Laughing before breakfast.

It is an understatement to say that I am NOT a morning person. If I could get up early and start my day in the calm of the sunrise with a book in one hand and my mug of coffee in the other, I would. However, the problem is that getting up even 5 minutes early has proven to be a near impossible feat. Combine that sleepiness with my excessive A.M. grouchiness and you get an unpleasant version of me.

This morning started out the same as most. My husband taps my shoulder to tell me "It's after 7."; the words I've dreaded hearing from the time my head hit the pillow the night before. I get up, smack my glasses on my face and try not to fall down the stairs as I head to the shower. Same old, same old. Only, what happens next is far from routine.

I'm in the shower, paying close attention to the time. (Why did I put that stupid clock radio in the shower anyway?) My husband escorts The Chabbles into the bathroom (we only have the one on the main level so it's a busy place in the morning) and encourages him to use the potty. Next thing I know, I'm hearing my 3 year old son going on and on about 'nipples'. Mind you, my son doesn't say some words to clear due to a bit of a speech delay, but the word 'nipples' is as crisp and clear as a Rocky Mountain stream.

"I have nipples! Mama has nipples! Does the doggy have nipples?" To which my husband replies "Yes, all animals have nipples." Then my son says "A snake has nipples!" And my husband then corrects his previous statement and explains that not all animals have nipples. At this point, I'm smiling. Something about hearing The Chabbles in his little 3 year old voice of innocence utter such a scandalous word is breaking through my surly demeanor. That's when he starts listing his teacher's names (all female, by the way) and exclaiming that, indeed, they too have nipples. Now I'm laughing, and all before I've even been within 5 feet of the coffee pot. Visions of my son reiterating his new found knowledge to his pre-school teachers proves to be just too much for my cantankerous disposition and I instantly feel 10 pounds lighter.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. What exactly did I find funny before I had my children? I can tell you this, nothing was ever funny before 7:30 in the morning, that's for sure. :o)

What was that all about?

Tonight my wonderful husband took the two oldest kids to a friend's house for a meeting we go to every week. Our friends have an 18 month old son who is always there. Boos plays with the boy just like she does every child but The Chabbles is terrified of him! Now, when I say terrified, that is exactly what I mean. He screams whenever the boy comes near and, even after the boy goes down into the basement to play, The Chabbles sits upstairs rocking in a rocking chair and covering his ears. To make things even stranger, the second The Chabbles leaves their home, he talks about the boy as if they were best friends.

Am I missing something here?!? I know that The Chabbles is only 3 and rational, adult thought patterns can not be applied to him. The only thing I can think of is that the first time he met the boy, the boy let out an ear piercing scream for one reason or another (18 month olds have a bad habit of doing that) and that scared The Chabbles who is not fond of loud noises. Could Chabs still be holding a "grudge"? He hears screaming all day long and he doesn't react that way; what is different about this boy? Maybe it's just a ploy to get us to leave our friend's home?

This really baffles me. I've tried asking him why he is so afraid of this little boy, but I get nowhere. Have you ever heard of or dealt with something like this?