Baby Addiction

Still Alive

2009-12-22T15:30:00.004-05:00

Its been ages since I've updated my blog, so I suppose it might be nice if I notify the blogosphere every once in a while that I am still alive.

School has been crushing me since I took 10 credit hours last semester and I'm still working full-time. Oh, and I'm still the parent of a toddler, too.

Facebook also makes it incredibly easy to stay in touch with folks with simple one-line status updates, so I must admit that I've been feeling lazy lately.

Here are some recent pics of the kid which I offer in atonement for my bloggy absence.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Household Politics

2009-10-25T14:54:00.001-04:00

A normal day in our house resembles an Ultimate Fight Club tournament. The conflicts begin innocently enough…I make a simple request of my toddler, he refuses and a battle ensues.

My husband is quick to blame our heritage. He is German and I am German and Irish. Obviously, Germans are notorious for their hot tempers and the Irish are considered to be a stubborn people. We try to do our part to perpetuate these stereotypes and my husband will be the first person to tell you that a stubborn woman with a hot temper is a load of fun to keep around. If that’s not enough fun for you, try hanging out with a toddler that has this personality.

Hubby had a moment of enlightenment today after I spent over an hour trying to put the toddler down for his nap unsuccessfully. It’s the Irish in us that causes these conflicts.

I’m the Catholic Irish of the household. Although I’d rather not fight, I’m fighting for what I think is right. I’m also just stubborn enough that I’ll fight as long as it takes to get my way.

That means that David is the militant IRA Protestant Irish of the house. He loves to fight and he’ll fight to the death to win. So what if he has to blow himself up along the way?

I think the solution to this constant conflict is to just follow in the footsteps of Ireland. When they find peace, we’ll just do whatever they did.

Either that, or the boy will grow up and go to college.

Duh!

2009-08-06T10:15:00.003-04:00

The other day, David asked me

“Momma, how many bingers you got?”

I showed him my hand and told him, “I have 5 fingers. How many fingers do you have?

After pondering this question and studying his hand deliberately, he exclaimed

“All of them!”

Duh, Mommy.

Power Struggle

2009-07-15T09:43:00.002-04:00

I know I’m a hypocrite because I abandon my blog for months at a time, then I suddenly reappear asking you for advice like I don’t realize that no one is reading this blog anymore because they got tired of patiently waiting for me to post something.

I’m going to throw this out into the blog-o-sphere anyway because it is driving me crazy.

It has recently come to my attention that my son is an evil dictator. He thinks he is the master of the house and I don’t think that is very cool.

For instance, I was eating dinner last night and he told me to get out of my chair. For those of you that have never been to my house, my kitchen table has seating for six people and I was sitting in one chair. The evil dictator wanted me to abandon my dinner and relinquish my chair to him just because. I ignored him and let him scream.

He seems to have this idea that Mommy is his meat puppet or his third arm.

I was appalled to realize that my kid is uber-spoiled, but I was even more appalled to learn that evidently every friend, family member, and church acquaintance that we have has mentioned to my husband that our kid manipulates Mom. I’m not really feeling warm and fuzzy about this situation at all.

I’ve started laying the smackdown, but I’m worried that my neighbors might start calling the cops because my kid has a nuclear meltdown every time I defy him.

Any tips for making the transition of power a little less painful for the folks within a one mile radius of our house?

Hibernation

2009-06-03T14:21:00.006-04:00

I feel like I have been in hibernation as far as blogging is concerned, but I have my reasons. Mostly, I've been afraid to write anything here because my stomach has been in knots with anticipation and anxiety.

My 14 year old bonus daughter, Skywalker, is very, very close to David. He absolutely adores her and I am thrilled that they have a valuable sibling relationship with each other. Since she moved farther away from us two years ago, the kids have really been struggling with visitation. They both cry when it is time for her to leave and they miss each other terribly.

Skywalker is also very close to her dad. They have always shared a bond and she especially loves just being in the same room with him. I don't blame her, I love to hang out with him, too!

As if this isn't cool enough, we have also grown very close over the years. I've been in her life since she was 4 years old, which is practically as far back as she can remember. I'm also closer in age to her than her parents, so I am cool by default.

Since she loves us so much, she has been asking to live with us since she was 7 years old. The constant seperation has been painful for our family, but we've tried to make the best of the time that we do have together.

Due to an unexpected turn of events, my husband recently filed for custody of her. I have been holding my breath as I anticipate an ugly court battle, but it appears that she will be coming to live with us after all!!! Her parents are negotiating the details and we should know for sure by early next week.

HURRAY!!!!

God is good.

Swimsuit Update

2009-05-13T10:14:00.005-04:00

In all seriousness, I need a new swimsuit for the summer season.

In the past, I’ve been a big fan of the skirted tankini because I had a lot to hide. Now that I’ve lost some weight, I thought I might try on a one piece. I found an old suit of mine that has been in storage for years and it fit! I got brave and threw it in my pool bag last night when we went to the YMCA for family swim.

Hubby’s first comment when he saw me come out of the locker room was, “Why did you decide to wear that?”

My response was, “I DON’T KNOW??!!!???”

I panicked thinking that I looked like a fat blob, but he later commented, “You look really good in that suit.”

I was a little more confident after that compliment, but that moment of euphoria was shattered when I had a Janet-Jackson-Superbowl-Wardrobe-Malfunction in the pool. Now I remember with shocking clarity why this particular swimsuit was in storage.

The search is on for the perfect swimsuit and I’ll definitely be trying on some suits to get an idea of my size and the perfect style for me. Then, I’ll probably be checking out this incredibly awesome website that I found. The prices are fantastic, there are coupon codes available, and best of all, the swimsuit models on this website look like REAL WOMEN.

I love it!!

Swimsuit Season

2009-05-06T12:54:00.003-04:00

I just finalized our flight arrangements for our trip to Florida in June. We’re just visiting my Dad, but he has an in-ground pool and lives ten minutes away from the beach, so I’ll be spending more than my fair share of time in a swimsuit while we are there.

The good news is that I’ve lost a total of 31 pounds since this time last year. The bad news is that I have another 15 pounds to lose before I’ll be entirely confident being seen in a swimsuit.

Since my swimsuit from last season is obviously too big, I have to buy a new one. I’ve been researching the best swimsuit style for my body type and I’ve decide that this is the one:

Advice From A Cool Dude

2009-05-05T14:55:00.003-04:00

Now that David is talking non-stop, I’ve realized that my cutie-pie has a lot on his mind. I thought I might share the best of our conversations so far this week:

************

David: (pointing to my scalp) “Mommy, keep it on.”

Mommy: “Keep what on?”

David: “Hair.”

Mommy: “Keep my hair on?”

David: “Yeah!”

Daddy: “Is he poking fun at my receding hairline?”

************

Mommy: “David, are you a dude?”

David: “No. I cool dude!”

************

Mommy: “David, if you take your motorcycle to school, you have to share it with Josh.”

David: “No.”

Mommy: “Then leave your motorcycle in the car.”

David: “No.”

Mommy: “Then you better be ready to share it with Josh.”

David: “No. Josh go car.”

***********

To sum it all up, I’m getting Rogaine for Women for Mother’s Day and if I don’t want to share it with a friend, I should just leave my friend in the car. Of course, that’s what a cool dude would do.

Happy 14th Birthday, Erica!

2009-04-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

My bonus-daughter will be thrilled to learn that I posted this very flattering photo of her on my blog in recognition of her birthday.

Isn't she adorable?!!?

Random Thoughts

2009-04-23T14:28:00.004-04:00

You would think that after vanishing from the blogosphere for about a month, I might feel compelled to explain my absence in a logical manner. Luckily for you, I am in denial regarding my compulsions, so you won’t be forced to read a post about the past month of my life.

How about a post about my recent Random Thoughts instead?

****************
It really sucks that I applied for a promotion and almost got it before they offered it to someone else because she knew someone that knew someone that knew someone that recommended her…even though I was better for the job.

I’m still not over it.

****************
I’ve lost 20 pounds since February. I feel fantastic and my clothes look humungous. I still have 10 pounds to lose and I know I just need to start exercising to reach my goal, but I am so tired…

****************
We’re planning a family vacation to Florida in June to visit my Dad.

***************
I won a gift certificate for house cleaning from Merry Maids last year as part of my Mom’s Makeover prize package. They won’t clean my house because I am not in their service area. This made me more than slightly irritated, so I sold the gift certificate on Ebay. I’ll use my auction earnings to buy more Windex.

***************
Do me a favor and hire GrimeStoppers for all of your cleaning needs because the guy at Merry Maids is making me want to scream my head off.

***************
Oh, yeah. Remember Little King David? He’s still alive and well. He is talking very clearly now and it’s thrilling to hear the things he has on his mind. His favorite phrase is, “Why not?”

***************
Speaking of talking, David has a “potty mouth” friend at daycare. I’m glad his teacher thought to mention this to me because imagine my surprise when my two-year-old called me a B*TCH last night. Ouch!

***************
My toddler has a cleaning compulsion. He has a fit if he isn’t allowed to use the vacuum cleaner or have a turn with the sponge while I’m scrubbing the tub. What kind of freaks raise a kid like that?!!?

***************
Probably the same parents that send their kid to the ghetto daycare full of potty-mouth children.

***************
Yesterday, I had the brilliant idea that it would be amusing to give my toddler a bottle of glue and a bucket of sequins. It might sound kind of messy, but my toddler has a cleaning compulsion, so his craft project kept him busy for an entire hour. He spent about 20 minutes gluing sequins on his art paper and 40 minutes sweeping up and picking up every single sequin that he accidentally scattered all over the kitchen floor.

***************
I think that’s enough randomness for one day…

Proof of Life

2009-04-21T08:40:00.006-04:00

The baby addict is alive and well! Maybe I'll have something amusing to share soon, but in the meantime, enjoy these photos.

Diversions

2009-03-19T12:44:00.004-04:00

There’s lots of fun stuff going on in the blog-o-sphere today. If you’re bored and just trying to kill some time at work, check out these fun blogs:

Heather at Not A DIY Life posted a link to a website that will turn you into a hero. (Or heroine, if you prefer). This is me in spandex (which is purely hypothetical because I would never be brave enough to wear spandex in real life).

If you have even more time to kill, check out Lynette’s pronunciation survey at The Best Things In Life Are Three.

Have fun!

Terrible

2009-03-18T12:35:00.003-04:00

Its been a long time since I’ve shared a post on my blog simply because its difficult to admit to the world that I’m knee-deep in the terrible twos and I wish I could start drinking each day at noon.

Every single moment of every single day is an opportunity for conflict with this kid. He doesn’t want to eat, he doesn’t want to get dressed, he doesn’t want to brush his teeth, he doesn’t want to wear a coat, he doesn’t want to get in the carseat, he doesn’t want to stop jumping on my bed, he doesn’t want to clean up, and he definitely does not want to take a nap.

So, what does this kid actually WANT to do?

Jump on my bed while eating ice cream in the nude approximately one hour past bedtime.

It hasn’t actually gotten that bad yet, but the scenario I just described would probably be the perfect ending to David’s dream day.

Now, where did Mommy leave her flask...?

The Aftermath

2009-03-09T09:27:00.009-04:00

I’m still trying to recuperate from our exhausting weekend at Kalahari Indoor Waterpark and the time change that you forgot to warn me about!

In the meantime, enjoy these photos of David’s birthday celebration.

Happy Birthday, David!

2009-03-05T06:00:00.002-05:00

Walk with Mommy down memory lane...

Two Years Ago...

2009-03-05T05:30:00.001-05:00

Two years ago, we met David for the first time.

Enjoy his birth story.

Works For Me Wednesday: Gift Wrap

2009-03-04T10:37:00.007-05:00

Today is the last day in my son’s life that he will only be one year old. To divert myself from being ridiculously sentimental about it, I’m going to devote a few minutes of my time today to a Works for Me Wednesday post.

Anyone with a small child knows that any gift-receiving special occasion involves an excited child tearing the wrapping paper off of an incredibly awesome toy that they intend to play with immediately.

The joy fades when the child realizes that the awesome toy is impossible to remove from its packaging without adult assistance. The unlucky adult then realizes that the tools necessary to remove the packaging includes a pair of scissors to cut the tape off the box, dexterous fingers to remove the tiny metal twist ties, and inevitably, a tiny screwdriver to remove the tiny screws preventing the toy’s escape from the box. It’s also inevitable that no one will have a tiny screwdriver in their pocket at this moment and the child will be reduced to tears. If you are incredibly unlucky, the toy will also require batteries and fate always ensures that you don’t have the correct size batteries lying around in a drawer when you need them to be.

Last night I was wrapping birthday gifts for David and had a brilliant idea. Actually, it’s a suggestion that I got from another parent a long time ago and it happened to pop into my brain at an opportune moment.

If you are wrapping a gift for a young child, remove the packaging FIRST. Yes, the box is pretty and confirms that the toy inside is brand new. Yes, the gift wrap will look hideous without a box inside. Yes, the wrapped gift will look like it fell out of Santa’s sleigh and got run over by a school bus.

BUT

The child will unwrap the gift, shriek with joy, and then play with that awesome toy right away. No tantrums and no tiny screwdrivers necessary.

Hurray!

I think I’m almost ready for David’s 2nd birthday. Now, all I need is a Prozac…

That’s what Works for Me!

The Agony Continues

2009-03-03T14:07:00.004-05:00

I just spent my entire lunch hour at Giant Eagle agonizing over which birthday cake to buy for David to take to daycare for his class to share on Thursday.

On an ordinary day, the decision would be simple. $10 cake or $28 cake? Obviously, the $10 cake!

Today, the decision was much more difficult.

What does the guilty mother that will be working on her child’s second birthday buy for his birthday celebration that he will have with his friends while his guilty mother is working?

Does she buy the expensive, professionally decorated Elmo cake that he will be thrilled to have and forget an hour later?

Or does she buy the inexpensive, simple white cake with sprinkles and write his name on it with decorating gel?

Or does she buy the mid-range, elegantly decorated cookie-cake with icing balloons on it to impress him?

Or does she agonize over this decision for an hour, then call Daddy at work for his advice?

She calls Daddy and he tells her to buy the $10 cake and write his name on it. He calmly reminds her that his friends will be wearing more cake than they will be eating, so it doesn’t make sense to spend $28 on a cake that will only be used to frustrate many mothers that are responsible for washing the laundry for the children wearing this cake.

Mommy relents and buys the cheap cake.

She’ll make up for it by going to Babies R Us tomorrow during lunch and buying the Birthday Boy shirt for him to wear.

Birthday Blues

2009-03-02T12:40:00.004-05:00

I think its only fair to warn you that I’m going to be sentimental this week. David’s second birthday is on Thursday. Where has the time gone??

Rather than have a party at our house this year infested with relatives that just won’t leave, we decided to take the kids to Kalahari Indoor Waterpark for the weekend. I gotta tell you that I have never been to an indoor waterpark, but just the thought of putting on my bathing suit in public in the dead of winter is absolutely thrilling to me. But I knew David would love it, so how could I deny him this? I can’t wait to see his face when he sees the pool!

For his birthday on Thursday, Mommy and Daddy will be taking him to the indoor playground at Chick-Fil-A. We’ll pretend that we expect him to eat his chicken nuggets before he climbs out of the high chair to play. After dinner, we’ll do cake and candles at home and David will un-wrap his gifts. Daddy was cool enough to do the gift shopping this year and his choices of a Play-Doh Duffel Bag and the Play-Doh Fun Factory are going to be a hit!

I hope I don’t cry this year…

Can You See Me Now?

2009-02-19T13:36:00.005-05:00

My dad and I both have cellular phone service with Verizon, and its not uncommon to hear either one of us invoke their slogan, “Can you hear me now?,” whenever my Dad tries to use his phone from home. He has cell phone coverage everywhere on God’s green earth except for in his house. You would think he lives out in Uni-bomber country, but he doesn’t. He lives in Florida in a metropolis best known as a port for Cruise ships. (I’d tell you exactly where that is, but I don’t know for sure that you’re not an internet stalker, do I?)

I’ve tried on quite a few occasions to let David talk to Papa on my cell phone, but that little experiment usually has catastrophic consequences. He either closes the phone, effectively disconnecting the call, or he accidentally texts or calls people that I have been avoiding. Needless to say, it just wasn’t working.

My Dad is a fairly smart guy, so he bought us a webcam and had it delivered right to the house. I was thrilled with this idea because David would get to know his grandparents and actually know what they look like, too. Its much cheaper than plane tickets.

A couple months went by and I still wasn’t able to convince hubby to install the webcam for me. It’s mostly my fault because I really try not to nag, and its really hard to say, “When are you going to install that webcam for me?” without sounding like you are nagging. So I cut him some slack.

Now that it’s been more than 5 months since the webcam has been sitting in the closet, I gave myself permission to install the webcam on the computer by myself. Although Dad reassured me that it would only take 15 minutes to download the software, it actually took an entire hour. The programs kept freezing up and I had to reboot my computer umpteen times. Of course, Dad has explained to me umpteen times that this is exactly why Linux is better than Windows, but I’m a glutton for punishment.

We tried our first webcam video chat last night and it wasn’t great, but it could have been worse. We both had picture, but the video wasn’t moving. We both had audio, but it was really difficult to understand. My Dad sounded like the guy behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz.

So, do any of you computer geeks reading my blog know what we’re doing wrong?

Best Buddies

2009-02-17T08:05:00.000-05:00

Skywalker is one of David's favorite people on the entire planet. He adores her, probably because she is the coolest big sister anybody could ever have.

She even lets him listen to her Ipod with her. How cool is that?

Big Helper

2009-02-16T14:17:00.017-05:00

I made the mistake of trying to pack away David’s baby clothes this weekend while he was awake. I decided it was time to put another round of clothing into storage when I opened a dresser drawer the other day while I was looking for nail clippers and I encountered an entire drawer devoted to baby bibs.

While I was packing up his baby bibs, tiny socks, and unbelievably adorable tiny outfits, he was doing some unpacking of his own.

He tried on his Halloween costume again…

Then he had a fit because I wouldn’t let him play with Mommy’s new Canon Powershot SX10…

Then he demanded to wear a tiny bib and sit in his baby carrier…

No way Mommy’s putting that on her back with you in it, big boy!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T08:44:00.001-05:00

A mother holds her children’s hands for a while, their hearts forever.

Works for Me Wednesday: Potty Training

2009-02-11T10:10:00.005-05:00

It’s been ages since I participated in a Works for Me Wednesday, but I received some awesome potty training advice the other day, tried it for myself, and I am just aching to share this brilliant idea with you.

Little King David recently began attending a new daycare center. The center’s policy is that any child over the age of 2 years old wears Pull-Ups at school rather than diapers because they begin potty training after each child’s second birthday. David is 23 months at the moment, so his potty training adventure will begin very soon.

He seems to be very interested in all things related to the potty. He “helps” Mommy and Daddy go potty and Elmo’s Potty Time is his favorite movie at the moment. He asks for a diaper change immediately upon soiling it and he is always happy to tell me when he is going to poop.

The other day, a friend advised that every time he has a bowel movement, I should dump his poop into the potty and tell him that is where poop belongs. That sounds so disgusting that I knew he would love it.

Last night, he told me he was pooping, so we changed his diaper and I told him the big news. Poop goes in the potty. He looked stunned! I let him look at it in the diaper first. Although he said, “Ewww! Gross!” He really looked more curious and impressed with himself, but I pretended that he was grossed out.

We dumped the poop into the potty and David flushed, while waving “Bye Bye, poop!” Then, we washed his hands in the sink, just like we will do after he uses the toilet.

He loved it!

It was one of the grossest mom things I’ve had the pleasure of doing in the past two years, (or at least in recent memory), but I think David is looking forward to his next bowel movement!

I’ll keep you posted on the potty training progress. In the meantime, this is working for me!

To read more interesting and useful tips like this, visit Works For Me Wednesday.

Did I Blink?

2009-02-11T09:49:00.002-05:00

Since when is my little baby such a big boy? It seems like just yesterday he needed me for everything and his most impressive response to any question was “Yes.”

Now, he eats cereal in a bowl with milk and a spoon, he drinks from a cup without a lid, he opens the refrigerator by himself, finds the blueberries that I have hidden in the butter compartment, opens them and pours them into his snack cup. He brushes his teeth by himself, can turn on the water in the sink to wash his hands, and pretends to do bicep curls with my resistance band. He has a painfully accurate aim when throwing any ball (he’s a lefty, too!). He puts away his dirty laundry, tosses his dirty dishes into the kitchen sink, and loves to vacuum.

He suddenly speaks a zillion words and he likes to throw them out all at once. Last week, he could say “Yes.” This week, he says, “C’,mon, Mama. Get up and come here. I want this, please.” He also loves to say, “I do it! I big boy.”

How did this happen so quickly?

Who is this little man living in my house?

And where is my baby?

The Purse Is Boss

2009-02-10T08:15:00.007-05:00

Lynette tagged me for a meme because my current blog fodder about daycare and respiratory infections has been getting a little old. She’s also mistakenly thinking that I might have something fun and interesting to add to this meme, and I can assure you that I don’t. We’ll blame her for the post that follows.

This meme is forcing me to take a photo of my purse and post it for everyone to see. The meme was very specific in instructing that I may not dig the cute purse out of my closet. The photo has to be the purse that I’m hauling around with me today. Since I'm at work, I also don't have access to that fancy new camera my husband bought, so I'm using the camera on my cellphone.

I’m currently carrying a very simple, black New York and Co. purse. It has two straps and one zipper. It contains my wallet, my cell phone, my car keys and my i-pod. I also have some eyeliner and lip gloss stashed in there, as well as a few Euros that David’s grandfather sent him from Austria, but I can’t find a place to exchange them for U.S. currency.

The purse cost me absolutely nothing as it was a cast-off from my fashionable sister-in-law a few years ago. She is always on the cutting edge of fashion and I have never seen her wear the same outfit twice. I also never saw her carry this purse, which probably explains why it was given to me looking like-new. I’m a bargain hunter at heart, so $0 for a cute purse is an offer I can’t refuse.

Now that I’ve done my bloggy-duty, I’m inviting all my readers to participate in this meme. The rules are simple:

1) Post a picture of the purse you are carrying today. Do not grab the cute purse out of your closet that you now wish you were carrying instead.

2) Share the story of how you got it and how much you paid. This is purely for our entertainment.
3) Daddy bloggers are not excluded! If you don’t have a purse, we’d love to see the masculine diaper bag that you carry around.

4) Tag your friends and link back to this post so they understand why you are torturing them with a writing assignment. They’ll also feel better about their own hand-bags after seeing mine on display.

Enjoy!

Back In The Swing of Things

2009-02-09T09:02:00.003-05:00

It’s another Monday morning. Little King David is feeling much better after an episode of pneumonia that left him three pounds lighter than he was a week ago today. He is eating and drinking again after several days on antibiotics and he returned to daycare this morning. Now Mommy is starting the get the same respiratory infection that he had last week…gotta love those French kisses!

Although today technically marks David’s second week at the new daycare center, it’s really only the third day he is attending. He was melancholy on the morning commute, even though Mommy was trying to excite him with thoughts of play-doh and painting. Upon arriving at daycare, David became very clingy and refused to be put down. Mommy finally handed him over to his teacher and kissed him good-bye. You can never imagine how hard it is to leave a hysterical kid until that kid is your own. You would think it should make you feel good that someone in the world loves you so much that they are devastated when you leave them. I felt like scum for leaving my crying baby.

I called Daddy this morning as I drove to work and he listened to me cry and assured me that David would be fine. He encouraged me to call the daycare when I got to work and promised they would tell me that David was happy. He convinced me that it’s safe and healthy for David to feel sad when people he loves leave and its evidence of healthy emotional development. See why I love this man so much?

I did call the daycare when I knew they would be done eating breakfast and David’s teacher assured me that he is just fine. He stopped crying two minutes after I left the parking lot and he has been playing happily ever since.

Do I really have to do this all over again tomorrow???

Wordless Wednesday: New Camera, New Pics

2009-02-04T14:43:00.003-05:00

Sick Day

2009-02-04T14:40:00.004-05:00

David’s first day at the new daycare center was fabulous! He didn’t cry all day, had a good nap, met some new friends, and made a mess of himself with his spaghetti. The transition was smooth and uneventful.

Day #2 wasn’t quite so good. David woke up with a runny nose and a little bit of a cough. He screamed and cried as Mommy left the daycare center and he was still crying as he stood in the window watching her drive away. Mommy was crying a few moments later.

I got a call later that afternoon that David had a fever of 103 degrees and rapid breathing. I ran to my car as fast as my chubby legs could take me.

Daddy met us at the doctor’s office a short hour later and they ran a zillion tests and poked him too many times. It’s not strep throat, it’s not the flu and it’s not an ear infection. His doctor concluded that he has the same mysterious viral infection that every single kid in her pediatrics practice has had this week.

David is at home with Daddy today watching The Jungle Book and eating ice cream for lunch. He’s probably even eating ice cream for lunch while sitting on the living room couch. (All the rules change when you’re sick)

Its my turn to stay home with him tomorrow and his doctor wants to see him again on Friday if he still has a fever by then.

One day at a time!

Good Morning!

2009-02-02T08:19:00.004-05:00

I have been anxiously awaiting this Monday morning, and it’s not because I was excited to go to work. Today is David’s first day at his new daycare!

I’ve been an emotional train wreck since we decided to move to a new daycare center. Although I knew in my heart that it was the right decision to make, it was so hard to say goodbye to the teachers and friends that have been part of David’s life ever since he can remember. His teachers cried on his last day and David hugged everyone goodbye as if it would be only a few short days until he saw them again. I felt a tug at my heart at the thought that he doesn’t understand that he is never going back.

We spent the weekend talking about David’s new school. I even let him watch Finding Nemo so he would be excited about the fish tank full of clown fish in the new daycare center’s lobby.

We arrived at daycare early this morning, just as I had planned. We hung up David’s coat and filled his new cubby with his bibs, sippy cup, painting shirt and spare clothes. We spread out his nap mat and his blankie on his new cot and I left his photo album on his cot so he could see Mommy & Daddy at naptime.

David gave Mommy a huge pucker and ran off to meet some new friends. As I was leaving, David was helping one of the teachers move the breakfast cart to his classroom. He didn’t even cry when I left! I was so relieved!

Now, if only I could be as excited about a Monday morning...

Difficult Decisions

2009-01-23T12:57:00.004-05:00

Little King David has been in the same daycare center since he was 8 weeks old. His former infant teacher calls herself “his grandmother.” He is the teacher’s pet in the toddler class. He has a best friend in his classroom that he hugs goodbye at the end of the day.

Imagine my dismay when I realized now is the time that we need to move David to a new daycare center!

There is another child at this daycare center that is a challenge for the teachers to manage. Biter Boy constantly runs off, ignores their instructions, and hurts other children. The hurting other children part is what bothers me, and the hurting David part is what bothers me most. Biter Boy is the child that was biting David a few months ago.

Wednesday morning, I dropped David off at daycare. As I was leaving, I saw Biter Boy run up behind him, knock him to the ground, and lay on his head. Needless to say, David was hysterical and Mommy was late for work.

Not surprisingly, Daddy was livid. He worked from home on Thursday so David could stay home while Mommy sorted things out with the daycare Director.

The daycare Director informed me that I was exaggerating when I told her that David was “injured” by Biter Boy because he was able to get up and walk away after the incident. She also told me that Biter Boy’s behavior has improved since the biting incidents and there must be something about David that encourages Biter Boy to pick on him. She also reminded me that David is not a perfect little angel and he must have hit someone in daycare at one time or another, although his teachers have never notified me of that behavior. She assured me that she has seen children in the past that have much more severe behavior problems than Biter Boy.

I wonder how she would feel if I knocked her to the floor and sat on her head?

David will only be attending this daycare for one more short week.

Bye Bye, Biter Boy and Child-Hating Daycare Director!!!

A Mama of Few Words

2009-01-21T10:30:00.003-05:00

We have been working with a Family Support Specialist from Help Me Grow for a few months. You may recall that Little King David was in the habit of throwing massive tantrums. It wasn’t unusual for him to cry for an hour or two if he didn’t get his way. This was very unnerving for Mommy and Daddy and rather than battle each other over how to fix this problem, we decided to get help.

David hasn’t had a monster tantrum for awhile now and we no longer feel like we are walking on eggshells all the time. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Mommy and Daddy got in the habit of bowing to His Majesty a little too often.

Rather than command our little toddler, we began to make requests. It wasn’t uncommon to hear Mommy use her sing-song sugary voice to say:

“David, please don’t touch the stove. It is hot and Mommy doesn’t want you to get a boo-boo. Mommy would be very sad if you got hurt.” (Repeat 20 times)

“David, please lay still while I change your diaper. This is very messy business and Mommy doesn’t want you to fall off the changing table. You will get a boo-boo and Mommy doesn’t want you to get hurt.” (Repeat 20 times)

“David, please don’t stand on the chair. I would like you to sit on your butt. If you fall, you will get a boo-boo and Mommy doesn’t want you to get hurt.” (Repeat 20 times)

I’m sure you can see how my communication style was flawed. It was even better when Mommy and Daddy were in a room together. I would repeat my request a zillion times and Daddy would be sure to interrupt to repeat my request again.

Our Family Support Specialist must chuckle to herself every time she leaves our house.

Her instructions this week are to stop rationalizing with a toddler. Use only simple sentences and short words. There is no need to offer explanations or rationalizations.

I’ve been trying this for two days now and I have a new child!

Mommy says, “David, sit down.”

David sits down.

Mommy says, “David, we are taking a bath now.”

David runs to the tub.

Mommy says, “David, we are eating.”

David stops hollering about getting out of his high chair 5 minutes after we start eating dinner.

Either it’s a miracle or I’m dense. Probably the latter…

No Season

2009-01-13T08:43:00.008-05:00

I got an email update from Babycenter this morning. The subject was “What Your 22 Month Old Is Doing Now: Week 2.”

The email informed me of a condition referred to as “toddler refusal,” which is a stage when a toddler’s only word is “no.”

I’m so grateful that I received this email today because I never would have guessed that my child could be defiant. I’m so glad they warned me, because the last seven days of my life have sounded something like this:

While Playing In the Snow:

Mommy: David, we have been outside for an hour. Your lips are blue and your fingers feel like ice. Let’s go inside and make some hot cocoa.

David: NO! NO! NO!

While Taking A Bath:

Mommy: David, sit on your butt in the tub. I don’t want you to get a boo-boo.

David: NO! NO! NO!

While Getting Ready for School:

Mommy: David, what do you want to wear today? Do you want your moose shirt or your motorcycle shirt?

David: NO! NO! NO!

While Still Getting Ready for School:

Mommy: Great job, David! Thanks for letting me pin you down with my elbow while I try to fasten your diaper before you flip off the changing table! Now, its time to put on your pants.

David: NO! NO! NO!

Mommy: David, do your friends wear pants?

David: Yes.

Mommy: David, do your teachers wear pants?

David: Yes.

Mommy: David, do you wear pants?

David: NO! NO! NO!

Luckily for me, the smart folks at Babycenter have plenty of advice to offer. If you are coping with toddler refusal, try the following:

DIVERSION
Divert the child’s attention. If he refuses to go into the house after playing in the snow and you fear hypothermia, simply divert his attention by offering hot cocoa.

OFFER CHOICES
Your child is exercising his will. Offer choices to help him feel a sense of power and control. For example, allow him to choose his favorite moose shirt or his new motorcycle shirt. For best results, limit his choices to only two options.

LOGIC
Explain to your child why a certain behavior is desired. For example, remind him that his friends and teachers wear pants, so it would be good for him to wear pants, too.

I’m going to print this so Little King David can read it. He obviously didn’t get these instructions.

Resolutions

2009-01-08T08:23:00.000-05:00

I told myself I wouldn’t make any resolutions for the new year. Its so cliché and new year resolutions rarely stick. I don’t want to make goals for my life just because its trendy to do something new on January 1.

At least, that was my rationalization until I realized that my resolution could involve shopping.

I’m sure you’ve realized by now that I’m a working mom. I work because I have to, not because I want to. I loathe that fact that my darling angel spends hours a day in a daycare center. I will never forget the first time I left him there. He was only 8 weeks old and he was asleep when I dropped him off. I bawled during my entire drive to work because I was convinced that my precious baby would wake up in a strange new place with strange people and flip out. I was hysterical.

Since then, I have come to realize that there are many benefits of David attending daycare. He has been blessed with caregivers that adore him and he is clearly the Teacher’s Pet. He gets more attention than any other child and he has many close friends. His social skills are excellent and he has plenty of opportunities to play with other children and learn. Despite the fact that I would love to spend every waking minute with him, I know he is safe and happy during the day.

So, since I have to work, I’ve decided to make the most of it. I’ve been going to school, taking one class at a time, to finish my degree. I’m gaining valuable work experience in my field and I’m networking.

The next step on my career path is to dress professionally. I work in a business dress/ business casual office. That means, the executives wear suits and the secretaries wear slacks and sweaters. When it comes to clothing, I am both cheap and lazy. I cringe at the thought of spending $30 on one pair of shoes and I can’t buy anything that isn’t on sale. I also can’t force myself to wear a suit knowing that I will just be sitting in my tiny cubicle all day. I love to be comfortable.

My New Years Resolution is to dress for the job I want, not for the job I have.

I’ve cleaned out my closet and I’ve been wearing suits all week. Luckily for me, I’ve lost some weight (although not enough), so my darling Hubby gave me the green light to spend some money. I bought an entire wardrobe on Ebay. I can’t wait to get the box!

Here are my faves:

Too Many Blessings

2009-01-07T08:28:00.004-05:00

Now that the holiday season has officially ended with Ascension Day on January 6, its time to return to normal life. The bad news is that involves a lot of early mornings. The good news is that involves more blogging!

We had a very joyous holiday celebration. Santa was too good to Little King David this year. Luckily, Mommy and Daddy have learned from past experiences with the Queen of Sheba and Skywalker that the grandparents don’t know when to stop when it comes to buying Christmas gifts. This allows us to buy just a few gifts and focus on the reason for the season without feeling like the kids are deprived.

We appreciate the time we have to contemplate the birth of our Savior, because when Christmas Day is over, we get to stay up until 2:00am sorting through the toy box, deciding what toys have lived their useful life, and trying to find room for the new additions. (Warning: don't ever try to do this while your child is awake. You will not get rid of anything, you will simply resurrect the old toys that haven't seen the light of day since last Christmas. Your child will be thrilled to see their long lost toys, but they will refuse to part with them. Wait until the kids are in bed before you start purging the toy box.)

Although I expect the grandparents to buy more than the kids need or that we could possibly fit into our tiny house, I was still shocked that we came home with this:

The grandparents must have heard me say the MY son will NEVER ride a motorcycle. Thanks for adding fuel to the fire of his obsession, my dear in-laws!!

2009-01-01T00:05:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T08:10:00.002-05:00

Lovey

2008-12-23T13:38:00.005-05:00

This is David’s friend, Woof. Woof was a gift from David’s godparents before he was born. They gave us this plush dog at our baby shower because their nephew had the same toy and it was his lovey.

Of all the toys, blankets, and stuffed animals that David owns, its adorable that he chose Woof to be his best friend. We never encouraged him to choose a lovey, so it was clearly fate that David and Woof found each other.

David takes Woof everywhere. They sleep together, eat together, play together, go to school together, go to church together, and ride in the car together. The only place Woof doesn’t go is into the bathtub, and that’s only because Mommy won’t let him. David even shares his food and toys with Woof, which is amazing, because David hates to share.

Since David loves Woof so much, Woof gets dirty quickly. Woof also gets sticky when David shares his french toast at breakfast. Evidentally, Woof likes pancake syrup just as much as David does.

Sometimes Woof needs to take a bath. Woof took a bath last Saturday. Mommy put him in the washer machine right after breakfast. We were having so much fun that she forgot to move him to the dryer right away. Daddy panicked at naptime when they couldn’t find Woof, but luckily, Woof was safe and dry. Close call!

Mommy and Daddy have often heard that wise parents keep a spare lovey in case of an emergency. They thought this was a good idea, so they asked David’s godmother where she bought it. She ordered it online because it was sold by Ty (the lovely folks that brought the world Beanie Babies) and it had been retired.

Mommy looked on Amazon and found him!

Only $99!

Mommy looked again and realized that the expensive Woof was the wrong color. The Woof in the correct color is also sold on Amazon.

Only $29!

Mommy is cheap, so Mommy looked on Ebay.

$19.99 and free shipping!

Hurray!!

Now, does anyone have any suggestions for making the new Woof smell and look like the old Woof???

The Joy of Parenthood

2008-12-22T15:10:00.006-05:00

Now I have four people reading my blog. Oh, the sweet joys of success!

My most recent bloggy victim is a newlywed anxiously awaiting the arrival of his first child. Although most of my comments on his blog encourage him to savor ever moment of his freedom before its gone, there are so many joys of parenthood that I never truly appreciated until I experienced them for myself.

In an effort to embrace an attitude of gratitude this holiday season, I’m posting this:

Baby Addict’s Top Five Reasons that Being a Parent Rocks

1. You get to experience your soul mate in an entirely new way. You know the best friend and lover in them, but you don’t know the parent in them until your first child is born. Watching your mate protect and care for a tiny, needy human being that is a part of yourself will inspire a new depth of love. (Although sleep deprivation makes it difficult to share your adoration adequately)

2. You get to be the hero. For the first couple of years, you will be the person your child runs to as soon as you walk in the door. You will be the one your child wants to sleep with when they are sick. You will be the one that cuddles your child when they are afraid of the dark, or the lightning, or the big, scary world of sleep. You are everything.

3. You get all the love. Babies are full of love and all the cuddling, hugging, smooching, and baby wearing gives you all the human contact you could ever crave (and sometimes more).

4. You get all the credit. There has never been another baby in the history of time as cute and smart as yours. The great news is that it is entirely due to your fabulous genes and talented parenting skills.

5. You get to see the world in a new way. The most mundane things are new and beautiful when your baby sees them for the first time. Rather than whine about the snow covering your car, you will be thrilled to share the moment when your baby licks his first snowball.

There are so many more reasons I could add to the list, but this post would be entirely too long. Although its more entertaining to whine about the challenges we face, parenthood is definitely a blessing.

I’d love to hear what you would add to this list!

I'm IT

2008-12-22T12:58:00.008-05:00

Remember recess in elementary school? Did you ever find yourself leaning on the fence chatting idly with a bestest best friend and suddenly someone runs up and tags you for a game you’re not even playing? Remember how you felt when you tried to explain that you were an innocent bystander and you really weren’t IT but everyone was so busy having fun that no one heard you and your only choice was to play along and get it over with? Remember that?

That’s exactly what happened to me today. I’m at work, minding my own business, trying to look busy when I’m really not, when Eric tagged me for this meme.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t mind a meme and certainly not on a day when I’m trying to kill some time at work anyway. My only complaint about this meme is that it requires me to take a photo of myself RIGHT NOW and post it online.

How cruel is that, folks?

So, here’s my glamorous photo.

In the interest of sharing the joy of the season, I’m tagging these folks as well.

Heather at Not A DIY Life

Lynette at Day In The Life Of Ordinary

Brandy at Peanut Butter and Jelly

In All Seriousness

2008-12-18T11:37:00.007-05:00

I'm wondering who this kid is in David's school portrait?

He had his photo taken at daycare and this is what the photographer captured:

I tried to take his photo at home, and this is what he gave me:

How much do I have to pay to get a smile out of this kid???

Empty

2008-12-16T08:32:00.001-05:00

I feel negligent in ignoring my blog for so long, but I honestly can’t think of anything uplifting to share. This blog is a place where I share the many joys of my daily life. I haven’t been here for awhile because that joy is missing and I can’t describe the feeling that is filling the void it left.

Rest assured that David is happy and healthy and as joyful as ever. Mommy is just missing that peaceful feeling that comes from knowing that you belong in the world and there are other people in it that would miss you if you were gone.

When I feel that peace again, I’ll be back to share it with you.

Seeing the Future

2008-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

My guys are sick this week and I feel so much sympathy as I watch them struggle to breathe and fight to sleep. Daddy and David both have bronchitis and have been taking antibiotics since Saturday.

I’m hoping their infections are bacterial and not viral, so this will be done and over with quickly. Their doctors warn that their infections could evolve into pneumonia, which Daddy had last year (although he didn’t tell me his diagnosis until months later. He only consented to a doctor visit after I nagged him for three weeks to go. Please note, normal flu does not last for three weeks)

The only thing worse than watching your family battle illness is knowing that you are the only healthy person left in the house to be attacked by their germs. I try to get more rest and eat well, but that’s hard to do when a screaming toddler finds his way into your bed at all hours of the night.

Its like facing the electric chair. Only 17 days until Christmas and these germs are stalking me!

Excuse me while I reach for what David likes to call, “Magic Soap.”

How I Know I'm Old

2008-12-08T13:53:00.012-05:00

We recently celebrated the Queen of Sheba’s 18th birthday.

I think I’m still in denial. She can’t possibly be old enough to vote and buy lottery tickets already!

Our family tradition is to celebrate with a dinner at the birthday girl’s favorite restaurant, but I felt that this birthday was too special to be celebrated as just another common day. I recommended that Daddy take the Queen of Sheba on a Daddy & Daughter Date, and that’s exactly what they did.

They enjoyed dinner at Melting Pot, a fancy fondue restaurant that I’ve been lusting after for quite some time. They later confirmed that I would love this place because the only food yummier than chocolate is cheese, and this place melts them both. Yummy! After dinner, they headed downtown for the annual Holiday Lighting Festival.

While they were out having fun, we were home having fun, too. Skywalker and Mommy took Little King David to Chick-Fil-A for chicken nuggets and a romp in the indoor playground. The restaurant wasn’t very busy for a Saturday night, so we joined David in the tunnels and the slide. It was great fun!

At the end of the evening, we all gathered in our kitchen and sang happy birthday. Skywalker even put aside the sibling rivalry momentarily and played the Happy Birthday song on her guitar. Queen loved her cake, which we decorated in the Chinese characters for Happy Birthday.

There’s nothing like a child’s milestone birthday to make a woman feel ancient!

My Favorite Creatures

2008-12-02T14:58:00.011-05:00

I realize that its been awhile since you heard from Mommy, but she’s been really busy with school lately. She just finished an Advanced Placement Exam today that will give her credit on her transcript for a Computer Information Systems course that she needs to graduate. Since she passed the test, she doesn’t have to take the class and that will help her to graduate an entire semester earlier. That means more time to spend with me!

While Mommy is busy, I want to tell you some more about our trip to Cancun. I learned so many new things there and I want to share them with you!

I saw some really cool animals at our resort. As we walked around, I saw iguanas laying out in the sun. I tried my best to pet one of them, but they were always faster than me.

At night, we saw geckos everywhere! My Dad caught a baby gecko and let me pet him with my Nice Hands. We let the baby gecko go home because he wanted to see his Mommy and Daddy. I loved that baby gecko and I’m obsessed with drawing baby geckos. I can’t draw really good yet, but I like to ask my sister to draw me a picture of a gecko on my Magna-Doodle. I love to do it again and again and again, but my sister eventually grumbles about it.

At night time, we saw some bats flying around in the jungle. They were hard to see because they fly really fast, but one of them touched Mommy’s arm. I don’t know why she wasn’t more excited about that.

I met a monkey on the beach one day. He was on a leash, so I knew he was someone’s pet. We also saw some monkey creatures in the jungle, but I don’t know what they were called.

I loved Cancun because it was just as exciting as visiting a zoo! I really want to go back someday so I can finally pet an iguana.

Happy Thanksgiving Again

2008-11-27T08:33:00.004-05:00

So much has changed in Little King David’s world since his first Thanksgiving last year. Today, he is thankful for:

His feet that walk him everywhere he wants to go

His big boy words that help him tell Mommy & Daddy what’s on his mind

His teeth that help him chew yummy foods

His hair that keeps his head warm

His mouth that puckers for kisses from Mommy & Daddy

His sisters that taught him to say, “Go away!”

His family that loves him more than he can imagine

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Ocean

2008-11-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

My Mommy is from Florida, so she grew up swimming in the ocean. She really loves the water and she isn’t at all afraid of sharks. She likes living near Lake Erie, but it’s not as pretty as the ocean.

I saw the ocean for the first time in my life on our trip to Cancun. My Papa is going to be a little sad that I didn’t see the ocean for the first time at his house in West Palm Beach, but Mommy said this ocean was prettier than Papa’s ocean. The water was very clear and the sand was soft. The waves were gentle and the water wasn’t as salty when you accidentally swallowed it.

The first time I put my feet in the ocean, I was a little scared. It was a lot bigger than the swimming pool at the YMCA. I really wanted Mommy to pick me up. I wanted Daddy to pick me up, too, but he was busy taking photos of me being scared.

After we took some pictures, Mommy & Daddy carried me while they walked out into the waves. We met a very nice lady in the water that was holding a bread roll. She was feeding the fish. I looked down in the water and I saw lots of silver fish swimming around us. The water was so clear that you could see them gobbling the bread. That made me forget how scared I was because I wanted to get in the water and touch the fish. I wasn’t fast enough to catch one, though.

After my first day, I wasn’t scared of the ocean anymore. I loved to run into the water all by myself and watch the waves hitting my legs. I would let Mommy & Daddy take me into the deeper water, but then I would scream at them, “I do it! I do it! I DO IT!!!!” I don’t know why they didn’t understand that I just wanted to stand in the water by myself. When Mommy finally got the message, she let me stand in the water alone. It was fun until a big wave knocked me over, which is when I found out that the water tasted funny.

I really loved the ocean and I want to visit it again, soon!.

My First Flight

2008-11-21T09:09:00.007-05:00

I’m sure my Mommy told you how relaxing our vacation was and how she had an opportunity to review her priorities and enjoy the little blessings in life. Now that vacation is over, she’s really busy planning a year-end event at work and she doesn’t look as relaxed as she did in Cancun. I’m trying to help her out, so I’m posting on her blog today. It’s just one less thing she still has to do before we can play with my Magna-Doodle together, so I’m happy to help.

I know you want to hear all about our vacation, but I have to tell you about the airplane ride first. Mommy & Daddy took me to the airport a couple of weeks before our trip so I could explore. They were very nervous about my first flight. I heard them wonder aloud how I was going to sit on an airplane for a couple of hours when I can’t even sit through church quietly for ten minutes. I suppose they just don’t understand how hard it is to be quiet when you have as much to say as I do. I really don’t understand why the Pastor is allowed to talk as much as he wants, but I’m not allowed to talk at all. Don’t you think God wants to hear me, too?

The morning of our trip, Mommy woke me up really early. She usually gets mad at me if I want to wake up at 4:30am, but it was alright on trip day because it was her idea. She asked me again and again if I was ready to ride the airplane, and I just looked at her like she was crazy because airplanes are way up in the sky and they’re really small. Either way, I could sense that we were going on an adventure, so I played along.

After a quick car ride to the airport, we got to ride a shuttle bus from the parking lot to the terminal. I was so excited about the bus ride! When we got off the bus, we had to wait in line to send our luggage onto the airplane. I had lots of fun running around the queuing line. Everyone loved watching me run around and I know they did because I saw lots of smiles and giggles from the people I ran past.

After our bags were gone, we waited in another long line. At the end of the line, I had to take off my shoes and walk to a policeman, which was kind of strange. I didn’t mind, though, because there was a big window next to the line and I could look outside and see a huge airplane! I didn’t want to leave that window.

After we were done waiting in lines, Mommy & Daddy let me run all over the waiting area. I was darting in and out and left and right and up and down the terminal. I was entertaining folks again, which I suppose is just my job. After I got bored with that, we saw an airplane getting ready to leave. I stood in the window and watched the luggage get loaded on the plane and I watched other people walk down the tunnel and get onboard. I was so interested in watching that plane that I argued with Mommy & Daddy when it was time to get on our airplane.

I was supposed to be a lap child, but our airplane wasn’t full, so I got my very own seat. I was obsessed with buckling and unbuckling my seat belt, so I did that for the entire time we were waiting to take off. The sun was just starting to rise that morning as we taxied on the runway, so I could watch out the window as other planes took off. Our plane started to move very fast, which reminded me of a race car, which was really cool. Suddenly, we were up in the clouds, which was very interesting, but not as interesting as my seat belt.

I spent a couple of hours playing with Mommy & Daddy. They packed a big bag of my favorite toys and books and they even brought a couple of toys I never saw before! I really loved having Mommy & Daddy’s attention all to myself. After about 2 hours, I told Mommy that I was “All done,” but she said we were flying over the ocean and couldn’t get off the plane right away. I started to argue with her, but then she promised to sing the Winnie the Pooh song to me if I cuddled with her. I love that song, so I grabbed my blankie and my doggie and cuddled up with Mommy. She sang me to sleep and I napped for the last hour of our flight.

When we got to the new airport, I got to ride an elevator and we waited in line for immigration and customs. I love lines because there are lots of bored people to entertain there. After that, we got on a big tour bus with huge windows and we took a two hour bus ride to our resort. I loved looking out the windows because Mexico looks so much different than Cleveland. I liked it.

We had a really long day. Mommy told me that we were traveling for a total of 7 hours and I didn’t cry once! Mommy & Daddy were shocked. I’m such a big boy. I would love to ride on an airplane again. I want to go on the airport parking shuttle bus, too.

Back in the Saddle Again

2008-11-18T12:05:00.008-05:00

I’ve been dying to write a blog post and tell you all about our fabulous vacation, but I don’t know where to begin. I’m also drowning in work, so blogging is a seriously guilty pleasure at the moment. I just can’t resist the urge to indulge.

I won a 7-night, all-inclusive vacation package from Apple Vacations as part of my Makeover Prize. On the advice of several travel agents, we chose to visit the Riviera Maya region of Cancun. We stayed at the Grand Palladium Resort and we took our toddler along.

The trip was so fabulous that I really don’t know where to begin. I think I’ll have to share multiple posts about it, but the highlights are that Little King David absolutely loved the airplane ride and our travel days were tantrum-free. The people in Mexico were among the nicest folks I have ever met in my life. My first reaction to the gift of this vacation was a sense of dread because I really don’t enjoy wearing a bathing suit in public. I grew up in sunny Florida, so the idea of a tropical vacation wasn’t a novelty to me. I assumed the beach in Cancun would be just about the same as the beach at my father’s house in West Palm Beach, which we visit annually.

Thankfully, I was wrong. The beaches were beautiful and the ocean was serene. I spent a couple of days twitching from withdrawal after realizing that I didn’t have access to email, the internet, or my cell phone. A few pina coladas did wonders to help me relax.

I learned several important life lessons from this vacation.

*Stop and enjoy.

*The urgent details aren’t so important once you take the time to walk away.

*Toddlers are wise. Live at their pace and enjoy the peace.

*God is awesome. Look at everything he made!

Enjoy the pics and stay tuned for all the vacation details. I’ve heard a rumor that Little King David will be here later this week to tell you all about it from his perspective.

Bye Bye!

2008-11-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow!!!!

2008-11-05T15:11:00.006-05:00

The time has finally come!!!!

Our bags are packed and David is anxiously awaiting his first airplane ride. We'll be waking up at 3:30am tomorrow to catch our 7:00am flight to Cancun.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that David can refrain from throwing a massive tantrum for the first day in months. I'm trying to be optimistic, but considering that the kid refused to put on a shirt today until we took him outside and he realized that it was darn cold this morning, I think the likelihood of an entire day without a meltdown is asking for too much.

I've resolved to enjoy myself, anyway!

I'll be thinking about all my bloggy friends while I'm laying on the beach. I promise!!

Chocolate Addiction

2008-11-03T13:07:00.011-05:00

Although I am obsessed with vacation preparations at the moment, I feel obliged to share the details of David’s first Halloween celebration.

This is technically his second Halloween, but he was sick last year and didn’t get to celebrate. These are photos of the costume he planned to wear and what he actually wore last Halloween.

This year was a different story, thankfully. The weather here was gorgeous and sunny, thanks to the delayed time change. David went trick or treating with his sisters and their friends, which was funny to me because last year they felt they were too old for such nonsense. How could a person possibly be too old to collect free candy????

The concept of trick or treating was a little lost on David, though. At the very first house, our neighbor dropped a candy bar in his bucket. David stood right in front of her door, took the candy bar out of the bucket, threw the bucket on the sidewalk, and unwrapped the candy bar. He repeated this process at every house until we got smart and took his candy bucket away.

I bet you’ve never met a lion that was a Chocolate Addict!!

David Reviews the Circus

2008-11-01T10:46:00.003-04:00

My Mommy has been busy packing for vacation lately, but she finally let me get online because I want to tell you all about my first trip to the circus. We went last week, but it took me awhile to write this.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is in town and my Mommy got some discount tickets from work. She said it was really hard to find a show time that wasn’t at my naptime or bedtime. I don’t know what she was worried about because I’m never in a rush to go to sleep. I would rather be anywhere than in my crib, but the circus is especially more fun than sleeping.

Daddy bought me some cotton candy as soon as we got to the circus. He was so excited to give me my first cotton candy that he was almost jumping up and down. I didn’t really like it at first because it felt weird on my tongue, but I got over it when I realized that I was eating sugar.

My favorite parts of the show were the motorcycles, the elephants, and the confetti during the finale. The worst part was the tigers because they are really slow and quiet. I also hated the clown that was trying to steal the circus from the ringmaster. He had a really creepy foreign accent and a bad toupee. I also got really freaked out when he brought out a bubble machine. I can’t really explain why I was trembling, but I really didn’t like that clown or his bubbles.

After the show, Daddy told Mommy to let me pick a toy for a souvenir while he went potty. When he came back, he saw me screaming and yanking on a toy motorcycle. I didn’t know that it was anchored to the display so a ranting toddler wouldn’t run off with it. I just knew I needed to have it. My Daddy bought it for me and I’ve been carrying it with me everywhere I go ever since. I sleep with it and I eat with it and I take it to school. I really love my motorcycle.

Mommy and Daddy tell me that their favorite memory of my first circus is when I told them for the first time, “I happy.”

I think they will take me there again. I loved it!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T12:44:00.000-04:00

Lost and Found

2008-10-29T13:29:00.007-04:00

Again, my posts have been few and far between, but I am obsessed with getting ready for vacation. I’m sure you’ve realized by now that I do nothing spontaneously, and this vacation is certainly no exception.

I have been hurriedly finishing all my homework assignments, trying to clear off my desk at work, cleaning the house, and planning a celebration for my bonus daughter’s 18th birthday. (Yes, the Queen of Sheba will be 18 already!!)

I also decided it might be a good idea to start packing so I can figure out what I forgot before we actually leave the house. So, last night I dug our luggage out of storage and started filling our suitcases. As I packed David’s duffel bag, I realized there was something in the front zipper pocket. It felt kind of like a flashlight, so I realized we must have left it in there when we went camping last June. I pulled it out to make more room and realized that it wasn’t a flashlight.

It was a sippy cup.

Filled with milk.

In our luggage since last June.

Oy.

Photography by David

2008-10-22T21:11:00.006-04:00

If you're curious, this is what happens when you let a toddler touch the buttons on your camera.

Now I guess you know what the Baby Addict looks like in real life...from a toddler's perspective.

Old Friends

2008-10-22T12:51:00.001-04:00

I recently found an old friend from high school and I decided to reach out to her. This isn’t something that I would typically do, since most of the kids I remember from high school were not friends that would be uplifting to have in my life right now. I thought it might be helpful to contact this particular friend, though, because she was always an anchor during my tumultuous adolescence. She was that girl that always respected her mom, did her chores, studied diligently, and followed the rules. She was the girl that I should have been spending more time with rather than hanging out with the kids that smoked while they were cutting class (at least, until they dropped out of school altogether).

I had no doubt in my mind that she went on to be successful in life and I thought she might be happy to learn that I’ve been surprisingly successful, too. I was looking forward to meeting her for coffee. Then, I learned that she recently moved far away.

Initially, I felt bad for postponing my contact with her for so long. Maybe if I had reached out sooner, we could have reunited.

Despite the move, she did answer my email. But I could sense that she was a little hesitant.

Remembering the other kids we went to high school with, I shared many details of my current life to reassure her that I wasn’t like them. I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t be eager to meet for coffee. Who doesn’t need another Mocha?

Then I had a huge realization.

I AM that kid from high school that you wouldn’t want to reconnect with. I AM that kid from high school that I wouldn’t even want to talk to again.

I’m that kid that cut class and started smoking when I was 14 years old. I’m that kid that talked back to teachers and wore the tightest, smallest shirt I could find. (usually belonging to my toddler sister). I’m that kid that came home drunk and I’m that kid that would run down the street while my mother pelted me with insults and obscenities. I’m that kid that couldn’t have friends over because I never knew when my mom’s mental illness would take over and she would have an embarrassing or violent outburst. I’m that kid that got kicked out of the house when I was 15 years old. I’m that kid that barely graduated high school.

It’s a very sobering insight to look at my self that way, but it reminds me of the mistakes I’ve made and how much I have achieved. I truly believe that we all have trials and life experiences for a reason. Maybe my reason is so I can understand and help my own adolescent bonus daughters. Or maybe the reason is so I can relate to my Teenage Sunday School class. Or maybe the reason is so I can truly appreciate God’s grace and his forgiveness.

Vacation Planning

2008-10-21T12:45:00.002-04:00

I’m not sure if I’ve turned over a new leaf or if I finally lost my marbles. I just realized that we are leaving for vacation in Cancun in less than three weeks. In the old days, I would have been packed already, researched all the available activities, planned a tentative schedule for each day of vacation and made multiple copies of our itinerary to leave with our emergency contacts. Today, I just realized that we are going on vacation very soon.

I’d like to say this is because I have changed, but I really think I’m just as anal as I have ever been but have less time to be as organized as I feel compelled to be.

In an effort to save my reputation, I’ve spent the morning preparing a packing list, ordering swim diapers from Amazon.com (I don’t know why I can’t find them in Ohio in October, duh!), and researching, researching, researching the resort we are going to.

Which creates my dilemma. We are taking Little King David with us for several reasons.

1. He has never been away from us overnight. Although he would probably love it, hubby and I are way too overprotective to let him spend his first night away from home while we vacation in another country.
2. Since he is under 2 years old, we only paid $10 in taxes and fees for him to go with us. No airfare costs and no cost to stay at the resort. There will never be another time in his life that will let him travel so cheaply, so we can’t miss this opportunity.

Then, we realized that we are taking the tantrums with us. And the nap schedule. And the early bedtime.

We rationalized that we would hire a sitter at the resort. Hubby even suggested finding another family with kids his age at the resort and swapping babysitting with them. Then we realized that these people are all strangers and we freaked out.

Fortunately, we did learn today that the age limits for the Kids’ Club has recently changed from ages 4-12 to ages 1-12. That means that we could leave David there while we eat a meal alone.

Would you do it? Am I an overprotective, psycho-mom to be having second thoughts about this?

I’m really tempted because we REALLY need some time alone, but I feel a little guilty, too. What would you do?

My Sad Monday Moment

2008-10-20T14:48:00.004-04:00

I had a sad realization recently and it has been haunting me all day.

Over the weekend, we were using our new Table Topics Family Edition game at dinner and we each pondered the question, “What do you like least and most about your life?”

My answer was that I don’t like working full-time because it puts so much stress and pressure on the entire family. If I worked part-time, or even as much as 32 hours per week, I could have an entire day to devote to cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry and errands. I’m realistic enough to know that I’d never get everything done in one day, but it would take a lot of pressure off of us. We would spend less time on the weekend cleaning up from the week that passed and getting ready for the week ahead.

As if I wasn’t depressed enough, I went to Target today during my lunch hour to find a new pair of black pumps. You would think that would be simple enough, but I’ve already been to 4 stores trying to find a replacement for the black pumps that broke last week and I can’t find anything. Anyway, I was jogging through the store so I could get back to my desk before my boss noticed I was gone, and I was shocked by what I saw.

There were moms strolling around the store. Shopping on a weekday. Babies and toddlers sleeping in shopping carts. Young ladies leisurely browsing through racks and shelves. Getting their chores done in the middle of the week.

I’m realistic enough to know that being a SAHM is a stressful and often unappreciated role. I know there are days when the kids are driving you crazy or you just want to go potty alone. I do like going to work and having my own space.

I just need 8 hours a week to myself.

If you stumble upon my ideal 32-hour-per-week job and you don’t snatch it up for yourself, please let me know.

I miss my family.

Wordless Wednesday: Halloween Moon

2008-10-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Next?!?

2008-10-14T10:10:00.009-04:00

One of my smarty-pants blog readers loved my bathroom remodel photos and asked what the next project is. She was only kidding, but my beloved husband is not.

This little house of ours is the first house either of us ever owned. We saved our pennies and lived in a tiny apartment for years before we found our “dream” house. I use the term loosely because we must have been “dreaming” when we bought this place.

We wanted to stay in the neighborhood where my bonus daughters were living to make visitation easier for them, so that helped to narrow down our selections. Then, we decided that we wanted really low mortgage payments because we love the jingle of change in our pockets. Then, we decided that all the kids should have their own bedroom and we should have a spare to use as a nursery someday. That narrowed our selections considerably.

We stumbled upon this little bungalow after a few months of searching. The house had been vacant for 6 years because the original owner died and her son didn’t sell it immediately. Although a landscaper had been hired to mow the lawn, little else was done to the house during that time. The house had the original 1950s carpeting and every room was painted a cheerful turquoise color. The house was also a two bedroom bungalow with an unfinished attic.

My husband took one look at this little nightmare of a house and fell in love. I had no idea at the time that I had married Bob Vila as too many years of apartment living had stifled the contractor inside him. We got a great deal on our little house and the work began.

We painted every wall and ceiling before we moved in. We ripped out all of the carpeting to discover beautiful hardwood floors. We washed the windows and cleaned the blinds. I painted the green front door a festive, bright red. We planted grass and trimmed the hedges. We peeled wallpaper and replaced light fixtures. Then, we moved in.

That’s obviously not the end of the story. We built two bedrooms on the second floor, which only took us sixteen months of working everyday after work and every minute of every weekend. We installed shut off valves for the washing machine in the basement. We built a custom entertainment center for our new widescreen television. Hubby built custom nightstands for the kids’ new bedrooms. He also built a custom habitat for our tortoise and a custom bench complete with storage for our eat-in kitchen. We removed trees from the backyard. We replaced the garage door opener. We replaced the roof. We remodeled the bathroom. We replaced the driveway.

So, what’s next?

It depends who you ask.

Ask me, I’ll tell you we’re done. It’s time to enjoy a relaxing life.

Ask hubby, the list includes:

Install new fence in backyard

Remove hedges at side door

Install motion-sensor light fixture at side door

Install brick patio in backyard with lattice canopy and firepit

Build a family room in the basement

Install fireplace in the basement

Build an office in the basement

Build a pantry in the basement

Add a complete bathroom in the basement

Replace basement windows with glass block

Can you think of anything he missed?

It's Finally Done!

2008-10-14T08:20:00.008-04:00

Relaxation

2008-10-13T11:53:00.008-04:00

We have been far too busy lately that it has been ages since we enjoyed some relaxing, quality family time. We finally took a few moments this weekend to create some family memories and I’m so thankful that we did.

We took the boy to the Family Fun Fest at Patterson’s Fruit Farm this weekend. We actually went twice because our first attempt featured a missing camera (now found), a car window that fell off the track, and a missed turn that took us 15 miles in the wrong direction. We arrived with less than an hour to play, so we decided to return on Sunday.

Our second trip was much more rewarding. Little King David was thrilled by the hayride, enjoyed a romp in the hay, ran through the corn maze, climbed the treehouse, slid down the slide a zillion times, drank 12 ounces of apple cider in less than 5 minutes, and ate four entire apples (seeds and all!) He played in the miniature cabin and the sandbox, and cried when we wouldn’t buy him a toy tractor at the Apple Barn store.

We ate hot dogs for dinner on our way home. Later that night, David carved his first jack-o-lantern.

Finally, this is what family life is meant to be!!

The End

2008-10-09T09:44:00.014-04:00

I know I've been promising before and after photos of the never-ending bathroom remodeling project. It's been so long that you've probably given up hope that I'd ever post photos, but that's because the bathroom is just barely finished!

We hung light fixtures, shower curtains, towels and artwork last night. I can't wait to show you the finished product, but it appears that I lost my camera (shhhh! don't tell Hubby yet!)

In the meantime, enjoy these BEFORE and AFTER pics.

Little King David is taking a bath in the tub tonight! Hurray!!!

Self Exploration

2008-10-07T08:30:00.004-04:00

I’m taking a Career Exploration & Planning course this fall because I’m trying to use as much of my annual tuition reimbursement benefits as I possibly can. I love this class because it’s all about me, so the answers aren’t in a textbook (and I can’t be wrong.)

I recently completed an assignment on self exploration. My first task was to use five words to describe myself.

My first thoughts were anal, controlling, bossy, insecure, detail-oriented, perfectionist. But then I realized that I’m probably meant to focus on positive qualities, so I tried to put a positive spin on that.

I eventually came up with a list that included:

caring,
proactive,
motivated,
detail-oriented,
and focused.

That sounds better.

The next step in the assignment was to ask two people close to me to use three words to describe me. Then I was to compare their answers to my answers and decide if the results were what I expected or surprising.

My husband said I am caring, loving and beautiful.

My co-worker said I am caring, poised and humanistic.

My initial thoughts focused on all my negative characteristics that I like least about myself, but this assignment helped me to see a glimpse of what the world sees when they look at me. It lifted my spirits to hear these encouraging words.

I want you to have a great day, too. I want your day to be filled with encouraging words, so if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged with this “Dawn Meme.” Your assignment is to describe yourself in five words. Then, ask two other people to describe you in three words. Compare the answers and look at yourself from a new perspective today.

Daily Dose of Stress

2008-10-01T14:29:00.004-04:00

There are two major reasons that my blog has been quiet this week.

The first intimidating reason is that I have a test due on Friday at midnight for my History class. Something about the midnight deadline is incredibly intimidating. A four o’clock deadline doesn’t induce the same panic as a deadline that could potentially have me wide awake well after my bedtime, laboring over a keyboard while wearing my pajamas. I doubt I actually have the dedication and motivation to do that, but the possibility scares me.

I usually don’t sweat tests. I don’t know that I’m necessarily smart, but I have a test-taking talent that has been a tremendous asset to me in the past. Since I’m such a saavy test-taker, I didn’t invest a lot of time in studying for this test. Until I learned that it wasn’t multiple choice. When I read that the test was a single question to be answered in a four page essay summarizing the five chapters of the textbook that I didn’t read, I lost my mind.

The good news is that my test is done and that stress is gone. Or at least it’s gone until the next test is due a month from now.

Meanwhile, I’ve also been struggling with the stress of trying to protect my son from a cannibal at daycare. Little King David has been bitten six times in the past two weeks and I’m frantic at this point. My initial reaction was that its typical behavior for this age group and it would be a learning experience for him. After the first couple of bites, I became concerned that the teachers weren’t being attentive and that my little angel was being bullied. This week, I’m enraged that my son doesn’t enjoy a sense of safety and security at school and that the staff has failed to provide the safe environment that I pay for. I’m mad at myself because I consider it my most fundamental responsibility as a parent to keep him safe and healthy and I am failing miserably to keep him safe in this situation. I lay awake at night and imagine that my son is terrified and that the emotional damage of this experience will mold his personality and effect the path of his life.

I know I am over-reacting, but it’s hard to remain calm when I see the effects the biting is having on my baby. He is having uncontrollable tantrums at home and night terrors in his sleep since this has started.

I think we’ve negotiated a solution with the daycare center and I pray that this solution will work for everyone. Let’s both pray that my son will be safe at daycare, that he will feel the peace and protection of the presence of God with him daily, and that the child that is biting him will find the love and support at home and school that he needs to overcome his behavioral problems. We’ll pray together and I know everything will be alright.

The Real Baby Addict

2008-09-25T13:35:00.007-04:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Lynette at A Day In The Life of Ordinary, asked me when I am going to share some photos from my recent makeover. I suppose she’s intelligent enough to realize that the photos from the makeover reveal are not an accurate depiction of my appearance in real life. Once the hair stylists and makeup artists left, I was all on my own. I actually have to dress myself everyday.

My bloggy friend is correct in her assumption that I don’t really look like my profile photo everyday. That photo was a professional portrait that was taken on the exact date that I had my hair makeover. In my defense, I also had a facial at the salon that day and didn’t have time to go home and put on any makeup before our family portrait appointment. So maybe that’s not my everyday hair, but that is my everyday face!

Per Lynnette’s request, I will eventually share some photos of the everyday Baby Addict.

Eventually.

It’s not likely to happen in the very near future simply because I avoid the side of the camera that takes pictures. I love to aim and shoot but I don’t really like to pose.

But I promise that you will be the first folks to see my new photos next time I let someone take a picture of me.

Just don’t hold your breath that it will happen anytime soon!

P.S. in my defense, this is what happened last time I let my husband touch the camera:

Stop Calling Me Cute

2008-09-24T13:59:00.003-04:00

Since my whirlwind makeover, I’ve realized that the drawback to appearing presentable is that people then expect you to look good everyday. Once upon a time, I came to work or went to church and no one ever commented on how I looked. Now, I get daily comments about my hair, skin, and how much weight other people think I’ve lost.

I’ve been feeling the pressure to maintain myself (which is a good thing). I recently had my hair trimmed, which is something that I did about once a year before. I’m religiously maintaining my hair color and even dying my waxed eyebrows to match. I even flat iron my hair every couple days just to make sure I’m putting in some effort. Which is exactly why I’m so perturbed today.

I woke up this morning to the sound of squeaky mattress springs and discovered that Little King David was using his mattress as a trampoline. Unfortunately, he was bouncing around about an hour before he should have been awake. As luck would have it, my kid is the only kid on the planet that is not mesmerized by cartoons, so it’s virtually impossible to have a flat iron turned on in my house while he is awake. Do you remember what that kid has done with my stove? Can you imagine the destruction he could orchestrate with a hot flat iron? It’s safer not to give him the chance.

Since I just washed my hair last night, I looked like I was wearing Medusa’s wig this morning. As luck would have it, I didn’t have time to iron my hair today, so I grabbed a claw clip and whipped up a quick up-do.

So far, I have already heard five comments from five different people that “Oh, your hair looks so cute today!”

You’ve got to be kidding me. Either they’re patronizing me or my hair looks horrid every other day and I’m the only person that doesn’t know it.

Quote of the Day: Grace

2008-09-23T13:42:00.004-04:00

Let's not judge one another for the decisions we make about working or staying at home, nursing or bottle-feeding, and homeschooling versus public schooling. Instead, I pray that we moms will give ourselves, and each other, grace.

~Dena Dyer

Translator Wanted

2008-09-23T11:03:00.003-04:00

After a long day of work, daycare, and endless errands, we finally settled in around the kitchen table to eat our Chinese take out last night after 7:00pm, which is well after Little King David’s normal dinnertime.

About half-way through the meal, David insisted on holding hands with Mommy and Daddy. We thought he wanted to pray again and we were proud of ourselves for raising such a holy, religious child. Happily, we began to pray:

Mommy & Daddy: “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest…”

David: “No! No! No!”

Daddy: “You don’t want to pray?”

David: “No! No! No!”

Mommy: “What do you want?”

David: “Wing a wing”

Mommy: “Huh?!?”

David: “WING A WING!”

Mommy: “Do you mean ring a ring?”

David: Happily nods his head in agreement

Mommy & Daddy: “What the heck is ring a ring?”

Holding hands.

Ring a ring.

RING AROUND THE ROSEY!

David wanted to play Ring Around the Rosey in the middle of dinner.

He was thrilled that we finally figured out what he was trying to say, but he was less than thrilled when we refused to let him out of his booster seat in the middle of dinner.

I wonder if there are careers available for Toddler Translators?

Fire Ball

2008-09-22T16:18:00.003-04:00

You would think that eighteen months of experience would teach us to look at our house through the eyes of our toddler and realize that this place will never be completely baby proof. You would also think that we would have abandoned our attitude that we don’t have to baby proof everything because we can teach our son to be obedient.

Whatever.

We have a 1950s era Magic Chef gas stove in our kitchen that I adore. It is one of a kind and I’m reluctant to get rid of it. I’m a bit nostalgic. Not to mention that thing is so darn big that it won’t fit out the side door or the front door, so we plan to keep it for awhile. Either until our house burns down or we get ambitious enough to take it apart.

Fortunately for us, we shouldn’t have to wait too long for the house to burn down. Little King David has discovered the knobs on the front of the stove and he won’t keep his naughty little hands off of them.

Friday night, we were making English muffin pizzas for dinner because the kids love them and Mama was too tired to cook a fancy meal. Imagine our surprise when the one pound bag of shredded mozzarella cheese on the stove top burst into flames!

You might imagine that experience would teach Mama not to be leaving stuff on the stove burners, but you might be wrong.

Last night, I was distractedly packing up the leftover chili from the crockpot when my Tupperware container suddenly began flaming.

Consequently, my top Google searches today have been:

Stove Knob Covers

Discipline for Toddlers

Chocolate Sale

(Ok, that has nothing to do with this post, but it sounds yummy, doesn’t it?)

Wrong Impression

2008-09-17T10:54:00.004-04:00

You might assume from the adorable potty photos I posted today that our bathroom remodeling project is finally over. Unfortunately, that assumption would be wrong.

I strategically took these photos so they wouldn’t include the pink sink or the pink bathtub. You also can’t see the peeling paint or the rusting light fixture above the mirrored medicine cabinet. As much as I would like this remodeling project to be over, it certainly isn’t.

I haven’t been complaining about the inconvenience of not being able to shower at home since August 14th simply because I am defeated at this point. Mama can only vent and complain for so long before it drains all the energy out of me.

The good news is that we are painting and replacing light fixtures this weekend. The tub and sink will be refinished next Tuesday. Those fixtures just need a couple of days to dry, then we should be able to use our shower next weekend. Hubby and I are fighting over who will get to take a bubble bath first, so maybe we’ll just take a bath together.

I promise to post before and after photos by the end of this month. If the bathroom remodeling project isn’t over by then, I might just light a match to this house and be done with it!

Wordless Wednesday: Potty Time

2008-09-17T10:19:00.005-04:00

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Logic

2008-09-16T15:29:00.004-04:00

Now that Autumn is quickly approaching, it is often still dark in the morning while we get ready for work and daycare.

This morning, as Little King David sat at the kitchen table happily munching on his ritual French Toast breakfast, he frantically began shouting my name.

David: “Mama! Mama! Mama!”

David is pointing frantically out the window.

Mama: “What is it David? What do you see?”

David: “Moon” he replies.

Mama: “I don’t see the moon. Where do you see the moon?”

David: “Ni – Nights”

David is gently reminding his mother that it is still dark outside, therefore, we should still be asleep.

Mama wonders why David doesn’t have this same epiphany each evening at bedtime?

Another Memorable First

2008-09-12T13:32:00.003-04:00

In addition to this fascinating and entertaining lil blog of mine, I also keep a journal of Little King David’s memorable moments. I jot down all kinds of memories in there, like funny things he says and his favorite food of the week. It’s nothing fancy, just a sentence or two here and there. It’s not at all a daily account of his life, but it will be enough for me to cry over on the day he leaves home for college.

Last night, I added another first to his journal. David was bitten for the first time on the playground at daycare yesterday. He didn’t bleed, but he had a clear impression of his buddy’s teeth on his forearm when I picked him up hours later.

The teachers were frantic since they had reason to believe that I’d be that mom that would cuss them out for not watching my kid better. Despite the fact that I am choosy about the foods they feed him and insist that they apply sunscreen before he goes outside, I don’t really feel that I am that crazy, off-the-wall mom. I don’t want my kid eating cupcakes as a daily snack and he’s paler than Casper the Friendly Ghost, so a little skin cancer prevention is warranted in our case. Despite my overprotective nature, I do understand that every toddler bites at some point in time. I knew when he transitioned to the toddler class that it was only a matter of time.

Although I didn’t freak out about it, poor little David was distraught over the bite mark all night long. Every fifteen minutes, he would point to his arm, and exclaim, “Bite it! Lincoln! Bite it, Boo Boo!” Although the teachers didn’t tell me who the offender was, after listening to him whine about his arm all night, I assumed it was his good ol’ wrestling buddy, Lincoln.

Nope, it was Tyler.

Now I’m wondering why a kid that speaks like he has a mouthful of marbles can pronounce “Stinkin’ Lincoln” but not “Tyler?”

(if you talk to a toddler on a daily basis, you understand)

Geniuses At Work

2008-09-12T08:00:00.004-04:00

I received this email reminder at work today:

Does anyone else think it’s ironic that we’re eating sugar to fight diabetes?

Rest assured, I work at one of the leading health care facilities in the nation.

We know what we’re doing here, folks.

Chaos

2008-09-11T09:19:00.007-04:00

I’m ashamed to realize that my two most recent posts have both been Wordless Wednesday photos, so I suppose it’s about time I actually write something on this blog of mine. Don’t you agree?

In my defense, I am still “on call” for jury duty, so that means that every couple of days, I call the jury duty hotline and the message tells me that my case has been delayed for a couple more days. I then return to work and plow through my task list at a frantic pace with the fear that I will soon be out of the office for heaven knows how long. I’ve been repeating this nightmare every couple of days for the past month. Despite the frustration, I really do want to serve on a jury. It would be a learning experience and a paid vacation from work.

In the meantime, my bathroom remodeling disaster has distracted me from my jury duty worries. The remodeling project that should have taken three days took more than three weeks. (we later learned that 3 weeks is an appropriate estimate, but our salesman obviously isn’t familiar with construction) Don’t rejoice, because we have yet to shower in the new bathroom. We spent the entire evening yesterday touching up the sloppy grout job that was done so we can seal the grout over the weekend. Once that is done, we need to sand the walls and paint, replace the light fixtures and exhaust fan and caulk the tub and sink. Of course, we can’t caulk until after the tub and sink are refinished, which is scheduled for September 23. After that dries for a couple of days, I plan to move in some towels and a shower curtain. Then, Hubby and I will fight over who gets to soak in the bubble bath first!

You would think that not wasting time on showers would give me plenty of time to blog, but I’ve been drowning in schoolwork. In addition to reading an extremely heavy and extremely boring textbook for my history class, I’ve also been reading The Feast of Roses by Indu Sundaresan. This yummy book is actually an assignment for my class, which I have actually found delightful. If you like to read, you’ll love this book!

Despite all these challenges lately, I remain optimistic and bubbling with enthusiasm. I’ve confirmed our November vacation plans.

We’ll be going here:

Wordless Wednesday: Cutest Passport Photo Ever

2008-09-11T08:56:00.004-04:00

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Wordless Wednesday: Yearbook Photos

2008-09-03T12:56:00.006-04:00

1950

1964

1984

Try it for yourself at Yearbook Yourself, or visit 5 Minutes for Mom for more Wordless Wednesday.

Tipping The Scales

2008-08-28T10:05:00.009-04:00

I have to think about something other than my bathroom disaster right now, so let’s talk about my weight. Doesn’t that sound like a fun, interesting, exciting, relaxing topic to be discussing in public on my blog? I thought so, too!

Obviously, I gained a couple of pounds when I had a baby. I still blame him for the weight, but I really don’t want to be that mother that is dropping off my kid at kindergarten and still whining that I just had a baby, so please forgive my muffin top jeans. It’s been 18 months since I’ve had my body all to myself, so it’s about time to lose the baby weight.

I found some awesome motivation at the My Virtual Model website. It allows me to see what I looked like before, what I look like now, and what I’d like to look like when I reach my weight goals.

This is what I looked like after David was born (there isn’t an option to add stretch marks, so just imagine that you see them all over my stomach.)
This is what I look like today after losing 28 pounds.
This is what I’d love to look like by the time we go on our prize vacation to Punta Cana in November. My goal is to lose ten pounds by November 1. I know I need to lose more than that to be at my ideal weight, but I also realize that I need to set a goal that is realistic. To motivate me to hide my Godiva chocolate and put on my running shoes, I’m using the free Fit Day website to track my progress. I’m also telling you about my plans so you can shame me into losing weight.

I’ll keep you posted!!

Wordless Wednesday: How to Remodel an Ugly Tub

2008-08-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

Just add a dash of adorable baby and houseguests will fail to notice the ugly pink bathtub.

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Benefit of Siblings

2008-08-26T08:29:00.003-04:00

The University of Florida published the results of a study they conducted on the benefits of siblings on the development of social and interpersonal skills. They have concluded that “through cooperative play, helping and teaching younger siblings, and negotiating and resolving conflicts, siblings have opportunities to refine their communication skills.”

I didn’t need a scientific research study to tell me that. I knew David was learning something from his sisters when his first effort at combining words into phrases resulted in a toddler screaming, “Go away! Go away! Go away!”

Where do you think he heard that?

Impatience

2008-08-22T16:02:00.002-04:00

Our bathroom is still not done and I'm getting really impatient! I'm posting this pic to remind myself that the results will be worth the wait. Anything is better than this!

Outrage

2008-08-22T14:04:00.004-04:00

You certainly know that I’m a baby addicted Mama, but I don’t brag about my stepmonster status very often. I don’t talk about it here very often because it is a role that fills me with frustration. It’s not even my teenage bonus daughters that vex me. It’s society in general.

Since school is starting next week, Hubby called their schools to provide his contact information and request their class schedules, open house schedules and information regarding parent teacher conferences.

Can someone explain to me why such a simple request is always met with hostility from school administrators? Why must they always be suspicious and defensive? Is there a good reason for the rudeness and dismissive attitudes we always encounter? Not only would you expect a father to be involved with his kids’ education, but he actually has a court order that allows him to be involved.

I believe that God gives children both a mother and a father because his divine plan was for a child to feel the love and support of both of those parents. If that’s true, why does our society dismiss the role of fathers as unnecessary and an inconvenient interruption to the status quo? Why is it that schools, daycare centers, and health care providers make it so difficult for divorced dads to remain involved with their kids? Shouldn’t the guitar teachers and soccer coaches be delighted to see all the parents at classes and practices? Shouldn’t dads feel welcome at ballet recitals and football games? Why do all these folks discourage participation from Dad’s and then society frowns on the deadbeat dads that aren’t involved with their kids?

Am I the only person on the planet that sees the paradox in these attitudes?

My vent is over, but the frustration is never-ending.

My Big Boy Chair

2008-08-19T15:05:00.009-04:00

I’m so excited about my new big boy chair that I wanted to tell you all about it right away. I’m sure my Mama has told you that I’m almost 18 months old, so you realize that I am a big boy now. I just started going to the toddler class at school and I noticed that all the big kids sit in little people chairs. We don’t have any highchairs in my new classroom and I really like the freedom I have in the little people chairs.

I thought it might be a good idea to act like a big boy at home, too, since it’s so much fun at school, so I won’t sit in my highchair anymore. I tried sitting on the big people chairs in our kitchen, but I’m not big enough. I like to sit with my back against the chair, but I also want my feet to dangle off the front. I’m too short to do both at the same time and that makes me so mad!

Mama and Daddy understood my dilemma, so they bought me a little big boy chair of my very own. My new chair buckles to the big people chair and I love buckles. The chair is just the perfect height to slide under the table, so I can eat there with my family. My booster seat also has a tray with a removable plate. The removable plate is really cool because it’s easy to clean when I eat something messy, like pancakes with dipping syrup. I love to dip but I make a big mess.

Mama and Daddy complain about the tray a lot because it’s really hard to get on and get off. It’s bad because they make a mess trying to get me out of my chair, but it’s good because I can’t take the tray off all by myself like I did when I sat in my highchair.

Now that I’m a big boy that sits at the table, I have a new big boy chore. After dinner, I collect all of the placemats and I put them away in the drawer. I ball them up really small because they fit inside the drawer better and Mama loves all the little wrinkles it makes. She is really proud of me for being a big helper!

I just wanted to tell you that I really love my big boy chair. It’s not perfect, but I’m really glad I have it!

Home Temporary Home

2008-08-19T11:19:00.003-04:00

Nothing brings out the love in a family like sharing one room for too long. Since our bathroom is torn apart, we are spending a couple of days in a hotel. That means Mommy, Daddy, Skywalker and Little King David spent hours upon hours in a tiny hotel room last night.

Granted, the room is not actually tiny, it is only tiny when filled with four people and all their junk. I was relieved to find that the hotel was clean and tidy upon our arrival. Luckily, this Motel 6 was formerly a Fairfield Inn by Marriott and just changed management recently. The bedding looks fairly new and the room was remodeled at some point in the not too distant past, so we were definitely comfortable. That was a very good start to our extended stay.

The kids settled in nicely with a pillow fight and an invigorating jump on the beds, then David helped Mommy find the ice machine. We made the mistake of passing the pool, which made David crazy because he wanted to go swimming NOW, NOW, NOW, but we had lots to do getting settled in.

After we unpacked, David took a bath in the tub and he was allowed to splash as much as he wanted. He got his pajamas on and read his bedtime story. After his book, he grabbed his blankie and said “night, night” to everyone. Then he began to gather all of our shoes and said, “Go. Go.” as he pointed to the door. He didn’t react very enthusiastically when I told him that we weren’t going home.

As David had his meltdown, Daddy and Skywalker began their hour long fight over the remote control. Daddy wanted to watch Discovery Channel and Skywalker wanted to watch a cheerleader-teenager-romance-chick flick. I found both choices to be incredibly annoying, so I decided I had my hands full enough with screaming toddler that I didn’t need to vote on the television debate.

David finally fell asleep in his Pack-N-Play and I was able to take a shower all by myself, which was the goal of staying in the hotel in the first place. I even shaved my legs! The little pleasures in life!

We all slept well and I woke up at 5:30am without a struggle. Unfortunately, it’s absolutely impossible to get dressed in our hotel room without waking the baby. David’s eyes popped open shortly after I got up and they stayed open. It wasn’t too much of an inconvenience since I had showered the night before and I forgot my makeup at home, so it didn’t take me long to get ready this morning.

Despite only having a few minor inconveniences, I have to admit that I am incredibly crabby about this entire situation. I really cherish my routine and I didn’t realize how important it is to me until this week!

Luckily, my jury duty assignment has been postponed until next month, so I at least have the comfort of my normal routine at work.

Only two more days to go until the bathroom is done!

The Little Comforts

2008-08-18T16:18:00.004-04:00

As the bathroom remodel continues at an agonizing snail-like pace, we have decided to spend the next couple of days in a motel. I can (barely) endure not having a functioning shower in the house, but I can’t live without a toilet. After a couple of days of showering at the YMCA, I’m ready to have my own personal shower. Besides, I think the YMCA staff are beginning to think that we are homeless. We go into the locker room, come out with wet hair, and the pool is closed. We’ve earned a few curious glances from the folks at the front desk.

We’ve made reservations at Motel 6 because Priceline hates me, or in other words, they wouldn’t accept any of my bids on a really comfortable hotel for a ridiculously low price. I suppose my expectations are a little high, but considering that we got a room at the Marriott in Pittsburgh for $29 per night back in November, you can understand why I was so optimistic about getting a great room at a cheap price.

I am hopeful that Motel 6 will be a good compromise. The hotel is less than a year old, so it shouldn’t be too filthy yet. Besides cleanliness, my other major worry is that Little King David hasn’t slept in a hotel room since he was nine months old. He is slightly less easy going now than he was then, so I wonder how well he will sleep in his Pack-N-Play. I’m also concerned because he just started sleeping through the night (finally, after seventeen long months!). I really don’t want to jeopardize his new sleep routine.

Tune in tomorrow for a hopefully uneventful and boring post about how our hotel room was immaculately clean and why I didn’t have to karate chop the front desk staff like a Jackie Chan body double.

Weekend Plans

2008-08-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

I had such high hopes for a relaxing weekend, but again my hopes have been dashed by reality.

Of course, the bathroom is still an ongoing disaster. The remodeling project that we planned to have done by Saturday night probably won't be done until Wednesday of next week. We have a toilet for now, but we're showering at the YMCA. I'd love to say that its really not so bad, but it really is bad. Just ask Skywalker how devastating it was to see that naked old lady in the shower room last night.

We'll probably be staying at a hotel next week for a couple of days while the bathroom floor is being laid, but for now, we can still enjoy the comforts of our own beds at night.

I was hoping that we might get out for a couple of hours and visit the Feast of the Assumption festival in Little Italy as I have a wicked craving for Cannoli, but Little King David and Hubby are sick. I think it's fairly rude of them to have a cold in the middle of the summer, but what can we do? They don't look like they are in the mood to go anywhere.

At least I won't be bored. There is still plenty of laundry to be done!

Moving Up

2008-08-15T10:00:00.003-04:00

As I get ready for Fall Semester at school for the degree program that I should have finished five years ago, my Little King David is getting ready for big changes, too. He is moving up to the Toddler Room at daycare.

Initially, I was terrified by the thought that my little darling baby wouldn’t be in the baby room anymore. He has a unique bond with his teacher and I am wise enough to realize what a blessing that has been for us. He has flourished under her loving care and the extra attention she lavishes on him. I was nervous about the transition because I don’t know the toddler room teacher at all. She comes to work after I drop him off and leaves work before I pick him up. I love to talk to his teacher in the morning and in the afternoon. Although I’m not with him all day, I like knowing all the little details of his life away from home.

Despite my trepidation, I have realized that he is ready to make this transition. He needs to play outside everyday and he needs interaction with kids that can talk and walk and hit and bite. He wants to sit on the big-boy chairs and sleep 0n a cot rather than in a crib. He needs to watch the big kids go potty and wash their hands so he will want to be just like them. He needs to finger paint and play games and enjoy story time.

He is ready to move up and I think Mommy is ready, too.

Remind me of that next week when he brings home his first finger-painting and I cry all over it!

Back to School

2008-08-14T20:00:00.001-04:00

I suppose it’s already been a couple of weeks since my Summer semester course ended, although I feel like I just blinked and Fall semester is staring me in the face already.

I was really hoping beyond hope to take an English Composition course because I absolutely love to write really long, rambling, incoherent term papers, but the course is completely full. Honestly, I do love to write, even if I’m not really talented. I thought this course would be a breathe of fresh air and I might actually learn something that is relevant in real life. Wouldn’t that be refreshing?

Unfortunately for me, I haven’t checked my student email account in ages, so I have about 349 unread messages. One of those messages must have been the announcement about early pre-enrollment, which allows folks to hold space in classes that they have no intention of registering for. By the time I realized that I needed to register, the English classes were full. So were the history, math, and science classes that I need but am avoiding.

I started to panic when the only class available was Listening to Music 101 because I have absolutely no musical talent and no appreciation for fine art. We recently received free tickets to the Cleveland Orchestra and Hubby actually wanted to go to the concert, which I am convinced was a form of punishment for something I did.

God must have heard my whimpering, because a seat opened up in the history class this morning. Although it’s not the English class I was lusting for, the History of Modern Civilization does sound fairly interesting. The added benefit is that Hubby and Skywalker are history buffs, so our dinner conversations might include a question from me on the Industrial Revolution and lots of note-taking while they ramble on about something that I really should have read in my textbook but didn’t.

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to surround yourself with pretty nerds.

Tantrum Update

2008-08-14T13:38:00.002-04:00

I’ve been so consumed with the bathroom remodeling disaster that I forgot to give you an update on our Little King David. A few weeks ago, I shared our frustrations about his behavior problems and sleep issues. We scheduled an appointment with his pediatrician and scheduled an evaluation at a pediatric development center.

In preparation for our appointments, we started keeping a daily log of David’s routine. We wrote down how he slept, what he ate, what activities he participated in that day, his mood, and each and every tantrum. Our goal was to document a typical day so a specialist could get an accurate idea of what happens with him at home.

We were shocked by what we found.

David typically has only one or two tantrums a day. Some days, he doesn’t even have one. He usually sleeps through the night once a week, but the other nights he wakes up for only about 10 minutes. He always naps well at daycare. He eats unusually well for a toddler, frequently devouring an entire plate of beets, asparagus or brussel sprouts. He even eats some of Skywalker’s vegetables because we don’t have a dog and she is a self-proclaimed meat-a-tarian. (that’s a topic for another post!) He behaves better when he has a chance to play outside and he has meltdowns when he is tired or we are having a particularly hectic day.

DUH.

We were spending so much time focusing on the fact that he was crying or not sleeping through the night that we lost our perspective. In reality, our kid is normal. He is independent, obstinate and determined. And he should be at his age.

I feel a little silly for overreacting, but I will not apologize. David’s oldest sister, Queen of Sheba, is autistic. Her condition was not accurately diagnosed until she was ten years old. She missed out on early interventions that may have significantly improved her quality of life. We pray that David will never experience her challenges, but if he does, I don’t ever want to jeopardize his treatment because of my own fears. I’d rather be vigilant and be wrong than ignore the warning signs.

I’m delighted to say that as of today, he is perfectly healthy!

Flush Flush

2008-08-13T15:07:00.002-04:00

There is an unspoken rule that every home improvement project must include an unexpected glitch. My Dad would call it Murphy’s Law, but I’ll call it Just My Luck.

We’ve been ripping tile out of our only bathroom for the past week in a desperate effort to have everything demolished before our contractor arrives to begin work on Thursday. We needed to save a little cash on this project, so we thought ripping out some tile would be easy enough to do ourselves.

If you’re done laughing at me now, I’ll tell you how the project is going in reality. The tiles popped off the wall in the blink of an eye. The floor tiles were a little bit harder to get off and we damaged some concrete underneath them with our overzealous use of hammers and crowbars.

Once we got the concrete off the floor, we discovered that one of the floorboards is damaged and has to be replaced. We were very happy to find the weak floorboard, because we were worried that we destroyed the concrete for nothing.

Last night, the contractor stopped by just to review the work that would begin on Thursday. The original plan was that the remodel would take three days and we knew that we wouldn’t have the use of our shower during that time. We planned to take showers at the YMCA (finally using that gym membership!) We would be able to use the toilet every night, but would need to go to the library or gas station to tinkle during the day.

Well, now that the concrete has to be replaced on the floor, we will not be able to walk into the bathroom for three days.

No toilet.

At all.

Three days.

I’m looking for hotel rooms on Priceline right now…

My Advice

2008-08-12T08:22:00.003-04:00

If you think you love your husband, I advise you to begin a major home renovation together.

Don’t hire a babysitter for your toddler, don’t have all the tools you will need, and make sure you find an unexpected problem in the middle of your project. You should also have an unrealistic deadline.

If you are still talking to each other when it is all over, then you really did love each other.

Home Improvement

2008-08-11T15:48:00.002-04:00

I have again abandoned my blog in pursuit of work-life-church-chore balance, but I’m nowhere close to balancing anything. We are remodeling our bathroom, replacing the roof and replacing the driveway this month. I thought this would be so easy since we’re hiring contractors to do most of it, but I was wrong!

Once upon a time, hubby and I would do all of our home improvements ourselves to save money. Our house was a two bedroom bungalow when we bought it five years ago and we have added two bedrooms since then. That project only took sixteen months of our lives, but we saved tons of money. Now, Little King David prevents us from committing so much time and effort into home repairs. I have to admit I don’t miss it.

Although I’m sure we are saving tons of time by hiring contractors, this is still more work than I thought. It took months to schedule contractors to visit for quotes and apply for a home equity loan. Then, we decided to demolish the bathroom and buy our own supplies to save some money. That was a fabulous idea until we started ripping up the concrete floor in our only bathroom over the weekend.

We are sore, bruised and bleeding and we only have the floor half done. We have until Thursday morning to get this done because the contractor is coming to start the tile work that day. The bathroom is conveniently located right next to David’s bedroom, so we can’t do any work during naptime or after 9:00pm each night. We also can’t do any work without David’s constant supervision because he is dying to know what all that noise is in there!

This too shall pass…

Gerber Lil Snackin' Bowls

2008-08-06T08:45:00.007-04:00

It’s been a while since my Mommy had a really brilliant idea, but I think she did a really good job today, so I wanted to tell you all about it.

Mommy and Daddy were getting ready for work this morning, so I was doing my best to help them. Daddy wanted me to share his oatmeal with him, but I could really see that Mommy needed my help putting away the clean dishes. While she had the cupboard open, I saw something that I wanted. I kept hollering, “Bowl! Bowl! Bowl!” but she couldn’t figure out what I wanted. Maybe the thing I wanted isn’t called a bowl, but I can say bowl, so I thought that might work. It didn’t.

Mommy was starting to tap her foot at me, so I started to think I was never going to get what I wanted. We never did figure out what I was asking for, but Mommy gave me the best bowl ever made. It is a bright blue bowl with a pretty green lid. The lid feels like rubber and it has a hole in the top where I can put my little fingers inside. It is so cool!

Mommy put my French toast in my happy little bowl and she let me carry it to the car! I finished all of my breakfast and I didn’t even spill any of it because I am a big boy. Also, the bowl has that fancy lid I was telling you about, which helped.

I think it’s funny that as Mommy handed me the bowl, she told Daddy, “Like that could ever stop Little King David from dumping a pile of Cheerios all over the car.” I don’t know why she doesn’t trust me, because I showed her how neat I am with my French toast.

Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I really like Lil Snackin’ Bowls by Gerber. I thought you might like to know just in case you know a messy little toddler like me.

Little Brother Attacks

2008-07-31T09:46:00.003-04:00

I may have failed to mention that Skywalker has been spending the summer with us, but that is the reason that my hair has been looking oh-so-good lately. She has a very expensive flat iron and she lets me borrow it every morning. Isn’t she a little sweetheart?

Of course, ya’ll know that no good deed goes unpunished. Every morning, I style my hair in front of the bathroom mirror. When I’m done, I unplug the flat iron and put it on the stove in the kitchen to cool. This makes Hubby very happy as he is constantly worried that one of us girls will burn the house down because we forgot to turn off a curling iron.

As usual, I forgot to clean up after myself when I got home from work. During the course of Little King David’s explorations last night, he found the knobs on the stove. As luck would have it, he turned on the gas burner that Skywalker’s flat iron was resting on.

Don’t you just love the smell of melting plastic?

The good news is that the flat iron still works. Although I feel guilty, Skywalker is very understanding. She is as accident-prone as I am, as evidenced by the flatiron in the toilet incident just a few months ago. I won’t embarrass her by sharing the details of that story, but you can imagine.

Breaking Point

2008-07-30T10:40:00.003-04:00

I realized that we reached our breaking point last night when Hubby and I sat at the kitchen table arguing about our problems with David yet again. We constantly debate whether or not his behavior is normal. He doesn’t sleep through the night. He fidgets constantly in his sleep. He screams himself to sleep at night. He is so active that he never stops moving all day long. He can’t sit still in a shopping cart or high chair. Going to church is a weekly nightmare with him.

We’re frustrated because it’s so hard to explain to people what we are dealing with. Folks are often likely to tell us that “he’s just being a normal toddler.” It’s exasperating to hear that he is just a normal toddler because we are constantly arguing about his behavior and frustrated to the point of tears.

I was starting to think that we were horrible parents until my Dad came for a visit from Florida. I recently had a phone conversation with him about our use of a harness when we take Little King David out in public. He refuses to sit in a shopping cart or stroller, so we use the harness to give him a little more freedom and opportunity to release some of his energy. My Dad was appalled that I would leash my child and we had a very heated debate about it. After spending only one day with my darling son, my Dad apologized and told me that he understands now that my beautiful baby is very active and can’t possibly sit still. He suggested that David might even be hyperactive.

Although it was disturbing to hear that David might actually have a medical problem, it was also a relief to hear from someone that has years of experience with young kids that what we are dealing with is a little intense. Maybe we’re not just weak and inexperienced parents after all.

At this point, we have concluded that we have a parenting and discipline problem, a behavior problem, a medical problem, or all of the above.

I’ve made an appointment to talk with his pediatrician. We’re video-taping his behavior, both good and bad, so she can actually see what is going on. We plan to explore our options with a developmental pediatrician or psychologist for an evaluation. I’m searching for a family counselor that specializes in discipline issues with young children so Mommy and Daddy can get some help.

I’ve also called our daycare teacher and asked her to babysit next Friday night so Mommy and Daddy can go on a date. We’ve only had a sitter twice since David was born and we’re realizing know that we are sacrificing far too much just because Mommy feels guilty taking advantage of friends and family that have offered to babysit.

The frustration of parenting a toddler can sometimes be overwhelming, but I’m finally realizing that all we need to do is ask for help.

Weaning Pains

2008-07-25T15:30:00.007-04:00

After only five days of weaning, I’m happy to report that Little King David finally slept through the night!

As sad as Mommy has been that our special nursing relationship has come to an end, I am ecstatic to once again find the sleep that I haven’t known since the day he was born.

I was still ecstatic when I realized that I still had frozen breastmilk in the freezer. Then my ecstasy faded dramatically when I realized that it is expired.

Gotta love the hormone roller coaster.

Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness

2008-07-23T13:56:00.006-04:00

I know that’s the name of a Smashing Pumpkins album, but it seems like an appropriate title for this blog post all about my current state of mind. Besides, I wanted something a little more dramatic than a title like, “Weaning My Persistent Toddler.”

I have been breastfeeding Little King David for 1 year, 4 months, and 2 weeks. Our nursing relationship started off a little rough, but got better with time. I found breastfeeding to be a very painful experience for at least the first month. A visit to a lactation consultant confirmed that our latch was perfect. Her only advice was that fair-skinned folks sometimes have a tendency to be sensitive, which wasn’t encouraging, but we stuck it out. At two weeks postpartum, I had a nasty bout of mastitis that brought me to tears every time David ate. Ahhh, memories….

I went back to work when David was 6 weeks old and I pumped everyday until his first birthday. He started drinking whole milk at daycare and we were only nursing at bedtime and in the middle of the night. He still liked to nurse at naptime if Daddy wasn’t around to put him to bed. I enjoyed our cuddle time.

We considered weaning him months ago because he is a booby addict and becomes more and more persistent as he gets older. I knew it would be more difficult to wean a 2 year old than a 16-month old, so we decided to bite the bullet and go for it this week.

Daddy has taken over the bedtime rituals and the middle-of-the-night cuddle time. David hasn’t nursed in four days. He does occasionally ask for “Num Nums” and tries to rip my shirt off, but those episodes are becoming less and less frequent.

Despite our weaning success thus far, I feel incredibly and indescribably depressed. Our nursing sessions were our special cuddle time and I really miss cradling my big baby in my arms. I miss the way he loved to stroke my hair gently while he drifted off to sleep at night. I miss his soft face against my skin.

My baby is a big boy now.

Excuse me while I go wipe my tears…

Desperation

2008-07-22T10:50:00.013-04:00

Can you recall a time when you felt like everything was about to come crashing down around you? Some days, I take a look at my life and wonder why I was in such a rush to grow up.

Hubby and I are feeling the pinch lately. This summer, we are remodeling the bathroom, replacing the roof, fencing the backyard, and replacing the driveway. Since we obviously have cash to spare, now would be a great time for the car to need service. Miraculously, the muffler went on our sedan this weekend. The baby doesn’t mind because he loves vroom vrooms and the Saturn sounds like a stock race car now, but it seems to be getting on Daddy’s nerves just a little bit.

So, the Baby Addict is desperate for cash and that’s what led me to discover Pay Per Post. You already know how much I love to blog in my spare time, so doesn’t it seem appropriate that I should get paid for the hobby that I love?

Pay Per Post is a legitimate website that connects blog writers to advertisers. Bloggers do not pay a fee to join and never pay a fee to participate. All assignments are voluntary and you choose how often you accept an assignment. Personally, I created my Pay Per Post account about six months ago, but I was too lazy to post anything until now. Now that I’m desperate for cash, I’ll be paid $20 for this post and the funds will be sent directly to my Paypal account. How easy is that?

And there is no reason for my bloggy readers to fear that my blog will become a billboard because Pay Per Post requires each assignment to be preceded and followed by a post consisting of normal content. That means that you will be assured to find the usual ramblings here that you have come to expect from me.

Feel free to visit the Pay Per Post website and learn more for yourself!

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