Monday, November 22, 2010

On Divorce

This is not a cheery topic by any means, but I felt I needed to say a little something about it. A friend of mine recently revealed to me that she and her husband have decided to get a divorce. This came as a huge shock to me...the couple in question overcame some amazing odds to be together, and the last thing I thought would happen was to see them split. They have 3 beautiful children, and my heart really goes out to these kids at a time like this.

Nobody can really say what it was that drove these two people apart. I'll go out on a limb here and speculate that stress over money, family, kids, and work played a huge role in this fiasco. We try our best to get through the day-to-day struggles that all marriages face, but I guess sometimes the struggle just becomes too much.

Hubby and I were both very saddened by the news. Talking about it, and speaking for myself, I came to realize just how lucky I am to have what I do. My own two sons, though I would do absolutely anything for them, can sometimes stress Hubby and I out to the point we get on each other's nerves. What we need to remember is that when we get to that point, we need to regroup and shift the focus toward a more positive direction.

Easier said than done at times, I know.

In the long run, though no relationship is perfect (be honest...there's always something that could use improvement), it feels good to be able to reflect together on the things that strengthen that bond between husband and wife. Sometimes it's as simple as looking at things from the other person's perspective, something we might overlook in the heat of the moment. (He came up with that one himself! I was so proud.) Other times, just talking about how each person feels can bring light to the situation, and the other party might never have dreamed you feel the way you do and was going along without giving it a second thought!

I hope we can both remember these points, if and when the need should arise. But in the mean time, I am thankful for what I feel is a wonderful marriage to a man I have continually grown to love and respect over the near-decade we've been together. I know not everyone can say that about their spouse. For that, I am truly sorry.

To anyone reading this who has gone through a divorce or knows of a couple going through it, I hope you are able to surround yourself with people who know and love you, and who are willing to walk with you through this devastating period in your life. Divorce is hard on everyone involved, as well as those closest to you. I sincerely hope that our friends will come through this without a lot of heartache and loose ends, and that their little ones will one day understand that their parents made this choice because they were really trying to do right by them in the long run.

We love you all.

Friday, October 1, 2010

"Don't Make Me Stop This Van!"

I uttered those words for the first time yesterday. Usually by the end of the week, my patience has worn pretty thin, and I'd just read yet ANOTHER note from Zeke's teacher stating he had a hard time listening and keeping his hands to himself in the hallway. This was the second time this week, and I was irritated.

We were on our way home from school/daycare, and Zeke was in the kind of mood where he just didn't want to keep his hands to himself. All of a sudden, Zeke started hollering. In the Mommy Mirror (that wonderful devise that lets you see the entire inside of the minivan and the area immediately surrounding the outside), I could see Gabe pinching Zeke.

"What's going on??" I asked.

"Gabe pinched me!" yelled Zeke.

"Why did he pinch you?"

"I don't know!" (Lie. Just moments before, I saw Zeke waving his hands in front of Gabe's face and messing with him.)

"Tell you what," I said, "I want you to sit with your hands in your lap and don't bother your brother. Mommy has to concentrate on the traffic."

A moment later, all was quiet in the back, but I could see Zeke's hand edging its way up the side of Gabe's car seat.

"Hands to yourself, Mister!" I said sternly.

"But I don't wanna!" whined Zeke. "I just wanna put my hand right here on the side."

By now, Gabe was trying to remove Zeke's hand from the car seat. At the same time, he had taken to screeching at his brother at the top of his lungs.

"Alright, you two!" I had taken my voice up a notch or two. "Quit all that carrying on back there!"

"But--"

"Aaaarrrgggghhhhh!!" screamed Gabe.

"DON'T MAKE ME STOP THIS VAN! You'll get a whoopin' before we even make it to the house!"

[Cue water works from Zeke.]

"What's the matter now??"

"I don't like what you had to say just now."

[Mental head slap.]

"Well, if you'd do as you were told and not mess with your brother--who doesn't know any better, by the way--maybe I wouldn't have to tell you you'd get a whoopin'," I said.

I still love how I can get away with the mere threat of punishment, which has almost as good an effect. Hey, Hubby and I and many of our contemporaries lived through it, and we weren't emotionally scarred from getting our tails whipped if we stepped out of line.

My point? I have to say that while verbal reasoning with a child old enough to understand is a good way to encourage good behavior, I'm not against giving out a pop on the hiney, if one is much needed. Some parents feel we should never smack children. To that, I say, "GET REAL!!" Kids will be kids, but someone has to keep things in check, and sometimes a pop on the butt is what it takes.

It hurts feelings more than it hurts little behinds. Really.

You don't have to agree with me. Many don't. But when my mother got out her de-feathered feather duster (which was by then the perfect cane) after my brother or I screwed up, well, that put the fear of God in us pretty quickly. Of course, we grew big enough to where it didn't really bother us, so my mother found other ways to get her point across, when she wasn't happy with our behavior.

For now, my 5 year old and 1 year old will just have to learn these things in time. Until then, little bottoms beware!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Parenthood: 5 Years Down and Counting...

Today, Hubby and I are celebrating having survived the first 5 years of parenthood. Yep, our little Ezekiel hits the big "05" today at exactly 4:32 p.m. As far as he's concerned though, he's already 5.

Five years ago at this very moment, I was resting in my hospital room after being told that the induction has failed to progress, and we will be proceeding with a c-section. I know how some mothers feel they have failed in some way when presented with this news. I, for one, was relieved. They'd given me the option of calling it off, taking a shower, getting a bite to eat (by now, I hadn't eaten anything since the night of September 20, so yeah, I was famished), and going home for the night.

"Oh, HELL no!" I said. After coming this far, being sent home was NOT an option. Dang it! I had been through this much crap for the past 24 hours, and I wasn't going ANYWHERE without a baby in my arms!

The c-section was scheduled for 4 p.m. In the mean time, I was to get some rest, and the anesthesiologist would come by to get me prepped for surgery early in the afternoon.

I'll never forget the way Hubby had to sit at the far end of the room during the epidural. He can't stand needles, and his face was looking very flushed at this point. From the time we headed to the O.R. to the time we were back in Recovery, he was so red in the face, I had to ask the nurse to keep an eye on him. Luckily, he was fine, but he couldn't bring himself to take pictures of the actual delivery, so the anesthesiologist grabbed the camera from him and snapped away. Apparently, that was before there was a ban on filming or taking pictures of the actual surgery, so we don't have anything from Gabe's actual appearance into the world, but quite a few of Zeke making his grand entrance. (Too gruesome to post on here, I'm afraid. Trust me...you'll thank me. LOL!)

He was perfect. Perfect little fingers and toes, perfect little nose, perfect little...umm...boy parts. *grin* Hubby checked that first, I think. LOL! He was our perfect little baby boy.

And here we are 5 years later, and we're still living through it, every high and low, every scraped knee and all the tears and laughter. It's definitely been an interesting ride thus far, but I'm proud to say to the whole world, "Yes, I'm a MOM! And I've got the scars to prove it, by gosh!"

We're having dinner and a cake tonight at home with my folks. Unfortunately, Hubby won't be home to join us, but we'll take lots of pictures. The pan of brownies pictured above is for his class at school today. With all that frosting on top, the teacher is going to have 20 kindergarteners bouncing off the walls...literally!

Happy 5th birthday, big guy. Lots of love from Momma, Daddy, and baby brother Gabe. xoxoxox








Monday, September 20, 2010

Moments


I posted this as my Facebook status last night, but I wanted to write about it here, too. Last night while trying to get Gabe to go to sleep, I was rocking him and singing "Twinkle Twinkle" to him. He'd been rather restless and fussy all day from a cough and runny nose, and I knew he was beyond tired.

Gabe looked up at me while I was singing, and I smiled at him. The next thing I knew, he squeezed his eyes shut, scrunched up his nose, and gave me a big, toothy grin. It was so unexpected that I laughed out loud, at which time he peeped one eye open and giggled.

My heart melted. :)

I tried to carry on singing, but he just kept on doing it and making me laugh. Every time I'd get him settled down, he'd do it again and giggle, and I'd laugh, and we were back at Square One.

He FINALLY stopped the silliness and drifted off to sleep. I wish I had my camera with me to catch that peaceful look children have on their faces when they first nod off, but I didn't. I wanted to remember that sweet little face for when he becomes a teenager, and I have to remind myself why I should tolerate all the B.S. I know teenagers put their ever-loving parents through every day until they grow enough sense to match their rapidly growing bodies.

It's moments like these that make me realize I'm so glad I'm a mother. Yes, they do try my patience just about every chance they get, but then they do something goofy like this, and you can't help but love them that much more. You take a big risk putting your heart out there, in that little body that was once inside you and is now a little person of his own. When he wants you to put him down so he can go toddling off to explore, you feel a mix of emotions. One day, he'll be off to college, his own place, maybe a wife and family of his own, too. At the same time, a part of you doesn't want them to ever leave.

Until they do something that snaps you back into reality, and you try to assess the damage and figure out what it's going to cost you this time. "How long did you say until you turn 18 again?"

*grin*

It's all part of parenthood, people. It's the emotional roller coaster you sign up for when that kid enters the world in all their naked, wrinkled, screaming glory. It's messy, it's tiring, and it's downright bloody challenging at times.

And like many of us, we just can't get enough of it.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

At The Hospital


Yesterday morning...very early in the morning...I wheeled this little guy and a sleepy big brother into the main entrance of the hospital. Gabe was getting tubes in both of his ears in an effort to reduce the number of ear infections he keeps getting in his right ear.

Since he wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink after midnight the night before (and those of you with little ones know just how cranky a hungry or thirsty child can be early in the morning), I opted to bring in the once-banished pacifier in an effort to keep him quiet.

I'm glad to say it worked. I'm also glad to say he forgot all about the pacifier after the procedure!

My little trooper was in and out in no time at all. He did a great job, the doctors and nurses were fabulous, and the whole experience went surprisingly smoothly. We had all the grandparents in the hospital room, along with big brother Zeke and myself. Hubby was at work and couldn't make it, but he did call to check in on the lil' fella later on in the day.

Once back in the room, I handed Gabe his sippy cup of milk, and it was gone in all of about 2 minutes, followed by a meltdown, followed by the nurse hurriedly bringing in some apple juice for the pint-sized patient. He still wouldn't crack a smile, at least not until after getting something to eat.

After a trip to McDonald's for a late breakfast, Gabe was back to his old self, if still a little tipsy from the anesthesia. It was funny to watch him try and walk around, much like watching a happy drunk stumble over his own feet, get up, laugh, and do it again.

Anyway, all's well now. We're on drops for a couple of days, and then a follow up with the ENT doctor in a few weeks. Gabe's back in daycare today and is back to his old sassy self. I was pretty nervous about putting such a little guy under general anesthesia, but like I said, it was over so fast that we didn't really have time to dwell on it. At least it's done and over with, and hopefully we can look forward to an ear infection-free holiday season.

Thanks to everyone who was in attendance on the day and to all the support and thoughtful comments from friends and family. :)

Friday, September 10, 2010

Catching Up

I've been horrible about staying current with this blog. Now I'm lucky to post once a month! Sorry, sorry...life's been busy as of late. So to get caught up, here's what's been going on the past month or so.
The biggie was Zeke starting kindergarten. He's been there for almost a month now, and I think he's having a great time. There's so much more to do and learn than there is in daycare (and understandably so), which he finds mentally stimulating. A kid like Zeke needs to stay occupied, otherwise he winds up goofing off and getting into trouble.

Gabe had his first hair cut! He doesn't look like a baby anymore!! Actually, since these pictures were taken at the salon, he's had a haircut at home, too.

Gabe's also going to end up getting tubes placed in his ears on Monday. The poor thing has been dealing with ear infection after ear infection since about Christmas, and the doc and I are in agreement that this has got to come to an end. Hubby will still be working out of town, but all four grandparents are going to be joining us at the hospital at 6 a.m. come Monday. I hope this takes care of the ear infection issues. :-\

Hubby's working with a highway paving crew now. While it's still an on-the-road job, at least he's home every other weekend. He's excited about this weekend because we're going to a benefit picnic in Smyrna, and his all-time FAVORITE cartoon characters will be there (yes, he's the only adult I know that ADORES the Power Puff Girls). I said I'd even humor him and take a picture of him with the girls, just so he can frame it and put it on his PPG knickknack shelf at home.

Not much else going on right now. Work's steady, the kids are fine, the Hubs is fine. Can't really ask for more, can I? Well, maybe a million dollars, but that's another story.

Hopefully it won't be another month before I post on here again. LOL! Blame those awful games on Facebook. I think my evenings are sucked into a black hole of Frontierville, Mafia Wars, and Cafe World. It's sickening really.

Ciao, peeps!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Hello, Rump Roast!

This past weekend, Hubby and I took the boys to see the local 4-H fair at the farmer's market. I figured it would be a great opportunity to let them see some animals up close. While these are show animals and not necessarily the steaks, hamburgers, and drumsticks that end up on our dinner table, I wanted Zeke to have an appreciation for where his food comes from.
Zeke poses with some cows.



Gabe was amazed by the chickens (and all the noise they made)!




We had a good time at the fair. Gabe likely won't remember it, but I think Zeke was able to learn a little something. It's one thing to read about animals in books or watch a show about them on TV, but learning takes on a whole new dimension, when kids get to see the real thing in person.

Aside from Hubby trying to convince me that we ought to buy a goat for our home (which, if you ask me, is more so that he won't have to mow the grass as often), we also checked out the many crafts, paintings, photographs, models, and other items on display in the lovely, air-conditioned building. *grin* I didn't realize there were so many crafting clubs incorporated into the whole 4-H group, but that was really neat to see.

(I may need think about getting involved with the cross stitching group. Perhaps that will get me motivated to actually finishing some of the projects I've had hanging around for close to a decade...still unfinished!)

Anyway, in all, it was a great learning experience. Hopefully, we'll get to do more things like that when the weather cools down a bit.

Now...what's for dinner?

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Married Life...(Seven Years Later)...

Recently, Hubby and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. Since he was actually going to be in town this year, I decided we should splurge and celebrate with a night on the town and a swanky hotel room in downtown Nashville. (Ooh là là!) Granted it was the 4th of July weekend (our anniversary falls on the 5th...which in subsequent years we realized was not such a wise choice, if you want to go anywhere or do anything that might cost MONEY!) Anyway, we decided to do this, and I'm glad we did.

I had booked us a night at the Hotel Indigo Nashville on Union Street. This put us a mere quarter mile from Riverfront Park, which is where the city holds its infamous 4th of July fireworks display. SWEET!! So we wouldn't have far to stumble home after the festivities were over. *grin* Kidding, but at least it meant we didn't have to deal with traffic or look for parking, thanks to the hotel's valet service, and we were within walking distance of the main attractions, restaurants, and other downtown conveniences.

The fireworks display itself was spectacular. I must say, we do put on a good show for Independence Day here in Music City. The entire riverfront was packed with people, so I'm glad my folks were babysitting the kids for us that night. (I forgot to mention we were sans the bambinos for a night, didn't I?) That was their anniversary gift to us, which was greatly appreciated, even though we do adore our children and love to spend time with them.

Hubby and I went to several places that evening, but after the fireworks, we stopped in at Buffalo Billiards for something to drink and to chat a while. It was one of the best conversations we've had in a long time, talking about us as a couple, who we were, who we are now, and how we got there. It was enlightening in a very wonderful way, and I think we came away from it with a deeper mutual understanding of each other's core values and, well, what makes us "tick."

The past seven years have flown by, quite honestly. I still have a picture of us from our wedding day taped to the wall by my desk at work. Sure, we have our ups and downs, but so does everybody else. It's what keeps things interesting!

I hadn't realized how much we needed that time to ourselves until we went on a short trip out of town with the kids back in April. "Never again!" I promised. It wasn't exactly relaxing, and at the end of the trip, we were both so frazzled, it's a miracle we didn't have a big blowout on the ride home!

Besides, Gabe screamed for a good portion of that ride home, which put us both on edge to say the least!

Let me stress the importance of couple time, folks. Everyone needs it, just like you need time with your kids or time by yourself. Every couple needs time to reconnect and remember why you picked this individual to be your spouse "'til death do we part." That's a long time, people. And if you're like me and take your marriage vows seriously, then you'd better give that marriage a tune up every now and then to keep things rolling smoothly and the sparks flying.

So...here's looking at the next seven years down the road. Maybe I'll blog about it then, too. :)

(By the way, the hotel room was very nice...what we saw of it anyway. *wink*)

Friday, June 18, 2010

Look Who Turned 1!!















Earlier this month, Gabe turned the big ONE! This picture was taken at his party in east TN, where he really got into his "smash cake." There was frosting just about everywhere! At this point, he hadn't yet smeared it across his eyes and nose (and got it up his nose, too). That mess took about a dozen wipes to clean up. LOL!

It's funny how fast kids grow up. Gabe's almost walking, he can wave and say "bye bye," and he likes to dance any time he hears music. What happened to my little 5-pounder that we brought home from the hospital a year ago??

Anyway, I just wanted to share this lovely picture. Zeke wasn't quite as adventurous on his 1st birthday and would barely touch his cake. Gabe, however, didn't need any encouragement, as you can see.

And of course, Mommy had a lot of cleaning up to do!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Nashville "Barbies"

A friend sent this to me in an email, and I just had to share. Having spent almost half my life in the Nashville area, I thought this was pretty funny and wanted to pass this along to my fellow citizens of Nashvegas and the surrounding areas. I was a little disappointed that the author omitted Murfreesboro. What about the co-ed Barbie complete with flip flops, bubble tea, and the green MTSU parking decal prominently displayed from the rear-view mirror of her Prius Hybrid in metallic blue? (That's the warning sign the rest of us M'boro drivers look out for and know to stay the hell away! LOL!!) Jockey Ken sold separately with socks and sandals and a keg in the back seat of his Ford F-150.

Anyway, take a gander and enjoy! Us mommas can use a laugh every once in a while.

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



Nashville Barbies

Mattel recently announced the release of limited-edition

Barbie dolls, made especially for the Nashville market.


'Brentwood Barbie'
This princess Barbie is sold only at Green Hills Mall. She comes

with an assortment of Kate Spade Handbags, a Lexus SUV, a

long-haired foreign dog named Honey and a cookie-cutter house.

Available with or without tummy tuck and face lift.
Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with the augmented version.

'Hendersonville Barbie'
The modern day homemaker Barbie is available with the Ford

Winstar Minivan and matching gym outfit.
She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation.
Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately.



'Gallatin Barbie'

This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray

Lewis knife, a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a Meth Lab Kit.

This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash

(preferably small, untraceable bills) ...unless you are a cop, then

we don't know what you are talking about.



'Cool Springs Barbie'

This Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible or

Hummer H2. Included are her Starbucks cup, credit card and

country club membership. Also available for this set are

Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper.
You won't be able to afford any of them.

'Ridgetop Barbie'
This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans

two sizes too small, a NASCAR t-shirt and Tweety Bird tattoo
on her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Bud Light and a Hank Jr.

CD. She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's butt

when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and get

a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.



'West End Barbie'

This collagen injected, rhino plastic Barbie wears a leopard print

outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while entertaining friends.
Percocet prescription available as well as warehouse conversion condo.




'Springfield Barbie'

This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own

high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased

beer-gutted Ken out of Ridgetop Barbie's house. Her ensemble

includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through

halter-top. Also available with a mobile home.



'Vanderbilt Barbie'

This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long straight brown hair,

archless feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white

socks. She prefers that you call her Willow . She does not want or

need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Vanderbilt Barbies and the

optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.



' Antioch Barbie'

This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant doll. Optional

accessories include a GED and bus pass. Gangsta Ken and his

1979 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find

since the addition of the infant.



' Bellevue Barbie'

She's perfect in every way.

We don't know where Ken is because he's always out a-'huntin'.




' Dickerson Road Barbie/Ken'

This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken

by simply adding or subtracting the multiple snap-on parts.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Big Kid School

Last week, I finally received the letter telling us which school Zeke was going to be enrolled in this Fall. Since we reside in the county outside the city limits, we were originally zoned for a school 6 miles in the opposite direction from which I commute each day.

That just wasn't going to work for any of us, and since the city schools have the ESP program (that would be Extended School Program, not some sort of clairvoyant elective course...though that would be good), Hubby and I felt it best to lobby for a spot in one of our local city schools.

So I made the pilgrimage in and filled out the paperwork. We're all set for Kinder Kamp in July, and the phase-in period begins in early August.

My baby is going to SCHOOL!!! *sniffle*

I'm sure the transition will be less of a big deal for him as it will for me and Daddy. It's a milestone. A HUGE milestone. Am I ready for it?

When I look at what I'm paying for daycare right now, I'm definitely ready for it. HA!

Anyway, it's all good. He's going to love going to "big kid school." He's such a little man. *grin* More about that soon.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!! Kudos to all the mamas out there reading this. (Dads, you have your own day next month.)

This lovely bouquet arrived at work for me on Friday, thanks to my wonderful hubby and my two awesome little boys! Hubby swore he had nothing to do with it, so I informed him that if that was the case, one of his sons must have gotten hold of his credit card. LOL!

I'm typing this on my laptop with my almost-11-month-old pulling the screen down so he can see me (which is not good for laptops in general) and my 4-year-old who has been watching Scooby Doo for the past couple of hours. Since Hubby won't be home until June 1, it looks like this year's Mother's Day will be a quiet one. (Oh yeah, and happy birthday to my dad! Mustn't forget to call him later.)

It's been an awesome year for me in terms of motherhood. We now have a second little boy in our lives, and after what we had to go through to bring him into the world, I have to say today is a great day to sit back and reflect on those times and where we are now. Life just wouldn't be the same without these two little guys!

Just a few days ago, I went and got Zeke signed up for kindergarten. He starts Kinder Kamp in July, so his daycare days will be officially over. *sigh!* And I still remember bringing him home from the hospital and having to tell Hubby to keep his eyes on the road instead of gazing at the baby so much! :)

It all goes by so fast. It won't be long before we're taking Zeke to buy his first car. He already tells me he has a girlfriend at daycare. This was verified by her asking me a bunch of questions about why Zeke was out for several days a few weeks ago (when we went on vacation), and that she's glad he's back because she missed him. (What??) I know it's not anything serious, but it does get you thinking, at least as a mother.

So for the rest of today, I only have 4 things on my agenda: laundry, dishes, cooking for next week, and playing with the boys and having fun! Zeke's supposed to be painting a flower pot for me for my dahlia, and I told him we could fly his kite in a little bit. Gabe will just be happy to be outside. It's actually nice out there today...no tornado warnings of floods. I meant to blog about the Nashville May Day floods, but there's plenty of news about it on the Internet already. That's definitely one to remember!

Anyway, mothers, enjoy your kids today! And enjoy being spoiled, if that's on the cards for the day, too! *wink*

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Travel with Tots...Beware!

Last week, Hubby and I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Gatlinburg, TN for his company safety meeting. We decided to make a long weekend of it and stayed on a couple of nights at the Wyndham Smoky Mountains resort (which was gorgeous, by the way).

Little did I know the weekend was going to be such an eye opener!

For the most part, Zeke was well behaved and thoroughly enjoyed himself on this trip. He appreciated the trip to the Ripley's Aquarium and the dinosaur museum. He enjoyed dinner at Mama's Farmhouse, where I believe I had THE best peach cobbler in my entire life, not to mention some pretty darn good fried chicken, country fried steak, turkey and dressing...oh, it was fabulous! Anyway, the grub was good. *grin* He also had a blast walking up and down through the streets of downtown Gatlinburg in the rain and didn't complain once!

Gabe, however, was a different story.

I can appreciate that vacations mean kids get off their regular schedules and routines. I'm aware that bedtimes might come later than usual. And I totally get it that sometimes, new places and people just cause little ones to be fussy. I GET THAT!! But what the Hubs and I experienced with our beautiful little baby boy was nothing short of a National Lampoons disaster!

Crawling around on hands and knees in public places is not good for children. The carpets in hotels alone proved that little hands and feet need to stay properly covered (although a comment to the hotel manager at the place we stayed before Wyndham scored us free breakfast and some complementary tickets to the aquarium...cha-ching!)

The daily excursions we had planned were peppered with messy diaper changes, bottle feedings, entertaining the baby when he had had enough of the stroller and car seat, and occasionally toting 20-something pounds of baby when all else failed.

And on the drive home, he decided he'd had all he could take and pitched the fit of all fits! I'm talking screaming until you could hear ringing in your ears. I'm talking sobbing so hard, he almost made himself sick more than once.

Oh yes. You know what I'm talking about.

It's a wonder Hubby and I hadn't gotten into a big argument by the end of the trip just because we were so stressed out! Marry that mess with a lack of sleep (I slept less on this trip than I do during a regular work week, if that's actually possible), and you're asking for a meltdown in more ways than one.

But anyway, when all was said and done, the Hubs and I have decided that we will need to make time for not one, but TWO trips during the year: one for us and the kids, and one just for us. I know a lot of people do things that way, and I see why. It's not a good idea to put your marital happiness on the back burner all the time; you really do need to give even a great marriage time to rejuvenate and rekindle the spark.

So next time, perhaps he and I can find time for a long weekend sans kiddos. It doesn't mean we love them any less--they are the most important things in our lives! But we do value our marriage, too, and that's equally important.

(Wow...that totally felt like a Dr. Phil moment. LOL!!)

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Spring Has Sprung!

This is a little late in posting, but better late than never, I guess. Actually the title of this post might be wrong because we sort of skipped over spring and went from 20-degree weather to 80-degree weather in the blink of an eye! (For my friends reading this in Europe, that would be about -7 degrees to about 27 degrees.)

Anyhoo, the Hubs and I decided to get our gardening underway, since last year things were a little messed up with the upcoming birth of Gabe and subsequent hospitalization for a very looonnngggg month on my part.

The date was set for Easter weekend. DH was such a sweetheart and tilled the garden and planted the seeds and plants all by himself! Zeke and I did the herb garden as seen in this picture. It only took 3 days for little spikes of green to show up in the window box, and now, almost 2 weeks later, I have dill already reaching about 3" in height! My chives and basil are coming along nicely, too, but my rosemary hasn't done a lot as of yet. I'll have to trim that one constantly, as the package says it can grow as tall as 6 feet!

This year, our vegetable garden consists of: cherry tomatoes, Better Boy tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, banana peppers (I think), runner green beans (half white), pole beans, eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette), straight-neck yellow summer squash, carrots, and soon will also include okra, thanks to seeds from a co-worker of mine. We'd thought about asparagus, but there's way more work involved with that, and it takes a couple of years until you can harvest anything. I'd thought about including spinach and broccoli, two of Zeke's favorites (yeah I know, he's weird, right?), but that might have been too much for the space we had assigned. I'd even thought about cabbage for my chow-chow canning later in the summer, but again, too much stuff in too little space. If things go well this year, we may expand next year.

I'll post pictures of the garden in various stages of growth. As of right now, the beans and squash/zucchini are about 2" tall, and there is a mass of green spikes where the carrots are starting to come up. The tomatoes and peppers we bought as plants from the store, but everything else is from seed. I get such a kick out of knowing the vegetables we harvest came from seeds we planted ourselves.

And that's one more thing for me to blog about later...my canning adventures! Last year, I made chow-chow, hot and sweet pepper jelly, and cantaloupe jelly. We didn't make any of our squash bread-and-butter pickles because we still had some left over from the previous year, but we might do that again this year. They make great gifts, and people like this stuff!

I guess I can put my Ball canning book to good use this year. *grin* More on that to follow.

Wow, it's getting late. I'd better get to bed...just as soon as I go through my FB games real quick. LOL Goodnight, all!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Staying Focused

I've had a lot of thoughts pop into my head today, so zeroing in on one specific topic may be hard to do. I will tell you that I'm exhausted and feel as though I've accomplished exactly NOTHING this weekend, but then that wouldn't be entirely true.

This would be the third weekend it's just been me and the kids, not to mention every single weeknight in between. Thankfully, DH will be home in a few nights, something we're all looking forward to. You don't realize how much you need each other until one of them is working out of town, and the bulk of the household is left on your shoulders. At least his pay is decent, but man, I'm ready for my other half to be home!!

[Paused here to fix a bottle for Gabe and spend several minutes patting his bottom to get him to stop crying and go back to sleep.]

You see, this is how my weekend has been. I feel as though I haven't finished a single task that I set out to do--with the exception of buying groceries because you try and get it all in one trip, if possible. Every time I start working on a task, one of the kids needs my attention.

Someone needs to eat.

Someone has a boo boo.

Someone can't find a certain action figure or toy or stuffed animal or book or Tag pen or crayon color.

Someone needs a diaper change in a bad sort of way.

Someone wants you to change the channel on the TV because they don't want to watch a particular cartoon.

Someone crawled into the corner of the kitchen where the most dirt is tracked in through the back door and has found a shoe to put in their mouth.

Someone won't take a nap.

Someone is crying.

Someone is ready to throw in the towel and admit that maybe they bit off more than they could chew when they even THOUGHT about bringing children into this world!

Now I won't say it was all bad this weekend. We did take some time to play at the local playground, where Zeke and I shot a few hoops (well, I did...Zeke was still working on his dribble), and Gabe and I watched Zeke climb all over the playground during my secret ploy to have him wear himself out prior to nap time.

(That doesn't work as well as it used to, by the way.)

We've read books and told stories, had animated conversations at the dinner table, and laughed and played with the baby as he learns to clap and say "Mama" non-stop when he wants something. (I really need to teach him to say "Dada" more often.)

I guess I'm just griping. I did get some laundry done, and the sink was free of dishes at some point this morning. But after fixing Hot Dog Soup for dinner this evening (which the kids loved) and Taco Mac 'n' Cheese for one day later this week, the sink is now full of pans, cutting boards, and dishes once again. The living room floor was already picked up three times today, twice by myself and once by Zeke, but is now covered with toys once again. And the small projects on my to-do list, such as cleaning all the excess junk off the dinner table and bathroom counter, have once again slipped by on the wayside. It's a wonder I was able to get my medical transcription work finished with all the distractions I've had!

By the time the kids go to bed and the bottles are washed for the next day, I have very little desire to clean or organize. I find myself mindlessly playing games on Facebook just so I don't have to THINK for a while!

And then it's time to go to bed because tomorrow is Monday, and 4:30 comes awfully early in the morning.

Guess I need to stop and smell the roses more, or I'll wake up one day in my 50s and wonder where the hell my life went! Not that 50-something is old, but I had to make a point here. *smile*

And on that note, I believe I have some dishes in my cafe that need to be served, and I have jobs that my mafia need to do while the energy pack is still good. Oh, and I need to report to work at the widget factory to claim my 350 coins and visit a few of my neighbors and send a few gifts.

Don't ask. Really. Good night!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Wedding Bells

One of the newer girls working here with us is getting married. I'm not sure when, but every time I see her in the break room, she's on the Internet looking up flowers and cakes and all things wedding related.

I remember those days, making phone calls and getting quotes and all the details and planning that goes into a wedding. And just now, I had a thought:

Why do we focus SO much on the big day itself, when it's the rest of your life with your spouse that really matters?

This July, Hubby and I will have been married for seven awesome years. Don't get me wrong--that was a very special and happy day for us both (not that he tells it like that, but he likes to push my buttons sometimes). Anyway, we had a nice ceremony, had lots of family and friends over, and the whole to-do was a happy affair.

Just the other day, I was steamed about a late fee I was going to have to pay at the daycare because I was a few minutes late picking up the kids. The whole situation was ridiculous, but in the end, we forked over $90 for being late twice due to traffic that was completely BEYOND MY CONTROL!! That being said, the director was not willing to try and help us with it (she's new and not my most favorite person, which is putting it mildly). By the time I got home and had dealt with the kids' whining and carrying on, I was close to tears.

I called the Hubs, and he was my voice of reason. After about five minutes of me blowing off steam and ranting and raving about the mean director, he calmly replied,

"Tell you what, just take off a little early when I'm not home, catch the earlier bus, and be done with it."

Well, alrighty then! I can do that. In fact, I had already thought about doing that, but it was just hearing it from him and the reassurance in his voice that I'm not a lousy mother for picking up the kids late, that calmed me and put things into perspective.

Clearly, I was overracting.

We'd met with a friend of his from way back this weekend, and even though Hubby likes to tease and play, in the end, he had nothing but nice things to say about married life. And I'll admit, I was pretty proud of us, too.

So now I quietly observe this young lady making all her wedding plans, and I think to myself that I hope she remembers it's not ALL about the wedding day, but the relationship that grows and builds from that day forward...

...for ever and ever, amen. :)

Monday, February 22, 2010

Movin' On Up and Being a Boy!

Yesterday evening, Gabe pulled himself up to stand for maybe 30 seconds while playing in the living room. I couldn't get to my camera fast enough, however, so I missed this momentous occasion by about 5 seconds.

This morning, he was nice enough to do it again, only this time while playing in the crib. I had my cell phone handy, so here's the snapshot.

By the way, he really is sticking his tongue out at me. This was something he learned to do maybe two days ago.

I promise I didn't show him how to do it!

The practice of displaying one's tongue during photo-taking is, apparently, something boys (and men) do almost instinctively. DH does this just about any time a camera is pointing in his direction, and I've just decided it's got to be genetic. There is a cute coffee mug on one of our shelves showing a picture of him and Zeke (age 1) sticking their tongues out at the camera. The caption under the picture reads, "Like father, like son..."

Well, I thought it was highly appropriate.

And now, the newest male family member is quickly catching on in this unspoken rite of passage. All I can do is cringe a little and pretend I didn't see.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

On The Move!

Today, my baby boy is 8 months old. Yesterday, he finally figured out that if he moves his hands and shifts his weight a little, he can actual crawl forward! Yep, Gabe is on the move. *proud parent grin*

He's actually been rolling and shimmy-ing for the past few weeks now, but this is the first time he was able to see where he was going while in motion. While still a little hesitant about this newfound mobility option, I think he'll find plenty of motivation when trying to keep up with big brother Zeke.

The cool thing for me now is getting to watch Zeke take an interest in helping his little brother in various ways. This morning he tried to get Gabe to follow him out of their room while on his hands and knees, crawling along on the floor. Gabe thought about it and looked like he was about to follow, but he changed his mind at the last minute. So instead, Zeke just picked him up and toted him to the living room. He didn't want any help, but Gabe weighs almost half of what Zeke does, so I had my hands on him the whole time, too. I don't think Gabe would appreciate being dropped on the floor first thing in the morning!

In other news, Zeke's having his Valentine's Day party at the daycare today. Looking over the party menu, it appears they are going to be hopped up on plenty of sugar by late afternoon, so I'm going to have to come up with some kind of game plan to tame his already hyperactive self.

I say he's hyper, but he's not really that bad. Usually it hits when he's already tired and is finding a way to stay active so as not to go to sleep. That's one way of knowing he didn't spend ALL of his nap time actually sleeping!

I'm not sure how the babies are going to celebrate Valentine's Day. Maybe they could add a drop or two of red food coloring to their bottles of formula? *shrug* Maybe not. Zeke loves "pink milk" (that's strawberry milk to us old folk). That actually sounds pretty good right now. LOL

Anyway, I've got work to do and need to get away from my desk, where there is a very unwelcome and COLD draft coming in from somewhere. Evidently I'm not wearing enough layers today.

Again.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Grammatical Issues?

I'm going to keep this blog short. This morning I was browsing through some posts on Circle of Moms on Facebook, and I have to say I was absolutely APPALLED at the spelling and grammatical errors!

Look, ladies, I know we're just asking other mothers questions about kids and parenting, but at least look your question over before you post. PLEASE!

I know giving birth is no laughing matter, and we've all done it and lived to tell the tale. But does that mean our intelligence just flew out of the window the minute we heard that kid squall??

No, it doesn't.

And another thing is the blasphemous use (or lack of use) of punctuation. I mean really, it's there for a reason. If you're going to take the time to post something for the entire world to see (potentially), please look over what you've typed to see if it even made sense and that WHOLE WORDS haven't been omitted.

Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine, and I kid you not, but of the 5 or 6 posts I read, only 1 post was not grossly misspelled. If you have any doubts, hit Spell Check. That's what it's there for.

It's a shame we can't do better when it comes to showing off our intelligence because we ARE intelligent. Let's not fall back on text speak like we do with cell phones, ok? That's for the kids.

Really. :-\

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Throwback to the '80s


Has anyone else noticed that the cartoons available for our kids today are nothing like the good, wholesome, slap-stick cartoons of yesteryear? Just the other day, Zeke asked me to put on some shows for him on tv. I went to the usual channels in our house: Noggin, Sprout, PBS. But every show I rattled off just didn't tickle his fancy.

"I want to watch a superhero show, Mom, not a little kid show."

I paused for thought. This coming from the kid who adores Handy Manny, Max and Ruby, and Lil' Bill?? He even turned down The Backyardigans!! *pause for effect* He NEVER turns down The Backyardigans! I thought about checking him for a fever; surely he wasn't feeling well.

Some time last year, Hubby and I were browsing on YouTube together and were looking at retro '80s tv commercials. We stumbled upon a video with a wonderful mosaic of intros to various cartoons from the '80s, like the original Transformers and X-Men before they were kitted out with new outfits and fancier super powers. We saw the Gummie Bears, the Smurfs (granted that's still on now), Inspector Gadget, Jem and the Misfits, just to mention a few.

Now we have cartoons about people blowing things up and trying to kill others. Where's the fun in that?

I will say that Zeke has an appreciation for some of the classics like Tom and Jerry and The Flintstones, two of my favorites from way back when. But I guess my little boy is growing up and ready to move onto bigger (though not necessarily better) things.

Here's to the '80s kid in a lot of us, those of us considered "Generation X."

And on that note, I'll just take my E.T. lunchbox, Alf cup, and My Little Pony backpack and head on over to the break room.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

On the Road to Recovery

Over the past couple of weeks, Gabe has been trying to get over a rather nasty ear infection. It was one of those things that hit hard and fast, and nobody knew he even had a problem until I found some puss in his ear while cleaning with a Q-Tip one evening. The doc said it was a middle- and outer-ear infection (not sure how it was outer, but ok).

So we went through the round of antibiotics and ear drops, only then he developed this cough and a fever that peaked at 103.3 degrees! (That was measured at the doc's office.)

A few days later, after being on a nebulizer, oral steroids, oral antibiotics, ear drops, and fever reducers, we are seeing signs of improvement. Turns out the chest x-ray showed signs of pneumonia in the lower lobe of his right lung.

I think babies shouldn't have to go through that crap, but apparently Life doesn't work that way. :-\

Anyway, Gabe's on the mends and is acting more like himself now. He's even learned to click his tongue today and thought it was just too funny when I did it back to him. He's so easily amused. LOL

I'm now going to sign off and get some much needed shut eye. The past weekend was rough, and I need to catch up on some sleep.

Gotta love those childhood illnesses, huh?