School

The Boy started school in August. I had high hopes for how he would do, but was realistic expectations of his reaction: I expected a lot of crying. The very first day, we went to school with him. It was a double whammy for me - I left the Girl for the very first time and it was my oldest child's first day of school. We were with him so the first day was great. He said that he would be fine when he had to come by himself. Sure enough, he got out of the car the next day without looking back and I was left feeling like I'd left my arm somewhere. Some integral part of me was missing and I felt lost all morning and even more lost that he seemed so very okay without me. I was pleased that drop-off had gone so well, but was mourning his desire to be with me all the time just a bit. Hey, I'm not proud that I was disappointed that he didn't cry just a little. I just love him and it's a hard day for a mom.

I wasn't "disappointed" for long.

Poor little boy - I forget he's just a little guy, sometimes - cried the whole day. About ten minutes after he got to school, the tears arrived and stayed for the next four days. I had to push him out the door of the car into the waiting arms of sweet old lady and then drive away. I literally peeled him off of the back of the front seat like one might pry an octopus off a clam then smiled and told him to have a good day. I love you! I'm not going to save you!

Then he got sick. Illness combined with sobbing every time we mentioned school on Monday made for a weekend that wasn't all together pleasant. When Monday finally rolled around, he was still sick. Just a cold, but he was a slimey, sobbing mess so I caved - he stayed home.

That day home did the trick. The next day he was ready to go to school and shed no tears. Not one! Now he rarely remembers to tell me goodbye in the morning and loves school. He hates it when school is closed for a holiday, even.

Being "Mom" is both extremely rewarding and heart-wrenching, frequently at the same time.

Labels: boy, school

Well, well, well

So, I have someone I'd like you to meet. Presenting to you, the Girl:



Yes, she'd five months old and yes, I feel bad that I haven't blogged about her yet. I have no excuse. You know, other than the new mother thing, but it's not an excuse.

Everything is wonderful here. The Boy loves the Girl without reservation and took a photo of her to school for show-and-tell as something for which he is thankful. It's hard to blog when you are so happy because you don't want to brag. I think that's something I need to get over.

Labels: boy, girl

What I think about the other night

Growing pains. My child has been waking up every night for several days, but the other night was the first time he has complained of leg pain. I think he has been waking up from growing pains every night, but once he moved the pain went away once he moved and he didn't remember that is why he woke up in the first place. He woke scared from the pain, but unable to remember that the pain was what woke him.

I also think that he said "knee" rather than "leg" because my mother just had knee surgery. I was so worried, because fluid in the joints - particularly the knees - can be an early warning sign for leukemia. Thankfully, the boy was totally fine in the morning and had it been actual fluid in his joints causing the pain it would not have completely drained by the morning.

I feel like I've dodged a bullet.

Labels: boy, growing pains, pain

Letter lament

It is so great that the Boy is doing so well on his letters and can, sort of sound out words at three and a half. He's not quite read to read just yet, but I think that will come soon. He can always identify the first letter of a word that has been said if asked and can (with a little coaching) figure out what letters make up small words like mom, dad or cat. It is very exciting and I'm proud of my little guy. And yet.

This means the beginning of the end of a form of secret communication between my husband and I. It's so nice and easy to talk about something in front of him right now without him knowing. He can ask me if I have a preference between our son having p-u-d-d-i-n-g or i-c-e c-r-e-a-m as an after dinner treat (usually sugar free pudding). The p-a-r-k or the m-u-s-e-u-m (depends on how much time we have). The t-r-a-i-n or f-e-e-d the d-u-c-k-s (do you have cash? do we have frozen bread?).

I'm so going to miss the spelling.

Labels: boy

Things are just good here right now

So sorry to have been so absent. Things are really good and a bit busy here these days. Play groups, doctor appointments, general errands and the occasional illness have kept us busy and I've not been here telling you things lately.

The boy is so big and fun. He plays on his own. He play well with others. He's potty trained (depending on your definition) and he has a personality that is all his own. Good, good times. I'm looking into pre-schools for him for the fall and he's doing really well with learning his alphabet (thanks to Leap Frog's Letter Factory DVD) and can read "on", "off", and his name.

J is fine. He works late most nights and isn't normally home until about 7 p.m., but it works okay for us - probably because we can't do anything about it and we have decided that it has to be okay. :) The power of positive thinking!

I had a doctor appointment on Friday and we had an ultrasound. Baby is measuring just the right size for gestational age, four chambers in the heart, straight back with no gaps that would indicate spina bifida, and long legs. Oh, and it's a little girl. Chicka to round out our little family.

Like I said, good stuff here.

Labels: baby '08, boy

My poor child

The Boy had a really rough night after about 6 p.m. We had made a run to W@l-Mart and were getting bags out of the back of the car. The Boy climbed into the back hatch of the PT Cruiser and when he got out to come in the house, he burned his leg on the muffler. J couldn't figure out when was wrong and was more upset than the boy when I suggested the possible (and is seems the only reasonable) explanation.

We treated the wound and had dinner. The Boy rode his bike and looked for the frogs that are plentiful in our neighborhood in the evenings right now and then we came in to eat fresh-baked cookies and play while Sundy Night Football played in the background. Seems like a nice way to end the weekend, right? If only it had ended then.

My child decided that he wanted to take his train tracks off the coffee table before he went to take a bath. He then proceeded to smack his head into the edge of the table hard enough to give him a half-inch long gash close to his temple. Good times, let me tell you, especialy right before bed. I ran back to W@l-Mart to get liquid bandage while J gave the boy a bath.

Today the Boy is fine. He wore a Thomas the Tank Engine bandage on his face all day and it looks so much better. At least he didn't wake up with a black eye. Thank goodness for small favors.

Kelli asked for some photos of crochet projects. Here are some higlights:

Dad's birthday gift, a neck pillow:


A monkey for my monkey of a nephew:


A shawl for Mom's birthday:


A Christmas gift (see a pattern of gifts developing?):


The cutest bear ever:

Labels: boy, injury

If your heart is pure and your desire great

Okay, so a pure heart and my desire have nothing to do with the exciting - at least to me - things going on in my life right now.

The boy has deemed it time to use the potty. MONTHS of bribery incentives didn't do much of anything. He had to decide. We are still having accidents, but thanks to the Pull-Ups*, I haven't had any puddles. We are getting there and let me tell you, it's a relief. That's all I have to say about that.

Craig's List is pretty awesome for free. I know that I'm the last person in the Western Hemisphere to discover this, but totally true. I was thrilled to get $75 for our queen sized bed that the new, beautiful king bed replaced. I had a guy who said he was interested in a TV, but then didn't show. Ah, well. At least I didn't have to pay for an ad in the paper and it's free to list it again.

Do you read Design Mom? Well, you should. Not only is she a mom with great taste and style - for more than just those things having to do with being a mom - but she has giveaways. At least once a week. Sometimes more often. For AWESOME stuff. And I won all this cool stuff from One Wish World. So, go check out Gabrielle's site and you, too, could be a winner. And even if you don't win, who of us couldn't use at least a little advice about how to make your surroundings a little more beautiful?


*I know some people say that Pull-Ups are the work of the devil and are just expensive, glorified diapers. I have found that since he's ready to try but not completely "there" with the pee yet, they are quite helpful for us. They have little designs that disappear when he has an accident and I can look at the front of his shorts and tell that he's struggling and not having to clean up a puddle off of my nice couch or pretty new carpet.

Labels: boy, classifieds, contest

Goodness, I didn't realize it has been so long

Howdy kids! Didn't mean to be gone so long; the days have just slipped by! We are trying to get out a bit more since the weather is nice, so there have been lots of playdates and outings filling our days and once the evening rolls around, I just wanna spend a few lovely minutes with my work-a-holic husband.

Thanks for letting me know what you would like to see for your futures! It's so nice to see what I know about many of you from your blogs condensed into one sentence. I think I'll pay a little homage to each of you who commented.

pcosmama: I do know what you are hoping for and I'm looking forward to hearing about your perfectly normal ultrasound that you are gonna have May 2.

Linda: I am so excited that you are going to go to New York again! I know that it is a big expense, but the two of you don't vacation much and this is a great way to combine business and a fun trip for the two of you. I can just see a happy couple registering for their wedding and deciding china with your wildflowers on them are perfect! For any of you not familiar with Linda's work, you are missing out. She is so talented and you can see her online gallery here.

Flea: Thanks for the hugs. Have I told you how proud I am of all the brave dating you have been doing? Well, I am. :)

Rusty: I didn't know you were ready for kids already! Might I suggest you start with just one and then move on to "babies"? Hey, e-mail me and let me know when is a good time to give you a call. I haven't talked to my Rusty-friend in far too long.

FBC: I'm so proud of so many of my friends! I know that the right job will come along and I admire that you are holding out for the right thing. It's out there and I know you are gonna find it. You are so capable, any business would be lucky to have you.

Aphrodite: I didn't know you were job hunting. I hope that you have lots of opportunites up in the great white north!

groovinmama: I do want my kids to have lots in common growing up. It isn't very fair to have them so far apart they they never enjoy each other's company. Thanks for your perspective!

Pegs: You are so right when you say that God is in control. He's letting me do things according to my plan right now because that's what his plan is for me. Good luck with your conception plans. God will send you your angel when the time is right, but He loves to help us when we help ourselves! I know a great book that you can read that will help in that area. Let me know if you would like the name and author.

So, Linda, you were right. Your comments didn't really take my mind off the "when" of adding to our family, but it sure was nice to hear from you all.

With that, I'll leave you with a picture of my boy that makes my heart melt and makes me long for our next child.

Labels: boy, pregnancy, thanks

Daddy goes to work, Mommy goes to the doctor.

As far as the boy is concerned, we must take him with us everywhere we go. There are only two exceptions that will not lead to a flood of tiny tears and an inconsolable child: J may go to work and I may go to the doctor.

J goes to work most days. This is fine with the boy since it is a normal occurrence and no matter what anyone says, when Daddy has to go, Daddy has to go. Tears won't keep him home and the boy has learned the futility in trying to use them for such a purpose on a daily basis. A couple weeks ago J helped my father move some furniture from our house to my parents' house. The boy saw J leave and because he wasn't going to work and we told him that he was going to Grandpa's house - without him - my mother and I had a weepy child on our hands for 45 minutes. Poor boy. And poor us, too.

The only time I am allowed to leave and not take the boy with me, is when "Mommy go to the doctor. Get better." I've tried telling him that it is okay for him to be away from me once in a while even when I'm not going to the doctor, but he insists that the only possible reason I could be leaving him is for the doctor. Last night I went to a neighbor's Avon party - small turn out so I scored BIG time on free stuff - and the boy insisted I was going to the doctor. I didn't argue and there were no tears.

I feel a little bad that we have stopped trying to tell the boy that we are doing anything other than what his two and two-thirds year-old brain has determined as acceptable reasons for us to leave on occasion. But sometimes, it's just easier not to fight the battle. Yeah. I know it's going to be rough for him when he starts preschool. I guess there is at least one drawback to staying home with your child in their formative years.

Labels: boy, leave

"I know, Mommy."

Sometimes I wonder how the boy knows things. Not like "How do you know how to put words together in sentences?" but more like "Can you even see that from where you are?"

One morning, the boy slept until an almost unheard of 7:40 a.m. Since j and I were both in the bathroom getting ready for the day, I had the monitor on so I could hear the boy when he got up. I heard him stir and - even though the blinds were tightly closed in his room - he states "It's so foggy outside!" J and I stare at each other in disbelief. It was indeed very foggy. We were unable to tell this until we opened the blinds.

I head in to get the boy up since J is still dripping from his morning shower and after we exchange pleasantries, I inquire about his knowledge of the weather. "I know it's foggy, Mommy." I spent several minutes looking from the edge of his bed at the closed blinds trying to figure out how in the name of all that's good, he could have seen that it was like pea soup outside. As far as I could tell, there is no way he could see and discern such.

Upon repeated asking, his answer remained constant: "It's really, really foggy. I know it's foggy."

Perhaps he's clairvoyant about the weather. Perhaps I'll have to look into some good meteorology programs for him when he's ready for college.

Labels: boy, weird

The sick, the potty mouth and the torture

Sorry that I have been away so long. I didn't mean to be and then I felt like I had to come back with something witty or touching. Oh well. I figure I just need to jump back in, witty or not.

The Sick
I have battling a sinus infection for almost three weeks. I thought I could make it go away by treating the symptoms, but no such luck. The doctor gave me antibiotics to take for two weeks. When I was close to being done with the treatment, the boy caught a cold. Then I caught his cold - so nice of him to share! - and the sinus infection took the opportunity to latch back on and hunker down in my head again. So, more antibiotics and add to that a decongestant, allergy medication and an $86 bottle of Rx cough syrup. Finally feeling like a human being and not a body with a balloon for a head anymore.

The Potty Mouth
We are slowly starting the process of potty training the boy. This involves the age old method of bribery for us. I know that many people say that learning a new skills should be all the reward a potty training child needs, but we are tired of wiping poop off of the boy's bottom. So, if he poops in the potty, he gets a new train for his Thomas the Tank Engine collection. To help him realize when he needs to go, we talk about it. All. the. time. And little brings him joy like showing a train to someone and telling them "This is Mavis. Got for poop on the potty!"

I guess as long as he is happy and learning, my occasional mortification is worth it.

The Torture
J and the boy sing "The Muppet Show" theme song together. Part of it goes something like this:

J: Why do we al...

The boy: ways come here

J: I guess we'll

The boy: neva know!

J: It's like a

The boy: kinda torture!

J: To have ta

The boy: watch the show!

We love that the part about torture is his favorite part.

Labels: absence, boy, sick

Confounded by my two-year old

All weekend the boy was on the sensitive side. Barely touches his head on a cabinet? He cried. Ran a Hot Wheels car roughly over his finger? He shouted and said "Mommy, kiss it" all forlorn like. He was a bawling little mess at every tumble, the poor dear.

This morning I'm changing his diaper and getting him dressed and the has blood on his chin. Blood on his chin. And there he lies, calm as sloth growing mold. I ask what happened; is he hurt? He doesn't seem to know, but his lip is bleeding a little and it looks like one of his teeth scraped off a quarter inch section of skin off his little pouter. What happened to cause the injury, I have no idea, but I have to assume it didn't hurt.

We went to the post office and were back home by 10:15. By 11:15 this child had not only the fat, scabby lip from the morning, but a bruise above his left eye and FOUR scratches on his face. And not once did he make a peep to let me know that anything had hurt him and I didn't see him fall! He did have a hang nail that I must assume was the cause of the scratches but the rest of his injuries are a mystery.

Does anyone else see an ER visit in my future this year?

Labels: boy, injury, mysterious

When I need a change in energy...

... I just need to head to the salon! You got it - I cut my hair. I had thought for a while that I might do some pink highlights in my hair as a 30th birthday gift to myself, but then we went and spend about $600 on a sink. Pink is a multi-step dye process - bleach the hair and then pink it out - and therefore on the expensive side. I decided a haircut would be enough of a change for now.

So without further ado, here are the before shots:


The front. No style and really did nothing for me except be long enough to pull up into a ponytail.


The back. Still no style. Lots of fuzz because it had been about 18 months since I last had my haircut. I know, 50 lashings with a wet noodle.

Then the obligatory "Me, too!" photo that we had to take of the boy:


No one gets their photo taken without taking one of the boy as well. He will finally smile on command and his favorite is when you tell him to say "Pickle Juice!" for the camera.

Now the exciting part. After:


So short! But so much cuter.


Eeek! Really short! Not the shortest I've ever had it though. I do like it, even if I got it cut just in time for our annual week of winter. I know that everyone in the North laughs at us when the city all but shuts down for snow and ice. That's just the way it is here.

Here's the last shot:


Come hither, baby.

p.s. - I know that my RSS feed isn't working. I'm trying to figure out what is wrong, and will hopefully get it corrected soon...

Labels: boy, change, hair, MamaChristy