The mind of the toddler me

Why do they take me outdoors just to leave me in a play pen?

I could be home in my play pen and not camping.

And why do these little black bugs keep biting me?

Hey, whats that?

Is that a kitty?

A pretty kitty with a bushy tail?

I WANT to pet the kitty!

Pet the kitty!

Here kitty, kitty... Come here!

now!

Oh, here's daddy!

He must smell my dirty diaper!

Funny don't feel like I need a change but something smells funny...

Daddy, see pretty kitty?

See the kitty.  Right.  There.  There.

I want to pet the kitty!

Here kitty, kitty here kitty, kitty he-

Daddy why we standing where you eat?

Too high! You're crushing me! I-want-to-pet-the-kitty!

Pretty kitty!

Bad kitty?

Bad kitty?

Daddy says bad kitty?

Okay-

BAD KITTY! BAD KITTY!

Don't worry daddy I swat the bad kitty away...

Daddy?  Why are we running?

I am participating in Mama Kat's  - Pretty Much World Famous - Writer's Workshop

Word(less) Wednesday: Getty Owl Foundation Tell 5!

photo from the post Memories In Our Hearts Forever

A few months ago I shared a post about Baby Getty, the Getty Owl Foundation and Lullabies for Getty.  Baby Getty is a sweet bay girl who was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 (SMA1).  Her parents started a a foundation knowing that a cure may not be possible in Baby Getty's life time but that maybe one would be found one day or at the very least they can educate people about SMA.  

source

 

So, last month, Mama Getty posted Tell 5! She had the idea that if 5 people, told 5 people, who told 5 people... about SMA it would raise awareness of this horrendous genetic disorder.  SMA, however, is one of the closest neurological diseases that can be treated IF the resources where made available. IF resources are available.

source

I told 4 women who will become mothers one day...

and one who is a mother now...

and now... I'm telling you.

To learn more about SMA, Getty Owl Goundation or Baby Getty please go to http://gettyowl.com

How Do I Get Out of My Comfort Zone, Meet Other Moms and Have a Playdate? FONDUE!

Finally, a playdate!

With adults, specifically - other moms! 

More importantly - moms who blog! 

Roni and Chrissy (and me)

Last night, I had the opportunity to meet the ladies behind Mommy in Law and My Got Fam for dinner at the Melting Pot.  It was ladies night (aka spa night) which means that on top of the amazing dinner, dessert and cocktail we could also participate in a "spa" treatment from La Barberia Spa and Salon all for $35 (including tax and gratuity)!   Of course, I was last to arrive (late) but I made it and when the hostess took me to the table I immediately saw faces I knew!  I have read so much about these ladies lives online that they feel like they are all ready old friends and here they are in the flesh.

Between bites of cheesy goodness I got to hear about why they blog, what irks them (in real life and online), what makes them laugh and just connected with the women behind the blogs. We shared how we meet in the blogging world while sipping adult beverages and told the tales of how and why we call Cleveland home. I even learned that I can change my twitter name (which I did) with out losing followers, why you should not split an infinitive and there is peer pressure in the adult world, not just high school.  By the time our dessert came, I felt closer to these ladies and thrilled that I got to spend this time with them.

top right - half eaten spinach and artichoke fondu, top left - hard to see flambéed smore's fondu, bottom righ- the flame from flambéed smore's fondu, bottom left- dessert dippers

After dessert, we were ushered in to the "salon" for our "spa" treatment.  I was going to go for the paraffin treatment like my fellow bloggers, Chrissy and Roni, until Chrissy dared us to get... well she promised that she would blog about it so you will have to check out her blog to see what I got for my spa treatment.  I will say it could have been a massage, a feather in my hair or a mini makeover... but that is all I can say about that.

Chrissy and Roni being treated to a paraffin wax dip

You can say that mommy bloggers or moms who blog share to much online and maybe you think that friends online are not really friends but I feel pretty confident that these funny moms (they really are funny - check them out in my blog roll) are truly the nicest women I've meet in a long time and I am honored to call them friends. And, we did this all over the cheesy goodness of fondue!  Even if one of them splits the infinitive from time to time - it's called artistic license.

Product Review: Amy Adele has Some Stylish Calling Cards

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I love Amy Adele and when I saw the request to review her calling cards you better believe I jumped all over the chance!  Perfect timing since we moved AND my first grader switched schools.

Her cards are creative, well made and in my son's words, "stylish!"  He is right.  They are for a mom on the go! My only issue is that so many of the ones I liked only had room for my name and let's face it - I need two lines, one for my name and one for how I want to be contacted.  I know a traditional calling card is just a name but, alas, I need to give more info then one line.

Luckily, I found a card to match my personality and had enough space to accommodate not just my name and email but everything else I wanted on the card.

I even took their cue and left who's mom part on the card, of course, I forgot that I now have two kids... sigh.

A side from not enough room on some of  the cards... I love the selection.  Amy Adele's designs are just so freakin' cute.  I especially love how they come packaged in cute bag and with a few samples to use of other ways to use calling cards.

Did I mention that the calling cards come with little envelopes?  Or that they are made on 100% post consumer recycled paper?  Did you know that many of her designs have matching stationery and even labels?   I know you know that this is a mom made business because I reviewed her note-cards a few weeks ago. Besides all these little touches and the great designs - the prices are reasonable and well worth it!

Check, Amy Adele, out on Facebook or on Twitter for deals and updates.

My First Pinterest and Blogger Love for Parents.com Nominees

I made my first board on Pinterest!  I have been thinking about this for awhile and as I was browsing Parents.com Best Blog Awards I though - this could be a board!  I now know so many bloggers (or at least follow them) that I can vote and mean it!  I even nominated one of these amazing blogs!

So, without further delay... Go check out my, very-first-board, and if you feel so inclined, vote for these amazing blogs (or at least check them out)!  

Naughty Fiction in 140 Characters

Welcome to the World of Lady Gaga, Baby Girl

Dear Sweet Baby Girl, 

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!

I wanted to write you a letter and share with you some things I've learned.  I searched for a popular song to help express these thoughts and maybe relate to you better.

Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!

One day you will meet a boy (or girl) and you may (or may not) fall in love.  I want to warn you there are times when you may...

Want your bad romance

To which I have to say...

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!

You do NOT

Want your bad romance

Nor, should you ever settle for a bad romance and you should try as hard as you can to resist ever using one of the following statements...

I want your ugly
I want your disease
I want your everything
As long as it's free
I want your love

You are better then that and other women (myself included) have done all of that all ready, they have taken on those things and I am here to tell you - nothing is free.

I want your drama

Tell me all about all of those awful people who will try to break you, hurt you or use you.  I will listen.  Be warned that someone may even try and use you with

The touch of your hand

but hopefully you will be strong and stay away.  I hope that you will never settle for someone who will say,

I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand

because you should be you.  Don't try to be someone you are not - at least not for very long, everyone experiments and that is okay.  Stay true to you.  Besides, beaches are just bad places to make out.  Sand gets everywhere!

Always remember,

I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love

and never forget that

You know that I want you
And you know that I need you

But if any one claims...

I want it bad, your bad romance

They probably don't really mean that they want you and what they mean is more like

I want your love and

someone else, too.  Which then leads to 

I want your revenge

and that is never the solution.  Slashing someone's tires never works out they way you thought it would.

When you meet someone special your conversations will never and should never include:

You and me could write a bad romance
(Oh-oh-oh--oh-oh!)
I want your love and
All your lovers' revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

I beg you...

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!

To try with all your heart to not to get

Caught in a bad romance

I don't want to hear you cry, Mama... 

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

If it was possible...

I want your horror

all those awful, heartbreaking things that no one should have to go through but everyone does.  There are things that I would want to change to redesign in my life but won't because they are mine.  Even the worse things in my life I own, I made those choices and I stand by them.  It is for those reasons

I want your design

to be what you want.  You are an amazing, beautiful girl.  You deserve the best.

Should you ever fall in to the wrong crowd and meet Mr. Wrong I hope you find the courage to tell that person

‘Cause you're a criminal

for breaking your heart.  And if they say that they will not go anywhere

As long as you're mine

they could be a stalker or abusive.  Be careful of them.  They are not thinking,

I want your love

but trying to figure out another angle to keep you tethered to them.  Hopefully, a cop will never tell you that,

I want your psycho

and they have to tell that psycho it is it because of

Your vertigo stick

I hope your response to that psycho and his vertigo stick is

Want you in my rear window
Baby you're sick

and NOT

I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love

I have said this before but I feel it warrants repeating

You know that I want you

I pray that you never tell someone

'Cause I'm a free bitch baby!
And you know that I need you
I want it bad, bad romance

My sweet, sweet baby girl I leave you with one final thought

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!

You do not

Want your bad romance

Or any one's for that matter

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Roma-roma-mamaa!
Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!

Accept that you may

Want your bad romance

and be prepared to

Walk, walk fashion baby

walk away!  When you do be sure to 

Work it

when you do

Move that bitch crazy

out of your life.

Welcome to the world, baby girl, of bittersweet crushes, heartbreak and eventually - true love.

I wanted to warn you that everyone will have had that one person to make you see how much better your life will be with out them.  When you meet them remember, that it does not have to be that way and you are so much better without them no matter how much you think you love them.  No one can be everything to you if you are not everything to yourself first.

Besides, your dad may harm them if they do hurt you and I really don't want him to go to jail for murder.  Orange is just not his color!

With all my love,

mom

PS... If you could wait till you are married - that would be great!  Unless, of course, they are the douche I warned you about.

PPS...  Dad thinks you should meet a nice girl.

PPPS... I am participating in Mama Kat's  - Pretty Much World Famous - Writer's Workshop.

Wordless Wednesday: Looking Back on a Boy and His Frog

Remembering #TheDayBabyWasBorn on the First Day Back to School

Here we are, the first day of first grade.  It is hard not to think about the day he was born today.  Watching him walk into his classroom - a little nervous but excited made me wish to hold him again as a baby.  sigh.

It was a Tuesday.  I spent the morning getting my birth certificate and drivers license because I had this irrational fear that they would not let me take my baby boy home with me if I did not show identification and of course I lost my drivers license the week before he was due.

Once those tasks where completed, the husband went to work and I went grocery shopping.  My mom was house bound at this point and I was determined to make sure she would be well stocked.  I was feeling funny all day.  Uncomfortable, short of breath - normal pregnancy issues, but different. 

When I started to put away the groceries I started to feel cramping and figured I should call the Husband but put it off just a little longer - I had time.  Right?

I finally called him and because I was so calm he took his time.  I went to change clothes.  I was wearing my mom's house dress and was not going to hospital in anything but my clothes.  While I was changing, my water broke.  Still, no sign of the Husband.  I went outside to wait.

And wait...

I finally saw him pull on to our street and I have no idea how I got to the car, in it or even to the street the hospital was on but I do remember that he hit traffic, potholes and thought this would be a good time to coach me in breathing.  If there was ever a time I hated the sound of him breathing it was then and I told him so - in know uncertain terms.

Did I mention that for a month I was four centimeters?  Did the nurses, doctors or interns check me when I got there to see how far I was?  Did I mention that I think they thought I was exaggerating about the pain because I was a first time mom?  How about how fast they moved when they finally checked me and I was 7 centimeters and change?

Sure, I left out how I was asking for pain meds, an epidermal and a real doctor (no intern for me thank you) or how I kept taking the Velcro bands from the monitor off me because I was feeling claustrophobic.  But, really, none of that mattered as they where rushing me at full speed to the delivery room because I was so close to delivering.  Suddenly, I had their attention and the anistisologist was on his way, as soon as my blood work came back and that happen to be at 8 centimeters and did I take it?  Hell yes I did!

In retrospect, I would have had him two hours sooner but, eh... it was my first and I was scared of the pain.  You better believe I had an epideral with baby girl. I know what I can take and pain is not one of them.

Once, he was here, for the briefest of seconds there was a code pink called and as soon as everyone was in the room it was canceled.  Dad hovered over him while they recorded his info and cleaned him up.

As they worked on me, the Husband held my baby boy while I rubbed his foot.  They would not let me hold him till they controlled my bleeding and those where the longest minutes of my life.

The day my our baby was born was full of excitement and it may not be what I had envsioned it was still the most amazing thing I will ever had done.  At least until his sister was born.

And, for the record, the Husband tells this story so much better then I do - complete with pauses and a dead on imitation of me yelling at him for breathing.

The First Day of First Grade is When?!? #BacktoSchool

Can you believe that summer is coming to an end?  It seems like just yesterday I was lamenting over sending my soon-to-be-first-grader to summer camp and here we are at the start of the new school season.

Where has this summer gone!?!

sigh.

School starts officially tomorrow for us and not only is it First Grade but for my sweet boy - it is a new school.  A new school you ask?  Yes, it is a new school.. It seems that our move this summer put us just shy for the cut off for the school he went to for kindergarten.  Like, a dozen or less houses shy of the border.  I'm upset; he is excited.  I love that about him. 

How are we getting ready?  Besides the normal trip to the store for school supplies and new underwear we are taking field-trips to the new school.  Checking out the school before going there for the first day has him even more excited.  Since, I found out a week ago  that he would be attending this other school I took advantage of a weekday off (which I took to be with him on his actual birthday) and took him to the new school to play at the playground.

Yes, this seems like such a simple thing but it was nice to be there to get a feel of the new grounds.  They happen to have a day camp there so while he got to play for a little while without other kids and it was just us it was an added bonus to see the playground filled with kids.  All of the kids where older and none wanted to play with him because they had their cliques it was not long for him to team up with another boy who was not part of this group.  Turns out... he will be a first grader at this school, too.

The best part, so far about this new school?  The swing set.  His "old" school did not have one.  Odd seeing as the school itself is new but...  The school he will be going to I use to walk by every single day on my way to school and I wanted more then anything to swing on those swings.  Our school did not have a playground.  We had a parking lot and two basketball hoops, minus the nets, of course.  I went to Catholic school and playground equipment was never in the budget.  I swung on the swings with him while we were there that day.

We then made a trip to Target and our local market for lunch box snacks as well and fruits and vegetables to take to school.  Letting him pick what he wants for lunch, especially that first week, takes a lot of pressure off myself to try and figure out what he wants and gives him some say in his lunch - the whole let them think they have power thing.  For my soon-to-be-first-grader, it is watermelon, grapes, baby carrots and tootsie rolls.  Not all on the same day except, of course, the obligatory PB&J but all the same he gets a great variety as well as a sweet treat.  Luckily, our school is not nut free because that boy only eats PB&J and only on round thin bread. Every.  Single. Day.

A great tip that I learned...  pack an extra sweet treat to share with a new friend.  Oddly enough, he won't eat that little extra treat if he does not give it away and I only do this the first week back to school and the first day back from winter break.  Something to break the ice and never anything with nuts.

Another tip that I will share that I had to do was to soak my dried looking baby carrots in water for a few hours.  I noticed that the carrots that I just bought where looking dry (white and shriveled could be another way to say it) and I knew they where good.  Well, baby carrots are just carrots that are shaved to shape them into bite size goodness and they just need a little re-hydration to make them looking tasty again.

Lunch box notes seem to be a given so I make a few up a head of time and can't help but chuckle every so often at the preschool teacher that told me that my boy got made fun of because I use to draw on his baggies that I used to pack his carrots and sandwich.  Yes, you read that right.  Prior to using reusable containers I packed his lunch using baggies - oh and my son's preschool teacher said that the other kids teased him because I doodled on the baggies.  I think she was just jealous that she did not think to write a note telling her children that she loved them but I digress... 

I still can't get over that it is all ready school time but it is and all though I am a little sad that it is a new school... this is also a fresh start for me and another chance to more involved.  All though I was pretty active in my son's room and I am pretty proud of my little "Volunteer Parent" award now I will try to broaden my reach.  I will get out of my comfort zone, do more for the school as a whole and maybe, just maybe actually attend a PTA meeting and not just pay my dues.

How do you or did you get ready for school?

Do I Have to Say it in Spanish?

My son is at that age when he is testing his boundaries with me using his wits and not just his actions.  Thankfully, the kid is funny and has spot on timing when he accidentally becomes a smart ass.

Case in point:

My soon-to-be-first-grader, occasionally gets dropped of to me at work and spends the last 25 - 30 minutes, of my day, hanging out at the office.  He has become a fixture in the office and most are use to him being there at that time of day.  For the most part... by the time he takes out his art supplies or books it is time to go home.

Some of my colleagues will stop by and say hello or good-bye and depending on his mood he will talk to them and say good night.  One of the girls, Ms Jody, stopped by to chat on a day that Goofy was unusually chatty to everyone and was excitedly telling me something that I could not understand if my life depended on it.

He kept repeating the same phrase and Ms. Jody and I would look at each other and then back him hoping for some clue as to what it was he was saying.  Exasperated, I said that I just had no idea what he is trying to tell me and repeating the same thing was not going to make me understand.

In disgust, Goofy replied, "Do I have to say it in Spanish?"

Ten Things I Should Be Learning From My Kids

All and all I am probably a pretty selfish person.  I want things the way I want them and when I want them.  I get easily frustrated and I am socially awkward... much like my children are now but I see them growing and changing; becoming better people.  I want to know how they do it!

Do we start off one way, learn to be another way only to slide backwards and revert to toddler stage?   I feel like that is an insult to my toddler.  I think she is a nicer person then I am.  I need to look to my kids more to help me become a better person.

For instance, I got a call from my son's school on Monday.  We moved out of his school's district.  The cut off is half way down our street.  If we found a house, ten or so houses North of our home, he would be in the same school he went to for kindergarten.  I missed open enrollment by two weeks.  I was heartbroken.  I threw a temper tantrum.  His birthday party was the day before and he just spent the day with those kids!  I am also angry at myself for not researching it more but I figured... they where expecting him all ready.  He will now be attending a new school.  I told him on his birthday.  I took the day off of work to hang out with him.  His response?  More friends!  I took him to the school to check it out and play on the playground.  His response?  A better playground!

They have so much to teach me...

The top 10 things I need to learn from my children

1. A hug and a kiss can really help take the hurt away.  No, it won't cure anything but small gestures mean the world to other people and we should do it more often and mean it.

2. Making the best of the situation.  His response to the change in his school was that he gets twice the friends!  My fear was that his current friends, teachers and the like all ready know him and like him how will he adapt?  I feel foolish typing that sentence.  Of course, he will be fine!  He will have twice the number of friends!

3. Follow through means more then you think.  Baby girl is starting to use the potty.  Some times it goes well and other times she doesn't make it.  That does not stop her from wanting to follow through with the task.  She still wants to sit on the toilet, wipe, flush, wash hands... take a bath.  Sure, she messed her diaper and that, to her, means a bath.  Not sure why but she does.  This is where I teach her about disappointment.

4. Sometimes you just have to do it yourself.  Baby girl has been trying to do things on her own as soon as she realized that she could do things on her own.  She will fight tooth and nail (literally, she is a biter and a pincher) for her right to do something on her own.  She insisted on stairs once she figured out she could walk and that those stairs may lead somewhere else and she has to find out.  It amazes me that she would rather do things for her self then let mommy help her and then other times she clings so fiercely to me that I feel like I may choke.  What will I do when she really does not need me?

5. Keep trying.  My son is learning to roller skate and use a scooter and they are both things that he just has to do.  And he is working on it.  Yes, he has scraped knees.  Yes, I cheer when he catches himself before he falls. And, yes, I am getting this all on my flip cam. 

6. Enthusiasm.  They are brimming with it.  They are so full of it the baby dances in circles and my soon-to-be-first-grader just dances.  Everything is so exciting and new that they can't help but be excited and it is contagious.

7. That's mine.  So this is one that I don't need to learn but it is one that I need to learn to be okay with saying. Yes, we want them to share but sometimes it is okay to let them put their foot down and say, "This is mine and I don't want to share - right now."  How often do we not do it and wish we did or went along with something knowing it was not right.  It is not necessary to share all the time and we all need to know when we should and should not.

8. Saying sorry will not make things okay but goes a long way to making things right.  I make my son say it.  I make him do something to make amends.  He does it.  He does not always understand but he does it.  It is something I have to remember to do as well.  Sometimes I may not feel it until it is said but I feel better once it is out.  I know he does it as an automatic response but I also know that at least he gets that it should be an automatic response to when you make a mistake.  And, I don't mean in a text or email.  If he can do to my face then I can, too.

9. Simple things are really wonderful.  Yes, a new car would be nice as would be more money and who would not want an exotic vacation, but those things are some times unrealistic or temporarily unattainable.  Let's play with Legos and play dough until then...  My son loves to bring me flowers (which are really leaves) and my baby girl will bend over backwards to help me sweep the floor or bring me a diaper.  They don't quite get why we might not have extra money this week but they get that they can do something just as fun.

10. Ask for help.  As I was writing this my soon-to-be-first-grader found me in the kitchen and said, "Mom, I think I need to see a psychologist."  Now, I know he is exaggerating and he is more upset because he was sent to bed the night before for "accidentally" pushing his sister on the stairs (she did not fall) but he thinks he needs to see someone because of his nightmares.  I told him I could be like a psychologist if you would like to talk to me.  "Okay, but first we need a couch."  We all need help at different times and sometimes it requires someone to listen and other times, well, a bit more then just listening.  There are other times when he needs help building his lego city and there are times when he has to do it on his own.  At least he will ask for help.  It is something I need to do more of in my own life.

Oh, from the mouths (and actions) of babes can we learn to be better adults but we where once children... why did we stop behaving like children and become - adults?

This is another prompt from Mama Kat's - pretty much world famous - Writer's Workshop to make up for my childish one that I also posted...

Twitter Party Awkwardness #Fail

I remember it like it was yesterday...  I was scrolling through twitter, from my iPod app (I have a touch; not an iPhone - I'm just not that cool) and came across this tweet:



and I responded with this tweet:

To which, another fellow tweep responded, disagreed and added - #buttingin.  I'm fine that we disagree but to add... #buttingin?  Really?

You may be wondering what is Triberr and subsequently, "...so what's it do?"

Every time you publish a new post, everyone in your tribe will tweet it to their followers. And you do the same for everyone in your tribe.

Some see it as twitter spam... I don't because the people in my "tribe" are like minded or I follow them all ready and I get to read a lot of posts that I may miss in the regular stream.  I skip probably as many tweets about a blog post as I click on but in return I have gotten a few new followers and even a few more page views then before I was on Triberr.  This is not a post for or against Triberr -  I get both sides of the debate that prompted the question but I happen to like the service.

As for #buttingin... I guess this hash tag can be taken in a couple of ways. Maybe they thought that Triberr, itself, is a form of #buttingin, maybe they are jealous they never got an invite or maybe they felt that my response was #buttingin...  I am really hoping that it is not the later. Regardless, I really want to know what they where thinking?  But, I don't know because they never responded.  And, how could I respond after that? Are you saying I am not invited to this twitter party?  Are you saying my opinion does not count?  Do you not realize we follow the same people? Did you mean that I should not #buttin? Are you saying my butt is too big?  Am I being too sensitive?  Can I read into this anymore then I all ready am?  Does anyone have any chocolate?

Somehow, all of of a sudden, I am THAT person at {insert party here} who spoke out of turn and said {insert awkward comment} and created {insert awkward moment} at said party.  But - I remembered, duh, its a twitter party!  The tweet said RT!  I follow them anyway!  But, that hash tag - still awkward.  And I admit it - my feelings where hurt.  Why am I #buttingin?

The way I feel about twitter parties is the same for talking on a cell phone in an elevator - if you want it to be private go somewhere that is private.

Wordless Wednesday: At the Fair

Oh I wish, never have to let this moment go.

irony is not lost on me - arrow pointing to my head and I'm still nursing baby girl

Goofy and the Joke About a Snail

As my sweet little boy approaches his sixth birthday, I am a bit sad and a little bit melancholy.  He is growing up so fast and I can't stop it!  He is going to be 6 years old and soon - college!  sigh.

This has put me in a "Memories " state of mind and my posts will probably reflect that I am reminiscing over the past and I will do so a lot over the next few weeks.

I will try to keep it to a minimum but everything seems to remind me of his impeding trip to visit colleges and my need to keep him close.

And, yes, I agree - I am over reacting a little bit but, eh... he is my first born.  My baby boy.  My little man.  My sweet, innocent, loving little bundle of joy.  And, he will be going away to college, one day.

So... as I was catching up on some of my favorite blogs, I came across a post from June Cleave Nirvana and her little boy telling a joke.  The post reminded me of a time, not to long ago, when I told my Goofy boy a joke and he laughed, despite not fully understanding the joke and why it was funny but getting that the punchline was funny.

It was also the first time that he "got" that it was a joke and it was not a knock, knock joke nor a joke that was about numbers (i.e. Why was six afraid of seven?) or garbage trucks (i.e. What has four wheels and flies?).

Here is the joke, which I heard from Drew Carey when I worked at the Improv a very, very, very long time ago.

A man goes out to get the paper from the front stoops and he sees a snail.

The man picks the snail up and throws it across his yard.

Three years later there is a knock at the door.

The man answers the door and sees the snail.

The snail says, "What did you do that for?"

My soon-to-be-first-grader-but-not-ready-to-call-him-that-yet response while laughing hysterically?

I mean huge belly laughs hysterics.

"Snails don't talk"

I've Always Wanted a Stalker

I feel you watching.

I sense you near.

My skin tingles.

My throat tightens.

Every inch of my skin is electric.

I feel like I am on fire.

I wonder if I imagine you.

I worry that I did not.

Did you come to me during the night?

Was that just a dream?

Do you stand under my window, watching?

Am I the fantasy?

By breath quickens.

Words catch in my throat.

Do I phone or are you somewhere near?

Do you watch me as I leave?

I think you do.

I hope you do.

I want you to.

Will you stop me?

I want you to.

I imagine that you do.

You pull me into your arms.

The heat from your lips on mine make my knees weak.

Your hand at the small of my back makes me sure.

Am I wrong?

Should I not admit these things out loud?

Do you watch me twist my hair round my finger?

Do you watch me stroke my neck?

Do you know what I am thinking?

Do you know what I can do?

Should I keep these thoughts to myself?

I think that you are watching me.

I don't mind.

I've always wanted a stalker.

And you will do just fine.

I am participating in Mama Kat's  -Pretty Much World Famous- Writer's Workshop - trying my hand at free writing and Red Writing Hood.

Princess Won't Sit Still

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Huggies blogging program, for a gift card worth $35. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Changing baby in our house can be a contender for a new Olympic game and to say our little daredevil is fearless goes beyond the dictionary definition.

Baby Girl is a cross between an acrobat in the circus and a gymnast by the way she wiggles, squirms and manages to climb off the changing table.  Did I mention her ability to out run us once her feet hit the floor?

Our little girl just won't lay there anymore while we change her diaper.  To make matters worse - she can reach the light switch and the baby wipes so while we struggle to keep her still she is reaching (and successfully sucking on) the baby wipes, while turning the light switch on and off.  Begging and pleading won't help, especially, when she has beat you to the temper tantrum you where contemplating.  This is why she is nicknamed little Princess Won't Sit Still... I'm sure there are better names out there, more clever names and even shorter names but considering her Majesty's reign on our house and the royal temper tantrum she can dish out - you would understand.

It was not always this difficult.  I remember a time, not to long ago, when Princess Won't Sit Still would not stay in a wet diaper!  Oh, how she would cry and cry and cry...  she would cry until someone would finally change her and then she was fine, again.  Not a problem getting her to lay still on the changing table or the floor.  No need to strap her on to the changing table to keep her there, even while we stood there the whole time.  No screaming at the top of her lungs because she wants to do it herself.  No need to sedate her... obviously, joking!  I would never drug my kid to change her!   Sigh.

Princess Won't Sit Still is now 16 months and she is on the go more now then ever.  Stopping to change a diaper is just ridiculous so we have some new tricks to get her to cooperate.  For instance, we ask her to get her diaper and she does, even if she has to go upstairs to get the thing.  As a bonus, she gets to decided how long she takes (a long while) and where she would like to be changed at (where ever is most inconvenient) in the house.  This gives her some power and me some sanity.

Another thing we have tried to do now is to ask her if she needs to go to the potty.  Yes, Princess Won't Sit Still has all ready gone in her diaper but she feels more like a big girl when you take off the dirty diaper and put her on the potty.  In addition, I have a new diaper ready to go and all ready velcroed so I put the diaper on like a Huggies Pull-Ups not knowing that they started making Huggies Slip-On Diapers!

I never thought I would be related to royalty but I am and she goes by Princess Won't Sit Still!  And, will be heading to the store...

Wordless Wednesday: Memories of My Sweet Baby Boy

first birthday

Present time, present time

Open the present and see what's inside!