Mom never likes to use glass in the freezer. I guess now I know why.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
I'm There
You know that spot where "I'm hungry" and "It's too late in the baby's nap the make kitchen noises" meet? Well, I'm there. Where are you now, State Farm?
Milk Mustache
As any growing boy does, NJ loves to get to drink from the sippy cup without the lid. However, we only do it when we're trying to get that last little bit out of the bottom of the sippy cup... On Sunday, we were doing just that and I guess there was more left in the cup than usual because when he tipped it up, A LOT came out! Can you see the milk clinging to his eyelashes??? He thought it was really funny and Max loved to help clean up! I really love his smile.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
An Almost Funny Valentine's Day Story
I think every parent has one or two main fears when it comes to their kid. Some moms hover over their infants bed to watch for signs that he's stopped breathing. Some moms constantly run to the doctor, convinced their child has a new disease. Personally, I'm always afraid NJ will be kidnapped. The thought haunts me and will even keep me up at night (that's a big deal for me) occasionally. I try to lay it all before God and trust that he will watch over my son, but that piece in the back of my brain will sometimes remind me that God never promised us that our children will always be safe. We live in a fallen world and often suffer the consequences of someone else's actions...
Anyway, I had a horrible kidnapped dream Friday night. I think we were at some sort of street fair. The point is that someone took NJ and I spent my dream running up and down the streets screaming his name and breaking down sobbing. -not one of my favorite dreams. When I woke up, it was to the sound of NJ coughing and crying. I've got to tell you, I have never been so happy to hear my baby cough and cry. So, that's how my Valentine's Day began. A little traumatic, but I woke up, so it's all good. Still, that kind of dream tends to haunt me the rest of the day.
Fast forward a few hours. I've got the radio on and NJ and I are playing and vacuuming the family room (he LOVES the vacuum). Out of the corner of my eye I catch some sort of movement in the kitchen. My first thought is that NJ threw something- he does this a lot, but when I turned, he was standing right behind me. As I'm trying to convince myself that my eyes were just playing tricks on me, the memory of my dream seeps back in and I decide that I better check it out anyway. I operate under a general rule of thumb that it's better to face my attackers head on than let them sneak up behind me and slit my throat without me ever seeing it coming. So, I slowly walk around the bar and then TOTALLY FREAK OUT when there's actually someone there!
Now let me stop here and tell you that my husband and I have a strict no-sneaking-up-on-someone-in-their-own-house policy. People get shot doing stupid things like that! So when I say I totally freaked out, I mean I screamed, the adrenaline kicked in and, fortunately for my husband, I stifled the fight reflex by immediately sobbing. I honestly don't know what I would have done had his face not been the first thing I saw.
Turns out he had gotten off work 2 hours early and gone to get me flowers on the way home from work. But he hates going places in uniform, so he was wearing his workout clothes, which were, of course, black. All he needed was a ski mask and he would have been the perfect perpetrator.
Apparently, he wasn't planning on sneaking up on me, but when I didn't hear him come in, he thought it would be cute to get NJ to take me the flowers, so he was trying to get him to come over and take the flowers before I noticed. Unfortunately, Nj was too enthralled with he vacuum, and like me, hadn't heard daddy come in over the ambient noise.
In the end, NJ did carry a bouquet of flowers, although I had to encourage him to come to me- he was a little apprehensive with mommy sobbing. Someday I'll probably laugh about Valentine's Day 2009.
Anyway, I had a horrible kidnapped dream Friday night. I think we were at some sort of street fair. The point is that someone took NJ and I spent my dream running up and down the streets screaming his name and breaking down sobbing. -not one of my favorite dreams. When I woke up, it was to the sound of NJ coughing and crying. I've got to tell you, I have never been so happy to hear my baby cough and cry. So, that's how my Valentine's Day began. A little traumatic, but I woke up, so it's all good. Still, that kind of dream tends to haunt me the rest of the day.
Fast forward a few hours. I've got the radio on and NJ and I are playing and vacuuming the family room (he LOVES the vacuum). Out of the corner of my eye I catch some sort of movement in the kitchen. My first thought is that NJ threw something- he does this a lot, but when I turned, he was standing right behind me. As I'm trying to convince myself that my eyes were just playing tricks on me, the memory of my dream seeps back in and I decide that I better check it out anyway. I operate under a general rule of thumb that it's better to face my attackers head on than let them sneak up behind me and slit my throat without me ever seeing it coming. So, I slowly walk around the bar and then TOTALLY FREAK OUT when there's actually someone there!
Now let me stop here and tell you that my husband and I have a strict no-sneaking-up-on-someone-in-their-own-house policy. People get shot doing stupid things like that! So when I say I totally freaked out, I mean I screamed, the adrenaline kicked in and, fortunately for my husband, I stifled the fight reflex by immediately sobbing. I honestly don't know what I would have done had his face not been the first thing I saw.
Turns out he had gotten off work 2 hours early and gone to get me flowers on the way home from work. But he hates going places in uniform, so he was wearing his workout clothes, which were, of course, black. All he needed was a ski mask and he would have been the perfect perpetrator.
Apparently, he wasn't planning on sneaking up on me, but when I didn't hear him come in, he thought it would be cute to get NJ to take me the flowers, so he was trying to get him to come over and take the flowers before I noticed. Unfortunately, Nj was too enthralled with he vacuum, and like me, hadn't heard daddy come in over the ambient noise.In the end, NJ did carry a bouquet of flowers, although I had to encourage him to come to me- he was a little apprehensive with mommy sobbing. Someday I'll probably laugh about Valentine's Day 2009.
Kids Klub
I've been struggling with how to write this and best capture the tone... I wish I were a better writer because it really makes me laugh! I guess in the end, I'll just write it down and if nothing else, it'll help me remember the basics of the story- I know I won't forget the tone! ;)
I try to go to jazzercise every day (which means I tend to go three or four times a week). The main reason I choose to drive 1/2 hour to Jazzercise rather than go to the gym with a pool that's 10 minutes from my house, is the Kids Klub child care. I know all the teachers that watch the kids and they do a really great job. NJ struggled with separation anxiety when he was younger, but now, he knows all the teachers there and rarely even notices me leave.
So, after my workout a few days ago I go to pick him up and they're outside playing in the giant sandbox / playground. As I stand there and wait for him to make his way across the yard I start chatting with one of the teachers and she tells me, "He fell down again today and has a little scrap on his face. I'm so sorry. It's just that he insists on playing with the older kids and they play a little rougher. He didn't cry though, so I don't think it's too bad..." I assure her it's not a problem. I know how stubborn NJ can be.
A few days later, I come to pick him up and they're outside again. Same thing: I standing waiting and one of the teachers comes over to chat. This time she says, "So, he has another scrape on his forehead. He wanted to go on the slide and he insisted on doing it by himself- he kept pushing my hand away. He did good the first time, but the second time he kinda fell into the sand right at the end. But he didn't cry, so I think he's ok..." Again, I assure her that it's fine and I appreciate he trying to help him, even though he never wants help with anything.
Another few days go by and I have another converstation. "No scapes today, but he got a bunch of sand in his hair when he fell trying to keep up with the bigger kids. We keep trying to convince him to play with the other babies, but he's just not interested..."
I try to go to jazzercise every day (which means I tend to go three or four times a week). The main reason I choose to drive 1/2 hour to Jazzercise rather than go to the gym with a pool that's 10 minutes from my house, is the Kids Klub child care. I know all the teachers that watch the kids and they do a really great job. NJ struggled with separation anxiety when he was younger, but now, he knows all the teachers there and rarely even notices me leave.
So, after my workout a few days ago I go to pick him up and they're outside playing in the giant sandbox / playground. As I stand there and wait for him to make his way across the yard I start chatting with one of the teachers and she tells me, "He fell down again today and has a little scrap on his face. I'm so sorry. It's just that he insists on playing with the older kids and they play a little rougher. He didn't cry though, so I don't think it's too bad..." I assure her it's not a problem. I know how stubborn NJ can be.
A few days later, I come to pick him up and they're outside again. Same thing: I standing waiting and one of the teachers comes over to chat. This time she says, "So, he has another scrape on his forehead. He wanted to go on the slide and he insisted on doing it by himself- he kept pushing my hand away. He did good the first time, but the second time he kinda fell into the sand right at the end. But he didn't cry, so I think he's ok..." Again, I assure her that it's fine and I appreciate he trying to help him, even though he never wants help with anything.
Another few days go by and I have another converstation. "No scapes today, but he got a bunch of sand in his hair when he fell trying to keep up with the bigger kids. We keep trying to convince him to play with the other babies, but he's just not interested..."
Saturday, February 14, 2009
In Need of a Latte
My Latte (cappuccino & milk) has been in peril these days. This cappuccino machine (and the one I had before it) came with a perfect little carafe. Perfect except that they break very easily. (Insert some soft, very sad music here.) After breaking the first one I searched high and low for a replacement carafe- after all, you can buy replacement glass pots for coffee makers- why wouldn't someone sell a replacement cappuccino maker carafe? I still wonder why... I never found one. Finally I gave up and sent the old machine to Goodwill and bought a whole new machine, just for want of a carafe. So, when I broke the second carafe, I wept. (...music gets louder, stronger, maybe even tragic) I had been so careful with this delicate flower. In my defense, all I was doing is pulling the lid out, which had dropped down inside. It didn't seem particularly rough, but the thing just fell apart in my hands!Well, I wasn't about to buy a third machine, just for the carafe, so I started experimenting. (music switches to silly clown music) I have a mug that fits perfectly, but it's a bear to pour, so I was constantly making a mess or burning myself. I had some pourable containers, but they were either plastic (not good at this heat- they'd probably give off hydrocarbons and give me coffee cancer) or wouldn't fit. (circus music stops, slow, serious, sorrowful music begins) *sigh* Ug. It's bad enough to have this kind of problem, but to have it in part of my morning caffineene routine was enough to drive me to Starbucks, which I love, but I'm really trying to save up for an ipod!
(music takes a triumpant turn)
Then, I saw a beautiful jewel on the Wal-mart shelf . Call me crazy, but this little glass one cup pyrex measuring cup has brought me great joy! It's less than three inches high, it's pourable, and it can take the heat! YAY! My Latte is Safe Again!
Monday, February 9, 2009
*Sigh*
Today was full of... um... let's call them 'challenges.' NJ hit me again, he threw his blocks, he threw his food, he threw a tantrum. My main tool for discipline is having him take breaks in his crib when he misbehaves, but I think he might have spent more time in the crib than out today. Ug. We even went for a special 2nd nap to try to improve things...
Then, just after prayers, with the lights off and the music playing, he held my face in his hands, smiled the sweetest smile I've ever seen, and rubbed noses with me.
*sigh*
All that other junk can fade- all I want to remember is the feel of his tiny hands on my cheeks, his itty bitty nose, and his loving smile.
Then, just after prayers, with the lights off and the music playing, he held my face in his hands, smiled the sweetest smile I've ever seen, and rubbed noses with me.
*sigh*
All that other junk can fade- all I want to remember is the feel of his tiny hands on my cheeks, his itty bitty nose, and his loving smile.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
So Proud
Nolan was so proud of himself this morning when he managed to eat a whole bowl of oatmeal with a spoon all by himself!!! (Ok, so mommy was proud too!!)
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Sweet Smell of Routine
It's so close I can almost taste it! My hubby has changed shift 6 times since the new year and every time he does, it throws my world upside down. I used to think that however hard it was on me it had to be harder on him- after all he was the one who was trying to modify his sleeping patterns. But now I'm coming to think that maybe it's not so hard on him because it doesn't seem to bother him so much (or maybe I complain enough for both of us and he doesn't want to add to it?). It could be very simply that his personality handles a lack of routine better than mine- it's hard to know.
Anyway, today starts what is supposed to be six months of the same shift. So maybe I'll be able to get back to some semblance of a routine. Maybe I'll get back to regularly cooking one a real meal (which I define as a main dish, a veggie, bread, and a salad) each day. Maybe I'll get my house cleaned up, maybe I'll get my next real estate newsletter out...
Yes, as much as I'd like to think I'd spontaneous, I need routine and I'm super excited about its return.
Anyway, today starts what is supposed to be six months of the same shift. So maybe I'll be able to get back to some semblance of a routine. Maybe I'll get back to regularly cooking one a real meal (which I define as a main dish, a veggie, bread, and a salad) each day. Maybe I'll get my house cleaned up, maybe I'll get my next real estate newsletter out...
Yes, as much as I'd like to think I'd spontaneous, I need routine and I'm super excited about its return.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Underestimating
It's so hard not to underestimate NJ. He's not really talking yet, so it's easy to assume he doesn't really understand much yet either. But I'm constantly reminded that he understands everything we say: This morning, after breakfast, he was moping around the family room pointing to where his toy bin usually is and whining. 
I reminded him that he had a lot of toys in his room and suggested he play with them, so he ran off to his room. A few moments later he came back around the corner making some complaining sounding grunts and turning back and forth. Daddy took the bait and followed him to his room where his box of mega blocks was partly pulled out from under the bed, but stuck on one piece that was a little too tall. So, daddy helped him out and returned to the kitchen. But just seconds later, NJ comes back out again making more complaining noises and pointing to his room. We both look at him a moment or too and finally daddy figures it out and says, "maybe you'd like to bring your mega blocks out here to the family room to play with them here near us." After a split second look on concentration, the biggest smile appeared on his face and ran back to his room and started gathering them up! Daddy pitched in and soon NJ was happily playing with toys in the family room.
I reminded him that he had a lot of toys in his room and suggested he play with them, so he ran off to his room. A few moments later he came back around the corner making some complaining sounding grunts and turning back and forth. Daddy took the bait and followed him to his room where his box of mega blocks was partly pulled out from under the bed, but stuck on one piece that was a little too tall. So, daddy helped him out and returned to the kitchen. But just seconds later, NJ comes back out again making more complaining noises and pointing to his room. We both look at him a moment or too and finally daddy figures it out and says, "maybe you'd like to bring your mega blocks out here to the family room to play with them here near us." After a split second look on concentration, the biggest smile appeared on his face and ran back to his room and started gathering them up! Daddy pitched in and soon NJ was happily playing with toys in the family room.
