Today has been a great day. It's not often I feel like I can say that, but today's been a hum-dinger. The boys both slept through the night and until nearly 7am this morning. Nate stayed dry through the night and has used the toilet every time he's needed to go today. Yes!
We started the day with the Wonderkids class at the YMCA this morning. I put Will in childcare so Nate and I could spend one on one time together (Will's 1-2 year old class is on Thursday mornings); plus, I could be more flexible if Nate needed to get to the bathroom quickly or had an accident in class. We made it through class without an incident, got Will (who was sad to have been on his own, bless his sweet little heart), used the bathroom again and headed out to play at the adjoining park. (Fun fact: one of the boys favorite activities at the Y is pushing buttons. They race to be the first to push the ADA door opening button and the inside and outside elevator buttons.)
After enjoying the toys and sun for a bit, we loaded up, compared our toy monster-gator-truck (lawn utility vehicle) to a real one (sans the monster part) parked next to our truck, then headed to our favorite lunch time hangout: Chuck-E-Cheese! We belted out cheesy kids tunes on the way to emphasis our happiness. Will squealed with delight when we pulled into the parking lot. Chuck-E-Cheese is the one place where I can let the kids run fairly wild and not have to worry 100% about them (just about 75%). They stamp our hands and no one's let out without a parent with a matching stamp. It's a great idea because it's hard to keep track of toddlers let loose. It's also less than $7 for an all-you-can-eat pizza & salad buffet and kids 2 & under can eat from your buffet for free - cha-ching!
The boys were top-notch at CEC's. They listened, shared and we all had a blast (and stayed dry!). A highlight of my day was when I played my favorite game at CEC, Deal or No Deal (like the game show), and I went for the double deal (2 tokens with a chance of winning 80 tickets!) and came down to my case either having 4 tickets or 80. The dealer offered me 41 tickets to buy my case, but no way! I went for the whammy and won 80 tickets!! Okay, so you can see my priorities in life. I still can't help my heart from racing a little just thinking about it. Let's just be thankful we don't live near a casino.
Now Will's sleeping soundly in his big boy bed and Nate's relaxing on the couch. I'm soaking up some rays in the backyard with the laptop on my lap. Not bad. Not bad at all. I'm taking advantage of my happiness and quiet time because I know it can all change in a moment. It's times like this that make the hard times bearable. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel (did I just say that the other day)? The boys are finally getting in-sync with their sleep and are getting bigger by the day. I've been transferring clothes from Nate's room into Will's this week. They're both going through growth spurts.
Will was so adorable this morning. I was emptying the dishwasher and he got one of his plates and a fork out and put his blueberry bar on his plate and was calling me to get help up on his booster chair at the table. He's got life figured out. He's a good-natured boy and he's becoming so much more independent. It's been a relief to me because he's been such a mama's boy for so long. As nice as it is to know you're needed, it's also nice to have two hands to make a meal, empty the dishwasher, do laundry, vacuum, and when you need to, to wipe your own you know.
Will's been slow on the go when it comes to teeth. At 18 months his only teeth that are completely in are the four front ones. To the side of each of those he has four more teeth that are about 1/2 way in. And that's it! His molar's are trying to break through and his back gums are swollen to the point of looking kind of gross. At least then the poor kid will be able to get a decent chew on his food. You can tell he's in pain at times and he's not always able to eat as much as he'd like because they're sore, so we're looking forward to getting these buggers in and the whole painful process over with.
I'm hoping I don't get back on this thing tonight with a list of tantrums and "not okay" behavior. So far so good and I wish the same to you other moms out there.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
SaZoo!
I'm in a jolly mood this moment. I think it's because I just listed our Thomas the Train ride-on & track on craigslist.com. It's an awesome toy, but we just don't have room for it in our new house. I love getting rid of things almost as much as I enjoy finding them for great deals. It's such a weight lifted off me when I sell and give our things away. I'm all for finding a home for "stuff" where's it's going to be most enjoyed. If it's not getting love around here, it's time to find a home where it's appreciated. Now that I got that out . . . ;)
We had quite the adventure this morning. Nate, Will and I went to the Santa Ana Zoo this morning with my friend, Kimberly, and her two-year-old, Kelli, and one-year-old, Daniel. Kimberly's parents, who are wonderful people, joined us - thank you for grandparents!
I love doing things with Kimberly because she's going through the same things I am. The more moms I know, the happier I am. I'm able to feel a bit more normal when going through the "interesting" things I go through because all the other moms are dealing with it, too. There are no perfectly behaved children and even the most eager-to-please have breakdowns, too. In fact, no mom with an out of control child need to apologize for their display to me. I'm always happy to see another kid in full-throttle tantrum mode. It's just a reminder that my crazy tots are going through the same phases other kids their age go through.
Will was being his fairly good natured self today, but Nate, not so much. I don't know if it was from being overly excited, tired, or what, but he had a few full-blown breakdown tantrums at the zoo. I had to really pour on the patience (oh, it's so hard to keep my composure but I'm trying so hard!!). I wanted to bop my little wild animal, but I know it would only justify his kicking me in the chins. He actually has scrapes on his legs from throwing himself down so hard on the ground. In front of a hundred (easily) other people and kids. His face was brilliant red, sweat streaking, tears spraying, and why? I'm not sure. I can't remember one thing that triggered an attack.
One episode began in the women's restroom. There was a fairly long line (of course) and for some reason Nate refused to come out of the bathroom stall when we were done. I tried to talk to him "normally" but he went into immediate fit mode and collapsed on the nasty bathroom floor. I "assisted" him out of the stall using the patented lift-the-kid-by-the-arm-under-the-armpit-area and let the next cross-legged lady use the bathroom. Nate then collapsed again and tried to crawl/curl up under the sink behind the garbage can. I had to wash his hands on two occasions before we got out of the bathroom because he kept throwing himself on the ground.
Needless to say, he had a time out against the bathroom wall (where he did eventually regain control of himself), and then . . . where did Will go? He'd just followed us out of the bathroom and while I was placing Nate in a time out he had just disappeared. There were people and kids everywhere. We were right next to the playground, restaurant, etc. I told Nate to stay put while I scanned the kids as quickly as I could. I ran back into the bathroom. Not there. I had a man check the men's room. Not there. I scanned the playground. Not there. I hollered to my friends who began looking. He seemed to have vanished. A terrible, terrible feeling for any mom. Eventually, Kimberly's dad spied him a hundred feet away or so heading to the exit. He was recovered and came trotting back with a great big smile. Oh, William! We'd had enough of the zoo. It was time to head home.
Will's big boy bed is working great. When we use the box spring and the mattress on his bed frame, it is amazingly high. It's like we're training an 18 month old to sleep on the second deck of a bunk bed. I was a bit worried, but now I'm thrilled. Will's too apprehensive (after a face-dive he realized it's a pretty serious distance to the ground) to get off the bed on his own. We get the enjoyment of playing on his bed with him and the benefit of having him contained, to the same affect of a crib. He is finally sleeping really well - about 12 hours a night and 2-3 in the afternoon. He's been sleeping through the night most nights, too. Which is awesome for Rick and me. This is one of the perks of having the kids so close in age. We see the light and it is beautiful!
We had quite the adventure this morning. Nate, Will and I went to the Santa Ana Zoo this morning with my friend, Kimberly, and her two-year-old, Kelli, and one-year-old, Daniel. Kimberly's parents, who are wonderful people, joined us - thank you for grandparents!
I love doing things with Kimberly because she's going through the same things I am. The more moms I know, the happier I am. I'm able to feel a bit more normal when going through the "interesting" things I go through because all the other moms are dealing with it, too. There are no perfectly behaved children and even the most eager-to-please have breakdowns, too. In fact, no mom with an out of control child need to apologize for their display to me. I'm always happy to see another kid in full-throttle tantrum mode. It's just a reminder that my crazy tots are going through the same phases other kids their age go through.
Will was being his fairly good natured self today, but Nate, not so much. I don't know if it was from being overly excited, tired, or what, but he had a few full-blown breakdown tantrums at the zoo. I had to really pour on the patience (oh, it's so hard to keep my composure but I'm trying so hard!!). I wanted to bop my little wild animal, but I know it would only justify his kicking me in the chins. He actually has scrapes on his legs from throwing himself down so hard on the ground. In front of a hundred (easily) other people and kids. His face was brilliant red, sweat streaking, tears spraying, and why? I'm not sure. I can't remember one thing that triggered an attack.
One episode began in the women's restroom. There was a fairly long line (of course) and for some reason Nate refused to come out of the bathroom stall when we were done. I tried to talk to him "normally" but he went into immediate fit mode and collapsed on the nasty bathroom floor. I "assisted" him out of the stall using the patented lift-the-kid-by-the-arm-under-the-armpit-area and let the next cross-legged lady use the bathroom. Nate then collapsed again and tried to crawl/curl up under the sink behind the garbage can. I had to wash his hands on two occasions before we got out of the bathroom because he kept throwing himself on the ground.
Needless to say, he had a time out against the bathroom wall (where he did eventually regain control of himself), and then . . . where did Will go? He'd just followed us out of the bathroom and while I was placing Nate in a time out he had just disappeared. There were people and kids everywhere. We were right next to the playground, restaurant, etc. I told Nate to stay put while I scanned the kids as quickly as I could. I ran back into the bathroom. Not there. I had a man check the men's room. Not there. I scanned the playground. Not there. I hollered to my friends who began looking. He seemed to have vanished. A terrible, terrible feeling for any mom. Eventually, Kimberly's dad spied him a hundred feet away or so heading to the exit. He was recovered and came trotting back with a great big smile. Oh, William! We'd had enough of the zoo. It was time to head home.
Will's big boy bed is working great. When we use the box spring and the mattress on his bed frame, it is amazingly high. It's like we're training an 18 month old to sleep on the second deck of a bunk bed. I was a bit worried, but now I'm thrilled. Will's too apprehensive (after a face-dive he realized it's a pretty serious distance to the ground) to get off the bed on his own. We get the enjoyment of playing on his bed with him and the benefit of having him contained, to the same affect of a crib. He is finally sleeping really well - about 12 hours a night and 2-3 in the afternoon. He's been sleeping through the night most nights, too. Which is awesome for Rick and me. This is one of the perks of having the kids so close in age. We see the light and it is beautiful!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Naked Toilet Avenger
I'm enjoying one of those rare and special mornings when I'm up before the boys. It's absolutely amazing how much I can get done without a couple little guys following me around and unraveling all my hard work.
Ok . . . fast forward a couple hours. My peaceful morning didn't last long! Now we're on track and ready for some friends to come over to play. I've got our new bubble machine from Target plumb full 'o suds and the pool over-flowing. Juices are out on display and the kids have at least shirts on. We're all set!
How did did our "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day" go? As the dogs like to say, "rough, rough, rough!". We're still hard at work. Or at least hard at work cleaning poop and pee off the floors, etc. The first day was particularly grueling. It took us over 5 hours of constant interaction, going through the books recommendations and getting Nate to respond "appropriately". I had to be positive all the time with lots of praise and treats. My throat was sore at the end of the day from gabbing such goodness at him for so long. Too bad it didn't work!
I'm so disappointed that we're having so many issues. According to the book, even mentally challenged kids should be able to do it. I guess Nate and/or I have serious issues! Oh, well. We're not going back to diapers and as exhausting as this has become, and ridiculously stressful. We're in it for the long haul. It's my stubborn side shining through. Nate did do well at school - no accidents! And he's kept his bed dry through two naps (he was so tired from the first couple days of training, I actually got naps out of him!) and two nights. Two nights he's had accidents. We're 50/50.
Because Nate's often in various stages of undress, he got out the front door yesterday naked and went down the street and got our mail at the box. Thankfully, I realized we had an escapee fairly quickly and rounded up the nudist avenger before he got into too much trouble.
It is like fireworks of destruction going off around me. I have to go, our friends should be here any minute. And yes, I unfortunately let off some fireworks of my own yesterday and even shouted two "f bombs"! I guess being overtly positive for a few days straight was a bit much for me.
Ok . . . fast forward a couple hours. My peaceful morning didn't last long! Now we're on track and ready for some friends to come over to play. I've got our new bubble machine from Target plumb full 'o suds and the pool over-flowing. Juices are out on display and the kids have at least shirts on. We're all set!
How did did our "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day" go? As the dogs like to say, "rough, rough, rough!". We're still hard at work. Or at least hard at work cleaning poop and pee off the floors, etc. The first day was particularly grueling. It took us over 5 hours of constant interaction, going through the books recommendations and getting Nate to respond "appropriately". I had to be positive all the time with lots of praise and treats. My throat was sore at the end of the day from gabbing such goodness at him for so long. Too bad it didn't work!
I'm so disappointed that we're having so many issues. According to the book, even mentally challenged kids should be able to do it. I guess Nate and/or I have serious issues! Oh, well. We're not going back to diapers and as exhausting as this has become, and ridiculously stressful. We're in it for the long haul. It's my stubborn side shining through. Nate did do well at school - no accidents! And he's kept his bed dry through two naps (he was so tired from the first couple days of training, I actually got naps out of him!) and two nights. Two nights he's had accidents. We're 50/50.
Because Nate's often in various stages of undress, he got out the front door yesterday naked and went down the street and got our mail at the box. Thankfully, I realized we had an escapee fairly quickly and rounded up the nudist avenger before he got into too much trouble.
It is like fireworks of destruction going off around me. I have to go, our friends should be here any minute. And yes, I unfortunately let off some fireworks of my own yesterday and even shouted two "f bombs"! I guess being overtly positive for a few days straight was a bit much for me.
Friday, March 21, 2008
If we could only vacuum the lawn poop . . .
I'm watching my first recorded Nanny 911 and I already have my house rules written up. Just a few basics: no hitting or kicking, respect each others space and things, and no hurtful words. I think those will do for now. I'm going to put them up on the wall and will be using it for myself, too. I might even put together a bit of a schedule. Or maybe not. I believe schedules are good for stability and transitioning from activities throughout the day, but I'm also hesitant because I believe they have the ability to take away the kids' abilities to adapt to change and one might put a bit of a kink in our spontaneous adventures.
I read an article a while back that's stuck with me regarding the issue of scheduling. I think it was in Newsweek (which I read fairly religiously before kids . . . somehow those issues don't seem so vital to me anymore). It said that kids entering the workplace are having issues with asserting themselves, taking charge of their jobs, making the decisions that need to be made, adapting to issues that arise, etc. Apparently, so many kids are raised with a specific, preset routine, they are not able to make decisions and take ownership of themselves when the time comes. The article really scared me and I've thought about it a lot over the last couple years. I think it relates to the self-regulation article which was also such an eye-opener for me.
On a more fun note, I ordered myself a Dyson vacuum (and an ice cream cake!) for my birthday, this last Friday. The vacuum got here yesterday - wee!! I got a great deal on a refurbished one from a dealership through ebay. It looks snazzy and works like a charm! You don't even have to adjust the height; it automatically raises and lowers to what it senses. No snafoos between the tile and the shag rug and you wouldn't believe all the nasties it picked up. Our carpets were professionally cleaned (with a big waxing looking machine and everything) before we moved in a month and a half ago, so I was particularly thrilled to fill so much of the canister. I can't wait for the floors to get dirty again. Ok, I won't go that far, but vacuuming will be a lot more fun from this point on.
While I was vacuuming the upstairs with my new Dyson, the boys were working on a project of their own: pouring soft face powder all around the bathroom and nicely placing my toiletries in the master toilet. I took a picture that I'll place on the blog so you can see what a lovely masterpiece our toilet became.
Night before last we were playing in the back yard at dusk. Rick was figuring out something with the sprinklers and Nate decided he wanted to strip down and run through them. It was really cool out, so it didn't sound too appealing to me. However, Nate went for it and it generated a lot of laughs from us as we watched his bare, skinny body glowing in the dark, running through sprinklers. I told him "Nate, you don't need a diaper, you can just pee in the back yard like the dogs!". Sure enough he started whizzing in the grass, thrilled at the sight of the spray going left, right, and wherever his little hips could direct it. I turned around to get something and when I looked back thirty seconds later, he had pooped in the grass! He had somehow gotten some on his foot and was smearing it on the patio - gross! We couldn't help but getting a good chuckle before we hosed him down, groady little kid!
I read an article a while back that's stuck with me regarding the issue of scheduling. I think it was in Newsweek (which I read fairly religiously before kids . . . somehow those issues don't seem so vital to me anymore). It said that kids entering the workplace are having issues with asserting themselves, taking charge of their jobs, making the decisions that need to be made, adapting to issues that arise, etc. Apparently, so many kids are raised with a specific, preset routine, they are not able to make decisions and take ownership of themselves when the time comes. The article really scared me and I've thought about it a lot over the last couple years. I think it relates to the self-regulation article which was also such an eye-opener for me.
On a more fun note, I ordered myself a Dyson vacuum (and an ice cream cake!) for my birthday, this last Friday. The vacuum got here yesterday - wee!! I got a great deal on a refurbished one from a dealership through ebay. It looks snazzy and works like a charm! You don't even have to adjust the height; it automatically raises and lowers to what it senses. No snafoos between the tile and the shag rug and you wouldn't believe all the nasties it picked up. Our carpets were professionally cleaned (with a big waxing looking machine and everything) before we moved in a month and a half ago, so I was particularly thrilled to fill so much of the canister. I can't wait for the floors to get dirty again. Ok, I won't go that far, but vacuuming will be a lot more fun from this point on.
While I was vacuuming the upstairs with my new Dyson, the boys were working on a project of their own: pouring soft face powder all around the bathroom and nicely placing my toiletries in the master toilet. I took a picture that I'll place on the blog so you can see what a lovely masterpiece our toilet became.
Night before last we were playing in the back yard at dusk. Rick was figuring out something with the sprinklers and Nate decided he wanted to strip down and run through them. It was really cool out, so it didn't sound too appealing to me. However, Nate went for it and it generated a lot of laughs from us as we watched his bare, skinny body glowing in the dark, running through sprinklers. I told him "Nate, you don't need a diaper, you can just pee in the back yard like the dogs!". Sure enough he started whizzing in the grass, thrilled at the sight of the spray going left, right, and wherever his little hips could direct it. I turned around to get something and when I looked back thirty seconds later, he had pooped in the grass! He had somehow gotten some on his foot and was smearing it on the patio - gross! We couldn't help but getting a good chuckle before we hosed him down, groady little kid!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Nanny 911 Give Me a Call
The Great Nate had a pretty rough morning. At one point in the car he told me "I want to scratch you, Mommy, and pinch you and bite you and hurt you and give you time out in Uncle David & Aunt Natalie's room (they've both used our guest room over the last couple weeks) apparently for my driving skills, as I'd just been driving along minding my own business. Ow, my feelings (and probably my skin if I'd been within reach!). It makes me sad that he's been getting so angry and defiant lately. Everything I do is to try to keep my kids happy, healthy, and to help them be good people. That's it, really. I've felt like I'm failing in a lot of ways lately. I'm doing the best I can, but I've got a great desire to do better. Our house is often filled with tension and that's no fun. If the Nanny 911 lady's looking for a home, I'd be happy to host her in our guest room.
I'm always looking for tips. I have several parenting magazine subscriptions: Parenting, Babytalk, Wondertime, Cookie and maybe even more. I'm behind on my reading, but I ought to catch up. The little bits of advice I've picked up in those crazy mags have helped me with my sanity and happiness. It never hurts to know others are going through what I'm going through. That's part of why I'm blogging. I hope other women can relate with my situation and hopefully feel better about their own.
The meatloaf and biscuits are done. Rick took Will for a bike ride to pick up some paperwork at the vets so I still have time to jabber.
This morning we dyed Easter eggs. I think we ended up with a survival rate of 6 out of 12 (and a couple of those are cracked). A few were so badly cracked we gobbled them up. The boys were actually quite cute and well behaved. I mean, who can help but toss a couple of the eggs and pour dye on the floor, etc.? The eggs will not be winning any contests with their looks, but they're my favorite Easter eggs I've ever help make. I can hardly wait to hide them for the boys this weekend and let 'em rip in the back yard. Here comes Will...
I'm always looking for tips. I have several parenting magazine subscriptions: Parenting, Babytalk, Wondertime, Cookie and maybe even more. I'm behind on my reading, but I ought to catch up. The little bits of advice I've picked up in those crazy mags have helped me with my sanity and happiness. It never hurts to know others are going through what I'm going through. That's part of why I'm blogging. I hope other women can relate with my situation and hopefully feel better about their own.
The meatloaf and biscuits are done. Rick took Will for a bike ride to pick up some paperwork at the vets so I still have time to jabber.
This morning we dyed Easter eggs. I think we ended up with a survival rate of 6 out of 12 (and a couple of those are cracked). A few were so badly cracked we gobbled them up. The boys were actually quite cute and well behaved. I mean, who can help but toss a couple of the eggs and pour dye on the floor, etc.? The eggs will not be winning any contests with their looks, but they're my favorite Easter eggs I've ever help make. I can hardly wait to hide them for the boys this weekend and let 'em rip in the back yard. Here comes Will...
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Back to Reality
After having my sister, then my parents, then my brother visit this month (yeah!), I'm back on my own with my crazy crew. It was my birthday on the 14th. Thirtyonebigones. I'm hoping to find my best self this decade. Ideally, I'd like to get into the best shape of my life. I've got a ways to go after the body my kids left me when they took the love canal to planet earth. It's a little unpretty under my clothes these days. Just gives me more incentive to work out and make it better. Really, at this point, I'm assuming it can only get better (before it gets much worse!). I finally went to see a dermatologist. I've got the pimples of a middle-schooler. I like to call myself a "sensitive skin person", though, it takes a serious hammering to make me bruise. Now Nate's at my side asking to see my belly button again. I like to call it "my big eye belly button" because that's what it looks like these days. Why doesn't he like to see my knee or hands?
I had to take a time out to chase Nate in circles in our open/empty living room. He and Will love to run in circles, squealing like stampeding piggies. "Get me, Mom! Get me, Dad! Get me Uncle David, Grandpa" or whoever else is lucky enough to be near the action.
Today was a school day for Nate. For some reason on the way home his sweet demeanor turned to black. He was giving me his favorite, "Go away, Mom!" (mean tone and all!). He probably said it 15 times with me trying to 1) rationalize with him (with a two year old? I'm not sure why I still try), 2) ignore him and I finally had to resort to 3) pinching. It was a barbarian thing to do, but I was stuck in the front seat in line at a fast food joint (typical) and I had to come out as the top dog some how. I absolutely hate inflicting pain on my kids. I never feel better about the situation when I do it and I feel like it's a losing situation and setting a bad example for my kids. Plus, I don't think they learn how to control their emotions when that's my tactic. Sometimes, though, I can't think of a darned thing else to do. So today, I sadly resorted to a few pinchy-poos on Nate's legs. I do have to say it stopped (after a bit of a crying spell) the "Go away!"s. Later, when we were home and all was good again, Nate pointed to a picture of a baby crying in a book we have and said "that's me crying in the car". Pretty cute. I do have to say he wanted to tell me to go away when I was cleaning him up after an oatmeal snack and instead, as we've been practicing, he gave me an alternate phrase, "Please don't, Mommy". Hallelujah! (did I spell that right?)
Gotta get dinner going! I'll be back on track with the blogging now that we're back on our own, and just wait, I'm going to "Potty Train in Less Than a Day" Nate on Saturday! Get ready peeing dolly, I've got all the gear and we're ready to go!
I had to take a time out to chase Nate in circles in our open/empty living room. He and Will love to run in circles, squealing like stampeding piggies. "Get me, Mom! Get me, Dad! Get me Uncle David, Grandpa" or whoever else is lucky enough to be near the action.
Today was a school day for Nate. For some reason on the way home his sweet demeanor turned to black. He was giving me his favorite, "Go away, Mom!" (mean tone and all!). He probably said it 15 times with me trying to 1) rationalize with him (with a two year old? I'm not sure why I still try), 2) ignore him and I finally had to resort to 3) pinching. It was a barbarian thing to do, but I was stuck in the front seat in line at a fast food joint (typical) and I had to come out as the top dog some how. I absolutely hate inflicting pain on my kids. I never feel better about the situation when I do it and I feel like it's a losing situation and setting a bad example for my kids. Plus, I don't think they learn how to control their emotions when that's my tactic. Sometimes, though, I can't think of a darned thing else to do. So today, I sadly resorted to a few pinchy-poos on Nate's legs. I do have to say it stopped (after a bit of a crying spell) the "Go away!"s. Later, when we were home and all was good again, Nate pointed to a picture of a baby crying in a book we have and said "that's me crying in the car". Pretty cute. I do have to say he wanted to tell me to go away when I was cleaning him up after an oatmeal snack and instead, as we've been practicing, he gave me an alternate phrase, "Please don't, Mommy". Hallelujah! (did I spell that right?)
Gotta get dinner going! I'll be back on track with the blogging now that we're back on our own, and just wait, I'm going to "Potty Train in Less Than a Day" Nate on Saturday! Get ready peeing dolly, I've got all the gear and we're ready to go!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Siblings and the Devil Boy
My awesome sister, Natalie, had been in town for the last few days. She is so awesome. One of the reasons that no matter how difficult kids may be, I believe it's worth it to have more than one. My brother and sister are one of the biggest blessings in my life. David just got in tonight. He's come to help me celebrate my birthday, this Friday, March 14th. The big 3-1. My parents are visiting, too. Natalie & I met our parents in San Diego for the West Coast Conference college basketball tourney to cheer on Gonzaga the last couple nights. We lost in the championship game to the University of San Diego. Good for Andrea. Not as much fun for us. I have to admit, I felt pretty good for those crazy SD kids storming the floor, going nuts. It's always fun to win, especially when it's unexpected. I had to talk down a SD kid in the street a little but I wasn't even feeling angry when I was trying to gently put him in his place.
Rick stepped up and took on the N & W Challenge (watching the boys while Nat & I headed south for both evenings), which was the best gift he could give me on my birthday week. As much as I love the little guys, I love getting out on my own, too. Particularly when it means hanging out with my sister I miss so much (she lives just outside of Denver). Natalie's a few months pregnant. I'm happy for her and maybe a little sad that her life as she knows it is going to be over in two snaps. That sounds pessimistic, but I'm being realistic. There's no turning back. da da daaaa I can hardly wait to meet their wonderful baby! Nate's certain it's a boy. It'll be interesting to see if he has some special sense (or at least wins the 50-50 bet). Did I mention my sister-in-law had a baby girl on the 7th? Stella Ray. Can't wait to meet her tomorrow! I've had a heck of a head cold and am finally on the mend.
Will has an appointment with an ear-nose-throat specialist. The poor guy's had ear infections most every time we've been to the doctor which is a lot (we even went today - he's finally clear). He's a wild and crazy kid, but fairly good-natured for having yucky ear infections all the time. He might have to get tubes. That concept really freaked me out when I was a kid. As a mom, I just want him to be healthy and feel good. It's so much easier to be bright and shiny when you're feeling well. I'm not so bright and shiny, myself. I couldn't get back to sleep after Rick got up this morning at 4am. Around 5 or so, I got out of bed and put myself to work. It's amazing how much I can get done when the kids are sound asleep.
Nate was "Friend of the Week" for his preschool class this week. I finished the special "all about Nate" poster in the 5 o' clock hour this morning so the glue would dry by class time. Natalie & I went to his class and I got a little sappy/teary eyed when he counted his classmates and sang the opening song, etc. Hello, get a grip on myself! He's just getting to be such a big boy, ya ya ya. Unfortunately, all the hype got Nate a bit fired up and I got a bad report when I went to pick him up at 12:30. Biting, hitting, kicking, clocked a girl in the side of the head with a large plastic cow.... and laughed when they cried. Great. Nice kid. I must be a great mom. I'm hoping the evil phase was a one-day deal. Not that he's the most gentle child, typically (he's into scratching people lately and we've resorted to one minute time outs for every "Go Away!!" he shouts at us), but he's not usually cruel. We'll have to watch the little devil closely. If he gets out of line again, I'll have to tell him to "Go Away!!" and give him a scratch!
Rick stepped up and took on the N & W Challenge (watching the boys while Nat & I headed south for both evenings), which was the best gift he could give me on my birthday week. As much as I love the little guys, I love getting out on my own, too. Particularly when it means hanging out with my sister I miss so much (she lives just outside of Denver). Natalie's a few months pregnant. I'm happy for her and maybe a little sad that her life as she knows it is going to be over in two snaps. That sounds pessimistic, but I'm being realistic. There's no turning back. da da daaaa I can hardly wait to meet their wonderful baby! Nate's certain it's a boy. It'll be interesting to see if he has some special sense (or at least wins the 50-50 bet). Did I mention my sister-in-law had a baby girl on the 7th? Stella Ray. Can't wait to meet her tomorrow! I've had a heck of a head cold and am finally on the mend.
Will has an appointment with an ear-nose-throat specialist. The poor guy's had ear infections most every time we've been to the doctor which is a lot (we even went today - he's finally clear). He's a wild and crazy kid, but fairly good-natured for having yucky ear infections all the time. He might have to get tubes. That concept really freaked me out when I was a kid. As a mom, I just want him to be healthy and feel good. It's so much easier to be bright and shiny when you're feeling well. I'm not so bright and shiny, myself. I couldn't get back to sleep after Rick got up this morning at 4am. Around 5 or so, I got out of bed and put myself to work. It's amazing how much I can get done when the kids are sound asleep.
Nate was "Friend of the Week" for his preschool class this week. I finished the special "all about Nate" poster in the 5 o' clock hour this morning so the glue would dry by class time. Natalie & I went to his class and I got a little sappy/teary eyed when he counted his classmates and sang the opening song, etc. Hello, get a grip on myself! He's just getting to be such a big boy, ya ya ya. Unfortunately, all the hype got Nate a bit fired up and I got a bad report when I went to pick him up at 12:30. Biting, hitting, kicking, clocked a girl in the side of the head with a large plastic cow.... and laughed when they cried. Great. Nice kid. I must be a great mom. I'm hoping the evil phase was a one-day deal. Not that he's the most gentle child, typically (he's into scratching people lately and we've resorted to one minute time outs for every "Go Away!!" he shouts at us), but he's not usually cruel. We'll have to watch the little devil closely. If he gets out of line again, I'll have to tell him to "Go Away!!" and give him a scratch!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Sweet Dreams
Rick and the kids are down for the count. I was debating hitting the hay, myself, but I opted for a bit of me time with Hannah (one of our two dogs), American Idol & some blog action. I'd be "blogging" in my mind in bed, anyway. I don't know if everyone does it, but I often catalog the days events and what's to come before I shut down by weary brain for the night. Then I get to go wherever my dreams take me, and strange how rarely my kids get to make appearances. I think I get plenty of kid-time during the day!
Tonight I was on solo bedtime duty again (Rick has earnings this week, which means he's working even more than usual - up at 3:30am - not fun). The boys were their typical wonderfully active selves. I am always conscience of the attention I give them and do my best to balance the time and energy I share with each of them. Tonight they were fairly patient and understanding while I bounced from room to room. Usually I end the night with Nate, reading, then singing a few songs and giving the hugs and kisses routine. Will gets a little left out (even though he probably doesn't know yet because he's typically sleeping).
Tonight Will was having a particularly difficult time getting to sleep. He's still wheezy and stuffy and I know, without my best pal, Afrin, I wouldn't be able to sleep, either. So I went into his room after tucking Nate in and lay down on his bed. He pulled me close and held me super-tight and started laughing. I thought maybe because my breath was tickling his neck or ear. But I even held my breath and he still didn't stop laughing. He was just so happy I was there with him. He held me for the longest time (and Will is an A+ hugger - has been since he was really tiny). If I tried to pull away, he'd grab me and pull me closer so our cheeks would rest against each other. My smile went from my face to my toes. He just warmed my heart, that sweet baby. When it was time for me to pull away he panicked a little and grabbed my hand. He held it tightly while he finally drifted off to sleep. Such a nice way to end a fairly stressful day.
Tonight I was on solo bedtime duty again (Rick has earnings this week, which means he's working even more than usual - up at 3:30am - not fun). The boys were their typical wonderfully active selves. I am always conscience of the attention I give them and do my best to balance the time and energy I share with each of them. Tonight they were fairly patient and understanding while I bounced from room to room. Usually I end the night with Nate, reading, then singing a few songs and giving the hugs and kisses routine. Will gets a little left out (even though he probably doesn't know yet because he's typically sleeping).
Tonight Will was having a particularly difficult time getting to sleep. He's still wheezy and stuffy and I know, without my best pal, Afrin, I wouldn't be able to sleep, either. So I went into his room after tucking Nate in and lay down on his bed. He pulled me close and held me super-tight and started laughing. I thought maybe because my breath was tickling his neck or ear. But I even held my breath and he still didn't stop laughing. He was just so happy I was there with him. He held me for the longest time (and Will is an A+ hugger - has been since he was really tiny). If I tried to pull away, he'd grab me and pull me closer so our cheeks would rest against each other. My smile went from my face to my toes. He just warmed my heart, that sweet baby. When it was time for me to pull away he panicked a little and grabbed my hand. He held it tightly while he finally drifted off to sleep. Such a nice way to end a fairly stressful day.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Head in the Clouds
I started getting a runny nose last night and now it's a full-blown head cold. My back's achy and all I really want is a hot bath and to go to bed. Rick's studying, then has to go to bed so he can be up before the crack of dawn, so I'm default kid-watcher for the evening. My eyes are watery and I've got a lovely little headache, so computing is probably not the best thing to be doing. However, it's a heck of a lot better than watching another episode of Little Einsteins (a show our boys can watch over and over and still be absorbed in).
Boy, was I cranky this morning. I was swearing all kind of things at the kids in my head. There are good mom actions and bad mom actions. You can always chose the high road or the low road. This morning I was such a sour puss, I really wanted to take the low road. I wanted to berate & belittle the kids when they dumped q-tips in the toilet, emptied my bathroom drawers while I tried to get ready (eating the chap stick and dusting the walls with blush), emptied my nightstand drawer and beat against the glass closet doors with objects they found inside (they do these things every morning, right next to me as I race to at least get my wet hair into a pony tail and snag a couple swipes of mascara). In my tired and irrational morning mom mind, I was quite sure if the kids felt worse than me, then I'd feel better. However crabby I was, I did realize that would be not make much sense, and would surely classify as really, really bad mom behavior. I sucked it up as best I could, though nowhere near the "5 positives for every 1 negative" extent (more the opposite).
We got on the road and to Nate's school in pretty good time. I even gave Nate a haircut while he ate his breakfast. However, my cloudy head starting settling in around drop-off time. Will and I escorted Nate to his classroom, said our good-bye's and when I got back to the car I realized I hadn't signed Nate in. Back to the classroom. Signed in. Back to the car and what am I holding? Ugh. Nate's lunch box. Back to the classroom. The teacher gave me a reassuring smile. I'm sure behind that smile she was picturing me boozing it up before heading out that morning and was wondering how we made it to the school.
This morning, after dropping off Nate, grabbing a few things at Target & selling some goods to the Children's Orchard, I took Will to his 2nd dr.'s appointment in two days. He knows the whole routine, poor guy. He even sticks his ear out to have his temperature taken. So he needs the nebulizer treatment that makes him high as a kite/wide awake for another week. Needless to say, Will has not napped today. I even tried giving him a bath in the afternoon - no good. Rick came home and took him for a bike-trailer ride (a sure-fire knock out) - no good. He's "horsey riding" my feet right now, singing some sort of song. He's due for another treatment. Don't tell, but I think we'll skip this one and wait for the morning!
Boy, was I cranky this morning. I was swearing all kind of things at the kids in my head. There are good mom actions and bad mom actions. You can always chose the high road or the low road. This morning I was such a sour puss, I really wanted to take the low road. I wanted to berate & belittle the kids when they dumped q-tips in the toilet, emptied my bathroom drawers while I tried to get ready (eating the chap stick and dusting the walls with blush), emptied my nightstand drawer and beat against the glass closet doors with objects they found inside (they do these things every morning, right next to me as I race to at least get my wet hair into a pony tail and snag a couple swipes of mascara). In my tired and irrational morning mom mind, I was quite sure if the kids felt worse than me, then I'd feel better. However crabby I was, I did realize that would be not make much sense, and would surely classify as really, really bad mom behavior. I sucked it up as best I could, though nowhere near the "5 positives for every 1 negative" extent (more the opposite).
We got on the road and to Nate's school in pretty good time. I even gave Nate a haircut while he ate his breakfast. However, my cloudy head starting settling in around drop-off time. Will and I escorted Nate to his classroom, said our good-bye's and when I got back to the car I realized I hadn't signed Nate in. Back to the classroom. Signed in. Back to the car and what am I holding? Ugh. Nate's lunch box. Back to the classroom. The teacher gave me a reassuring smile. I'm sure behind that smile she was picturing me boozing it up before heading out that morning and was wondering how we made it to the school.
This morning, after dropping off Nate, grabbing a few things at Target & selling some goods to the Children's Orchard, I took Will to his 2nd dr.'s appointment in two days. He knows the whole routine, poor guy. He even sticks his ear out to have his temperature taken. So he needs the nebulizer treatment that makes him high as a kite/wide awake for another week. Needless to say, Will has not napped today. I even tried giving him a bath in the afternoon - no good. Rick came home and took him for a bike-trailer ride (a sure-fire knock out) - no good. He's "horsey riding" my feet right now, singing some sort of song. He's due for another treatment. Don't tell, but I think we'll skip this one and wait for the morning!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Cough-Gag-Vomit
Just after writing my last post, I went out to water the flowers. Nate, who I assumed was still snuggled, enjoying quiet time on the couch, was actually sneaking up the stairs toward his sleeping-wheezing-just-a-week-over-Bronchitis brother's room. It didn't take long for Will's cries to come wafting down the stairs. I knew what the matter was right away because Will had been exhausted after Wonderkids and the park this morning, had even fallen asleep in the car (he only likes to sleep in his bed), and had only been down maybe an hour. And Nate had pulled the same sweet prank last week.
I raced upstairs, picked up Nate (who was trying to hide by Will's bed) by the shirt (oh I wanted to clobber him!! I had to use every ounce of energy to not follow through with the beating that was taking place in my mind - remember, smile, moms are so happy!), dropped him off in his room with an extremely stern warning to "NEVER EVER WAKE YOUR BROTHER AGAIN! YOU'VE MADE MOM SO ANGRY!!" (it's a little embarrassing, my throat is still sore). Will was upset and wheezing, finding it hard to catch his breath, so I got out the nebulizer (mist-machine-thing-that-you-put-medicine-in-to-make-your-kids-breath-better) and gave Will a breathing treatment, which helped his lungs open up. His coughing came on and (here's the really fun part!) he cough-gaged and threw up all over himself, my arms and legs, into the nebulizer, & soaked the little motorcycle he was carrying. I used about 20 wet wipes to get us clean enough to move without dripping more of that yummy acidic stuff over the rest of the room and actually walked downstairs to call for a doctor's appointment in vomit-soaked pants. So, are appointment's at 4. As Will said himself, "Ut-oh!". . .
I raced upstairs, picked up Nate (who was trying to hide by Will's bed) by the shirt (oh I wanted to clobber him!! I had to use every ounce of energy to not follow through with the beating that was taking place in my mind - remember, smile, moms are so happy!), dropped him off in his room with an extremely stern warning to "NEVER EVER WAKE YOUR BROTHER AGAIN! YOU'VE MADE MOM SO ANGRY!!" (it's a little embarrassing, my throat is still sore). Will was upset and wheezing, finding it hard to catch his breath, so I got out the nebulizer (mist-machine-thing-that-you-put-medicine-in-to-make-your-kids-breath-better) and gave Will a breathing treatment, which helped his lungs open up. His coughing came on and (here's the really fun part!) he cough-gaged and threw up all over himself, my arms and legs, into the nebulizer, & soaked the little motorcycle he was carrying. I used about 20 wet wipes to get us clean enough to move without dripping more of that yummy acidic stuff over the rest of the room and actually walked downstairs to call for a doctor's appointment in vomit-soaked pants. So, are appointment's at 4. As Will said himself, "Ut-oh!". . .
Not So Black & White
Nate and I are eating peanut butter (crunchy because now that's I've grown up, I like crunchy) & blueberry jam sandwiches for lunch. I'm also eating some left-over Thai Chicken Soup that I made last night. My brother & sister-in-law joined us for dinner, so I thought I'd try something new. I give it an "okay", but nothing special. They're due to have their first child, a little girl, any day now. My sister-in-law, Lydia, has been having fairly consistent contractions and I'm crossing my fingers I get a call saying they're in full-on labor soon. All three of Nate & Will's aunts are pregnant. We've got some wild times ahead!
We experienced a fairly typical morning. Will said "Blast off!" after I counted to 10 to turn off the shower water (we've got to make our transitions as smooth as possible around here to help prevent unwanted tantrum-action). Even Nate patted his back and said "Good boy, Will!". Will's been getting to be quite the talker. Mostly it's "I did it!" or "What's this? / What's that?", so the blast off was a particularly fun thing to hear. After that, and a great phone call from Aunt Natalie, who is visiting Friday, we blasted off to our traditional Monday morning activity, the Wonderkids program at the YMCA.
The kids are supposed to sit with their moms in a circle and sing, play instruments, wave banners, play with the parachute, etc. Will's pretty good about hanging out with me (who wouldn't want to be thrown in the air at the end of the Popcorn or Jack-in-the-Box songs?), but Nate's usually off running around, rocking on the teeter-totter-boat & pretty much discovering whatever he can as far from the circle as the square room allows. I shout out "Nate! Come play with us!" (interrupting Wheels on the Bus) and give him a pageant-quality smile while pointing to the empty 1/2 of my lap, encouraging him to join us in the you-won't-believe-how-exciting-this-is fun Will & I are experiencing. Typically my gesturing is to no avail. He's an independent kid.
Every day I'm confronted by small (or are they big?) decisions. They arise constantly and rarely come in the much-preferred black & white. Do I reprimand him, take him to a time out & talk to him eye-to-eye, encourage him to be part of the group or do I let him discover on his own, allow for his independence and be thankful he's not frightened or intimidated and curled in my lap? I have no idea what the correct answer is, so I half it. Out of respect for the other mom's and 2-3 year olds (most of whom are actually sitting the circle like good little children), I nudge him toward participation but don't force him into the activities. I'm really just parenting by the moment, trying to find consistencies where I can, trying to keep my cool (which is difficult, I've always been impatient and love efficiency), trying to remember that the rough times are just for the moment and a happier time is always around the corner.
When everything seems to go wrong, babies hanging off my legs crying (& often sick), I'm tired from being up throughout the night, the house is a mess, etc. (and it feels this way a lot), happiness seems miles away. It's easy to let the exhaustion take me, along with a big pile of sadness, a truckload of self-pity, and a heaping tablespoon of how did I ever get here and why would I chose to do this to myself? When I'm in the heart of that dark, sad place, I feel like the wind will never come and blow that stinkball of feeling out of the way. But it does always get better. Before I know it (like yesterday morning), Will will run up and give Nate a big hug, and sure enough, things aren't so bad after all.
Being a mom is a huge job. It never ends. No holidays. No vacation time. On nights. On days. No quitting. No raises. Tremendous responsibility. It can be a bit daunting. And, honestly, at this point, I am fighting daily to keep my optimistic, happy side from getting lost in poopy diapers. People often comment about how well I function and how positive I am for having a one and two year old. It doesn't come naturally or easily and a lot of the time I'm just smiling so my insides can catch up with my outsides. I'm not afraid to share the hardships, because they're part of the job. I'm also not afraid to share the joys, because they are what make this crazy ride worth the high price of the ticket. Keep smiling, my little boys, because your mom needs encouragement, too.
We experienced a fairly typical morning. Will said "Blast off!" after I counted to 10 to turn off the shower water (we've got to make our transitions as smooth as possible around here to help prevent unwanted tantrum-action). Even Nate patted his back and said "Good boy, Will!". Will's been getting to be quite the talker. Mostly it's "I did it!" or "What's this? / What's that?", so the blast off was a particularly fun thing to hear. After that, and a great phone call from Aunt Natalie, who is visiting Friday, we blasted off to our traditional Monday morning activity, the Wonderkids program at the YMCA.
The kids are supposed to sit with their moms in a circle and sing, play instruments, wave banners, play with the parachute, etc. Will's pretty good about hanging out with me (who wouldn't want to be thrown in the air at the end of the Popcorn or Jack-in-the-Box songs?), but Nate's usually off running around, rocking on the teeter-totter-boat & pretty much discovering whatever he can as far from the circle as the square room allows. I shout out "Nate! Come play with us!" (interrupting Wheels on the Bus) and give him a pageant-quality smile while pointing to the empty 1/2 of my lap, encouraging him to join us in the you-won't-believe-how-exciting-this-is fun Will & I are experiencing. Typically my gesturing is to no avail. He's an independent kid.
Every day I'm confronted by small (or are they big?) decisions. They arise constantly and rarely come in the much-preferred black & white. Do I reprimand him, take him to a time out & talk to him eye-to-eye, encourage him to be part of the group or do I let him discover on his own, allow for his independence and be thankful he's not frightened or intimidated and curled in my lap? I have no idea what the correct answer is, so I half it. Out of respect for the other mom's and 2-3 year olds (most of whom are actually sitting the circle like good little children), I nudge him toward participation but don't force him into the activities. I'm really just parenting by the moment, trying to find consistencies where I can, trying to keep my cool (which is difficult, I've always been impatient and love efficiency), trying to remember that the rough times are just for the moment and a happier time is always around the corner.
When everything seems to go wrong, babies hanging off my legs crying (& often sick), I'm tired from being up throughout the night, the house is a mess, etc. (and it feels this way a lot), happiness seems miles away. It's easy to let the exhaustion take me, along with a big pile of sadness, a truckload of self-pity, and a heaping tablespoon of how did I ever get here and why would I chose to do this to myself? When I'm in the heart of that dark, sad place, I feel like the wind will never come and blow that stinkball of feeling out of the way. But it does always get better. Before I know it (like yesterday morning), Will will run up and give Nate a big hug, and sure enough, things aren't so bad after all.
Being a mom is a huge job. It never ends. No holidays. No vacation time. On nights. On days. No quitting. No raises. Tremendous responsibility. It can be a bit daunting. And, honestly, at this point, I am fighting daily to keep my optimistic, happy side from getting lost in poopy diapers. People often comment about how well I function and how positive I am for having a one and two year old. It doesn't come naturally or easily and a lot of the time I'm just smiling so my insides can catch up with my outsides. I'm not afraid to share the hardships, because they're part of the job. I'm also not afraid to share the joys, because they are what make this crazy ride worth the high price of the ticket. Keep smiling, my little boys, because your mom needs encouragement, too.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Gadgets, a Clean House & Other Vices
I'm all for gadgets. I've got the Gizmo can opener (thanks, Natalie!). It makes living off canned goods sound exciting. Sadly, I read most canned goods are high in sodium, so I feel guilty when I feed them to the kids. Anyhow, the Gizmo's not the only cool gadget out there. My new fave is the steam mop. Mine is by Bissel, and thanks to them, I've been getting more excited than I should be about mopping. No cleaning solution necessary, just good old agua. (Side note: I'm a bit distracted by Nate shoving Chuck E. Cheese tokens in my pockets. "More coins in pocket Mommy? More coins in pocket Mommy? More coins in pocket Mommy?" - you get the idea)
My mom is probably the most devoted cleaner of the home in the world. When I picture her in my mind, she's usually cleaning the kitchen. When we were young, and still to this day, she cannot sit to watch a show unless she can be folding clothes, ironing, cleaning the kitchen & watching from a distance or polishing the glass coffee table (a busy-bee trait I carry, as well). I think her dedication to keeping a clean home is part of the reason I don't feel completely relaxed or "happy" without my house being clean and fairly orderly. It could be a control issue for me, or most likely, a way for me to feel like there's some order in my chaotic life. Maybe my mom felt she needed some order, too.
I ordered my mom a Roomba. The robot vacuum designed in Heaven. I thought it'd be chinsy and suck with minor vigor. However, it's a lovely little machine & worth the cost. Rick would roll his eyes (Mr. Old-fashioned-who-needs-a-gadget-when-you-have-a-broom) if I brought it up, but I really want to get one for our downstairs. The entire 1st floor of our home is tile. With two dogs & two kids, I end up sweeping or vacuuming the floor at least once a day. I might see if I can find one on craigslist. Rick (Mr. If-you-could-ask-for-anything-why-would-you-want-a-household-item) thinks our two older vacuums are doing a dandy job, and they are okay, but have you seen the Dyson vacuums? I think about them all the time. Can you tell I'm a stay-at-home-mom & like a clean house? I was reading reviews and one lady said hers sucked so hard it lifted the carpet as she went. In my mind, I'm thinking "awesome!" and I'm totally picturing it now. Nice. Really nice. I figure I could have worse vices than stressing over the cleanliness of my house.
My other vice is the Children's Orchard & bargains in general. I have a poor memory except for prices of items I got great deals on and horse & dog stuff. Don't ask me what the last movie I saw was or how the last book I read ended, because I couldn't tell you a week later. Ask me about the Huggies baby wash on clearance for $1.09 from $4.47 that I got for $.09 because I had a $1 off Huggies wash coupon, and I'll tell you the details in 10 years. I know it's hard to believe, but that was a real deal!! And The Children's Orchard is my favorite store. They buy children's clothes, toys, gear, books, bedding, etc. and resell it. It's fun to find great deals and the bonus is, you sell your stuff back when you're done. I clipped a "Get an extra 40% on your stuff when you sell it to us coupon" and have an appointment for March 4th. You've never seen a lady try to dig up stuff to sell so fast!
My mom is probably the most devoted cleaner of the home in the world. When I picture her in my mind, she's usually cleaning the kitchen. When we were young, and still to this day, she cannot sit to watch a show unless she can be folding clothes, ironing, cleaning the kitchen & watching from a distance or polishing the glass coffee table (a busy-bee trait I carry, as well). I think her dedication to keeping a clean home is part of the reason I don't feel completely relaxed or "happy" without my house being clean and fairly orderly. It could be a control issue for me, or most likely, a way for me to feel like there's some order in my chaotic life. Maybe my mom felt she needed some order, too.
I ordered my mom a Roomba. The robot vacuum designed in Heaven. I thought it'd be chinsy and suck with minor vigor. However, it's a lovely little machine & worth the cost. Rick would roll his eyes (Mr. Old-fashioned-who-needs-a-gadget-when-you-have-a-broom) if I brought it up, but I really want to get one for our downstairs. The entire 1st floor of our home is tile. With two dogs & two kids, I end up sweeping or vacuuming the floor at least once a day. I might see if I can find one on craigslist. Rick (Mr. If-you-could-ask-for-anything-why-would-you-want-a-household-item) thinks our two older vacuums are doing a dandy job, and they are okay, but have you seen the Dyson vacuums? I think about them all the time. Can you tell I'm a stay-at-home-mom & like a clean house? I was reading reviews and one lady said hers sucked so hard it lifted the carpet as she went. In my mind, I'm thinking "awesome!" and I'm totally picturing it now. Nice. Really nice. I figure I could have worse vices than stressing over the cleanliness of my house.
My other vice is the Children's Orchard & bargains in general. I have a poor memory except for prices of items I got great deals on and horse & dog stuff. Don't ask me what the last movie I saw was or how the last book I read ended, because I couldn't tell you a week later. Ask me about the Huggies baby wash on clearance for $1.09 from $4.47 that I got for $.09 because I had a $1 off Huggies wash coupon, and I'll tell you the details in 10 years. I know it's hard to believe, but that was a real deal!! And The Children's Orchard is my favorite store. They buy children's clothes, toys, gear, books, bedding, etc. and resell it. It's fun to find great deals and the bonus is, you sell your stuff back when you're done. I clipped a "Get an extra 40% on your stuff when you sell it to us coupon" and have an appointment for March 4th. You've never seen a lady try to dig up stuff to sell so fast!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Disney Adventure
Nate and I really enjoyed our Disney adventure yesterday. We're incredibly fortunate to live where we do. The area is full of family-filled fun, parks, classes & activities for kids & moms and great weather year-round, enabling full-fledged participation in whatever suits your fancy. Quite possibly the best part for the kids is our accessibility to Disneyland. It's about 1/2 an hour from our door to the park and kids 2 and under are free. I bought an Annual Pass which cost me around $150 (with parking included) for the year. Saturdays are exempt, as are most of the months of July & August or June & July? I forgot, but it's a busy, hot time so not desirable if you live nearby any-hoo. The crowd yesterday was medium-sized and it was about 70 degrees or so, nothing to complain about.
I decided to let Nate run the show (I left Will at home with our babysitter because we went for the afternoon during Will's nap time - have I mentioned Nate rarely naps these days? That's talk for another day. . .). Nate's a fairly experienced Disney-goer, so he knows most of the rides and has a good idea of what is where. His picks were in this order: Astroblasters (Buzz Lightyear rides where you get to shoot at targets as you go & probably my favorite, too), Finding Nemo, Autotopia (driving cars), the train (which we took to New Orleans Square), the Haunted House, the boat ride to Pirates Lair (I think it's called or Tom Sawyer's Island - we lucked out and Jack Sparrow was riding to the island on our raft, too!), the petting zoo & then a stop for a snack... ut-oh! It was the snack stop where our magical journey ended and the tantrum attacked!
I like to treat myself to a grande iced decaf sugar-free vanilla latte and a chocolate croissant every time we go (I deserve it!). We always stop at the same little spot on Main Street - Blue Ribbon Bakery (10% off food in the park with our annual pass... cha-ching). Because Nate was being such a big boy and making such important choices throughout the day, I let him chose a special treat for himself. And, ahh, he chose the lovely Mickey Mouse sugar cookie (a hard one to miss). We got our treats and I did the unspeakable. I broke an ear off the large cookie so Nate could easily carry it while riding on my shoulders to the car (no strollers here!). I should have been using my ever-developing "2-yr-old brain" and realized how devastated he would be when his cookie no longer looked like the perfect Mickey face it was.
Needless to say, Nate screamed, collapsed, rubber-boned it at our Blue Ribbon Bakery (thankfully a parade was marching away down Main Street to help mask the fall-out). After putting on my most "I'm a calm mom, able to deal with any circumstance, and I know just what to do in the most loving of ways" face, I did my best to calm the crazed little bugger, at least enough to get us out of the park in one piece. Though looking "Mom of the Year" externally, inside I was tired and stressed. Eventually, my patience wore thin & I threw a little fit myself. I broke the entire cookie into bite-sized pieces so you could no longer tell if it had been Mickey or a mongoose, picked him up and marched to a secluded curb where he could burn off some steam (me, too) and we could then get to the car and home as hurriedly as we had headed off to the park that morning.
If you couldn't have guessed, Nate was sound asleep before we even got to the freeway, slept until nearly 7pm (2 1/2 hours), was in bed by 8:30 and came plodding down the stairs at nearly 8:00 this morning. Go Nate!
One of those "special moments that help me survive motherhood" happened not long after we got home last night. Rick and Will had been out on a bike ride when we returned home and I was at the stove making dinner when they came in the door. Will smiled, squealed, ran to give me a great-big hug on my leg, and gave my knee lots of kisses by rubbing his slobbery face all over it. He was so happy to see me. It was enough to make my attitude a good one for the rest of the evening.
I decided to let Nate run the show (I left Will at home with our babysitter because we went for the afternoon during Will's nap time - have I mentioned Nate rarely naps these days? That's talk for another day. . .). Nate's a fairly experienced Disney-goer, so he knows most of the rides and has a good idea of what is where. His picks were in this order: Astroblasters (Buzz Lightyear rides where you get to shoot at targets as you go & probably my favorite, too), Finding Nemo, Autotopia (driving cars), the train (which we took to New Orleans Square), the Haunted House, the boat ride to Pirates Lair (I think it's called or Tom Sawyer's Island - we lucked out and Jack Sparrow was riding to the island on our raft, too!), the petting zoo & then a stop for a snack... ut-oh! It was the snack stop where our magical journey ended and the tantrum attacked!
I like to treat myself to a grande iced decaf sugar-free vanilla latte and a chocolate croissant every time we go (I deserve it!). We always stop at the same little spot on Main Street - Blue Ribbon Bakery (10% off food in the park with our annual pass... cha-ching). Because Nate was being such a big boy and making such important choices throughout the day, I let him chose a special treat for himself. And, ahh, he chose the lovely Mickey Mouse sugar cookie (a hard one to miss). We got our treats and I did the unspeakable. I broke an ear off the large cookie so Nate could easily carry it while riding on my shoulders to the car (no strollers here!). I should have been using my ever-developing "2-yr-old brain" and realized how devastated he would be when his cookie no longer looked like the perfect Mickey face it was.
Needless to say, Nate screamed, collapsed, rubber-boned it at our Blue Ribbon Bakery (thankfully a parade was marching away down Main Street to help mask the fall-out). After putting on my most "I'm a calm mom, able to deal with any circumstance, and I know just what to do in the most loving of ways" face, I did my best to calm the crazed little bugger, at least enough to get us out of the park in one piece. Though looking "Mom of the Year" externally, inside I was tired and stressed. Eventually, my patience wore thin & I threw a little fit myself. I broke the entire cookie into bite-sized pieces so you could no longer tell if it had been Mickey or a mongoose, picked him up and marched to a secluded curb where he could burn off some steam (me, too) and we could then get to the car and home as hurriedly as we had headed off to the park that morning.
If you couldn't have guessed, Nate was sound asleep before we even got to the freeway, slept until nearly 7pm (2 1/2 hours), was in bed by 8:30 and came plodding down the stairs at nearly 8:00 this morning. Go Nate!
One of those "special moments that help me survive motherhood" happened not long after we got home last night. Rick and Will had been out on a bike ride when we returned home and I was at the stove making dinner when they came in the door. Will smiled, squealed, ran to give me a great-big hug on my leg, and gave my knee lots of kisses by rubbing his slobbery face all over it. He was so happy to see me. It was enough to make my attitude a good one for the rest of the evening.
Lucky Charms and Bed Talk
This morning I'm eating my Lucky Charms at a leisurely 7am. Will decided to let me off easy by waking up a few times in the 12 - 1am hour, instead of rising at 5:30 this morning. He recently moved into a "big boy" bed. We followed through with the conversion of our convertible crib (from crib to toddler bed to it now making up the head & foot board of a full-sized bed). Many kids Nate's age, 2 1/2, are still in their cribs. (Side note: Will just came over with a brick of a wet diaper so I had to take a time out to change him & find some clothes for him to start the day in. It's so strange that he, and many children, don't seem to understand it's the weekend, in which moms should be allowed to have coffee, Lucky Charms and putz around on the computer a bit before the kids need diaper changes, juice-filled-sippys and breakfast... Thankfully, and as usual, I had a healthy pile of clean clothes on the dryer so Will was dressed in no time!)
Back to the "big boy bed". . . Nate didn't have the luxury of cribbin' it away because he was only 12 1/2 months old when Will was born. Because I kept Will in (and I highly recommend these things) a, was it 3-in-1, 5-in-1 or 20-in-1? bassinet beside my bed for a few months, Nate was probably somewhere around 16 months when he moved into his queen bed. I wasn't sure how it would go, but I wasn't interested in buying another crib, in fact, we didn't even buy side rails. We went for it, and, beside quite a bit of getting up & trying to come see us and/or reading his books when he should have been sleeping, it was wonderful! He didn't fall out and he slept well at night. The best part was the free range of such a snugly, bouncy, expansive space. We could wrestle & read together, and Nate was able to spend time in his bed when he wanted to. I believe it gave a real boost to his "reading" and is still a place he can go to relax and have any additional quiet time he needs. Though, I'm not afraid to admit, I do nearly lose it when he comes out during time-outs sometimes still.
So, that's why I chose to move Will into his big boy bed, too. As far as I know, he's never flopped off (no rails) and just the pride in his eyes when I set it up was worth it to me. He's "reading" more books now and spends time with his brother playing on his bed at least a couple times a day. And as I was with Nate in the beginning, I nearly lose it when he repeatedly comes out at naps & at night. But bumps come with every transition, and I know it will fade with time, as it has with Nate, who rarely comes out after going down at night.
Back to the "big boy bed". . . Nate didn't have the luxury of cribbin' it away because he was only 12 1/2 months old when Will was born. Because I kept Will in (and I highly recommend these things) a, was it 3-in-1, 5-in-1 or 20-in-1? bassinet beside my bed for a few months, Nate was probably somewhere around 16 months when he moved into his queen bed. I wasn't sure how it would go, but I wasn't interested in buying another crib, in fact, we didn't even buy side rails. We went for it, and, beside quite a bit of getting up & trying to come see us and/or reading his books when he should have been sleeping, it was wonderful! He didn't fall out and he slept well at night. The best part was the free range of such a snugly, bouncy, expansive space. We could wrestle & read together, and Nate was able to spend time in his bed when he wanted to. I believe it gave a real boost to his "reading" and is still a place he can go to relax and have any additional quiet time he needs. Though, I'm not afraid to admit, I do nearly lose it when he comes out during time-outs sometimes still.
So, that's why I chose to move Will into his big boy bed, too. As far as I know, he's never flopped off (no rails) and just the pride in his eyes when I set it up was worth it to me. He's "reading" more books now and spends time with his brother playing on his bed at least a couple times a day. And as I was with Nate in the beginning, I nearly lose it when he repeatedly comes out at naps & at night. But bumps come with every transition, and I know it will fade with time, as it has with Nate, who rarely comes out after going down at night.
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