonable.

As I write this he’s in Mama’s lap watching YouTube videos of the ship we’re going to sail on this summer. He’s in a great mood and understands that he has to have a good day at school tomorrow to be able to play with Spencer and Diesel when he gets home.

Tonight I told him that from now on when we ask him if he pulled a vegetable, he has to tell us the truth or he’ll get double the punishment.

Even though I had the wool pulled over my gullible eyes today, I’m still happy to have our little buddy home with us tonight. Poor ol’ Grandpa called to ask Max to spend the night with him, but the little fellow wouldn’t budge. I reckon he likes being with his mama and daddy about as much as we like being with him.

When I picked him up at Mimi and Grandpa’s, Grandpa had put him on an ottoman in one of their front windows so he could see me coming. Grandpa said Max had been asking about me this morning, and I was glad to get him back. He was in a great mood and was delighted to be able to play with his trains again.

He played with his trains for nearly an hour, and then we went upstairs to watch Fireman Sam and settle down for Max’s nap. He slept for about four hours and awoke in a good mood. He’s been rambunctious, willful, and bossy at times this evening, but he’s still been a joy to be with.

Max knew that tomorrow is Tuesday. He said it all on his own. I don’t know if he talked about this with Mimi and Grandpa, or if he remembered that I told him we could go to the train store on Tuesday. I probably didn’t learn my days of the week until first or second grade.

He and Mama are upstairs getting their baths and we’re going to try to get to bed by 9:30 pm so we can make tomorrow all it can be. Max is excited about going back to school tomorrow and about going to the train store when I pick him up.

And I’m excited about having my favorite little fellow in the whole world snuggle up with Mama and me in a few minutes.

It wasn’t long before we headed to Granny’s for breakfast. As usual, Max wasn’t much for eating this morning. After breakfast Max stayed with Granny while I did the grocery shopping and Daddy worked on pictures. She said he was a good boy while I was gone.

When we got home we played for a while before heading up for Max’s nap. Lil’ fellow must’ve been very tired this afternoon because he slept for a little over four hours. When he awoke he was in a good mood. We colored Fireman Sam pictures I got from the official website. We also put together his wooden Lightning McQueen puzzle.

Soon Grandpa called to get his snuggle buddy for the evening, Max was ready to go. We’re going to miss lil’ fellow tonight.

Around 11:00 this morning Mimi called and asked if she could come by for a kiss. When she left she took Maxipoo with her. Max gathered up a lot toys to take with him. While at Mimi and Grandpa’s he ate pizza and “chockit” yogurt.

Daddy tried to polish a scratch out of Mimi’s car’s windshield this afternoon, and I took a nap. Then the two of us went to The Olive Garden for a late lunch. Once home, I went to pick up lil’ fellow.

When we got home we enjoyed a little more Fireman Sam before Max took his nap. Max awoke from his nap in a very bad mood. I finally took him back upstairs and lay down with him.

It’s been a lazy rainy day around here. I’ll be glad when the rain stops.

We’re all about to turn in for a good night’s rest.

Max stayed with Mimi and Grandpa this morning while I ran errands, and I picked him up a few minutes after noon. Mimi and Grandpa had trouble getting Max into Bojangles this morning for breakfast, and then they had so much trouble with him inside the restaurant that they just left.

I don’t know why my favorite little buddy has been so volatile, but the consequences of his explosions are escalating. I told him that I enjoyed being his best friend, but that I am his daddy first.

Believe it or not, it saddens me for Max not to be able to play with his trains. It feels like something’s really off the rails around here.

Maybe tomorrow will be better. The weather is going to be cool and rainy, so we’ll have to figure out something he can do indoors.

Though his behavior has been atrocious at times today, he’s still had his moments of sweetness. Right now, the rain is pounding on our roof and the little fellow is cleaving right to me with both arms.

Honestly, parenting has been easier than I expected. Really.

And he had a good day at school. He got a music stamp from music class and a bouncy ball from his class’s treasure chest. He was a very happy camper!

When Max got up from his nap, he enjoyed telling me about Nursery Rhyme Day. He told me what his classmates dressed up as and the fun things his class did today.

Jaddie and I had a big surprise for Max this evening, but we had to delay giving it to him due to his behavior. He hit Daddy when he got up. In order to get his prize, he had to turn his behavior around and keep it that way until 7:00 this evening, and he did. This evening we surprised Max with the news that the three of us are sailing aboard the Disney Dream this summer. Max was so excited! We introduced the idea to him by giving him a bag Disney goodies. Daddy showed Mr Max the ship, and that excited him even more. Max clapped and said, “Yay!”

Max has had a great evening. He’s enjoyed playing with his trains and with his new Mickey Mouse toys. Fun times!

We’re all about to go to bed early so we can get a good night’s rest.

While Daddy was changing lil’ fellow’s diaper, he told Daddy that he was his best friend. He told him that several times a few weeks ago, but Daddy was delighted to hear it again today.

Max took a good nap this afternoon and early evening, and when he got up we had a surprise for him, a Fireman Sam DVD. This made his face light up. We told him yesterday that we’d have a surprise for him today, and he’s been excited about it all day.

Tomorrow is Dress Like a Nursery Rhyme Character Day at Max’s preschool. Max is going dressed as Jack in “Jack and Jill.” He said he wanted to be Humpty Dumpty, but I need a little more notice to come up with that, so we’re going with Jack. He’s going to wear overalls, a bandage on his head, and carry a pail. I’m sure Jaddie will take pictures.

Max is spending the night with Mimi and Grandpa tonight. They’re enjoying Max’s new Fireman Sam DVD. We’re going to miss our little snuggle buddy!

Max had a good day at school today. I was afraid he’d pulled a vegetable, which is what he and his classmates have to do if they get into trouble, because he said he “superheroed” Hannah. That usually means he was rough.

After school Max and I went to Granny’s for lunch. She made grilled cheeses for us, but Max wouldn’t eat much of his. He wanted “blue chips” (Ranch-flavored Doritos), Cheetos, and “white chips” (regular potato chips). I left him with Granny so I could run some errands, and Mama picked him up after school.

He went down for his nap when he and Mama got home and awoke a little more than two hours later with a number-two. His mood was just as foul as his diaper, but it didn’t take long for both to get turned around. We played with his trains for a short while before he and Mama went to Mimi and Grandpa’s for a visit. Grandpa returned from South Georgia this evening after being gone for about nine days.

Max came back home with Mama. I bet Grandpa wanted the little fellow to spend the night with him and Mimi, but Max said to Mama and me just before they went to Mimi and Grandpa’s that he was going to sleep with “Mommy and Daddy.”

Bless his angelic heart. Oh, how I love him!

He and Mama are upstairs watching Fireman Sam as I write this, and I’m about to get busy with our bedtime routine so I can join them.

When we got home we had a surprise for Daddy—a Blizzard. He was outside washing Grandpa’s car. Max told Daddy to close his eyes, and when he opened them Daddy was very excited about his Blizzard. Max and I decided to stay out and play for a while since Daddy was outside. Max wanted to get out his “piecycle” and to our surprise he pedaled for the first time. I videoed Max pedaling his tricycle. Max and I had to come in because Max was trying to “help” Daddy wash the car, and this was causing extra work for Daddy.

Max took a nice nap this evening and was ready to play when he got up. We played for a long time with his Polar Express. Mimi came over tonight and took me out to dinner. Max and Daddy hung out together. They enjoyed dinner and watched Fireman Sam while we were gone.

When I got home Max and I got a bath and started our bedtime routine. We’re hoping for a good night’s rest.

We went to Granny’s for breakfast this morning, but Max had a minor meltdown when we sat down to eat. He wanted to use Granny’s kitchen table for playing with his trains. Then it was difficult to get him to eat. He had a bottle of PediaSure when he awoke an hour earlier, so he probably wasn’t hungry.

After breakfast the little fellow wanted to watch a Barney video, and he and I retired to Granny’s bedroom to watch the video. As the video played Max and I had a great time playing tickle on Granny’s bed, and he had a great time trying to do things he knows I didn’t want him to do, like turn on Granny’s radio and bump his head.

We had to go get a new printer when we left Granny’s. Max and/or I killed our current printer, an Epson Artisan 810. Max stuck some stickers and other stuff into the paper feed and played with the CD/DVD tray a lot, but I’m not convinced he did all the damage. I may have finished it off when I tried to extricate the items he stuck into the paper feed. The feed mechanism seems locked down, so we opted to just get a new printer, the Artisan 730.

Max didn’t like sitting in the van with me while Mama went into the store to get the printer. He melted down and stayed that way well past when we got home. It wasn’t long before Mimi came to see him, and she took him to the mall and tried to get him to eat lunch. She kept him until after 3:00 pm, and when she brought him home he said he’d hit Mimi. I reprimanded him and so did Mama. He went straight to bed when he got home.

But he napped for only about two-and-a-half hours. To my knowledge there wasn’t any event that woke him. It may be that he’s simply not requiring a four- or five-hour midday nap any longer. He awoke in a jovial mood, but had to serve a timeout this evening for hitting me. I escalated tonight’s punishment by also putting his Polar Express train in timeout. I will continue to escalate our response to his hitting until it stops. Hitting has never been modeled for him, so I don’t know why it comes so naturally.

His big thing now is Fireman Sam. Neither Mama nor I can figure out why he’s into Fireman Sam, but that’s what he wants to watch on our media player. Mama ordered a Fireman Sam video from Amazon this afternoon for our little buddy. He hasn’t forgotten his trains, though. Trains remain his first choice for playtime fun.

I added up 2011′s pictures and was surprised to see that we posted 526 images last year. We expect to post about that many this year, even though our time and energy are being increasingly consumed by a little one who needs less time napping.

Baybay and Mama are upstairs watching something on our media player and I’ll be joining them in about five minutes.

Today we’ve hung around the house. We’ve played with trains, fire trucks, and cars. Max has been in a great mood, and a joy to be around all day. Mimi stopped by for a visit. She brought us some carrot and raison muffins from Mimi’s Cafe. Yummy!

Max went down for his nap around 2:00 pm. I worked on organizing my desk while Jaddie worked on pictures. When Max woke up he wanted some cheese, and since we were out we three went to Walmart to get some. I picked up Maxipoo a Happy Meal from the McDonald’s inside Walmart and he ate pretty well.

Max and I just got our baths, watched part of Toy Story 3 on the iPad, played with Max’s trains, and now we’re starting our bedtime routines.