John!

A couple of days ago John comes into the kitchen where Peter is cooking. He pulls down his pants and says wants to know what "these things" are. Peter tells him that those would be his testicles. "Oh," John says, "I call them mouse brains."
Where oh where, oh where did he come up with that? His mind just never stops.
He is so hard for us right now. I had another talk with the kindergarten teacher the other day. She is so great. She is SO great. Wonderful with John.
"It must be exhausting for you," she says.
She's right. Some days it is no different than having a toddler. There is no pause between demanding something and then demanding it over and over again. I'm doing the dishes and "Mom I want some milk. Mom. Give me some milk. Mom, I'm asking you for milk. Mom. Milk! When are you going to get me some milk!" I haven't even had time to process it before I'm already overwhelmed. He hasn't even given me a chance to respond!
The constant tapping, stroking, talking. I took him to the pool the other night for about an hour. I have to be within arms distance of him the whole time because he isn't a strong swimmer yet. He never stopped talking. Not for one minute. Not for 30 seconds. Story after story after story after story...about Buzz and Woody and aliens and sharks and fictional boys.
He won't go to sleep at night and then in the morning he stalks us until we get out of bed. Tapping, whispering, staring, patting. I feel like I'm being driven to the brink of insanity.
He has no sense of when to stop. I don't think he can stop. 6 1/2 years old!