Ok, so just to quickly update....
Have you ever tried to fight a 3 year old?? I wouldn't recommend it. Because you'll lose. Every single time. So now that my nerves and worry have ceased somewhat, I've just decided to let go the whole food issue with Luke. I did some research (since that's my specialty!!) and found out that no one out there really seems to recommend forcing ANY type of food on kids--not even fruit and veggies. So, I'll just have to keep sneaking his fruit/veggies into his foods in whatever way that I can. And of course, I'll keep on offering and putting the foods on his plate and just hope that one day he decides to be adventurous. At least he takes a really good multi vitamin and appears to be growing healthy and strong. So for now anyways, I'm waving the white flag. I'm sure there will be plenty of "battles" in our future, so I'm not going to waste my energy with this one, since I'm not going to win anyways.
As for potty training, well, we're done for now. I've simply told him we'll try again later, which he was most optimistic about. "Yes, Mommy, tomorrow I'll go potty" Except that to my 3 year old, tomorrow is probably more like "next year"!!! I've accepted the fact that a September 2010 enrollment into pre-school may not happen. And that's okay (sort of). As long as we can make it into kindegarten on time, I'll be happy!
And I'm just throwing this out there. But how can Luke look exactly like his father, in every single way--even down to his adorable dimples, but on the inside be NOTHING like him?? Seriously, on the inside, he is all Mama. So, I guess it's to be expected that we'll be butting heads from time to time. And besides inheriting my slightly OCD-ish and stubborn, opionated behavior, at least I can see the good he's gotten too--like a really big heart, a curious mind, a silly personality, and such a pure sweetness that even I am not sure where it came from. Now, who am I to argue with that?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Game On!
Today is one of those days. One of those days in which every single thing you do as a parent seems to just blow up in your face. I know what I'm supposed to do. I know how I'm supposed to act. But I just don't want to. What I want to do is start throwing things and screaming. This is what my children do when they are really upset and I can understand now why it is so appealing!! But, alas, I'm the adult, the parent and I must (try) to keep my cool and deal with this frustration in other ways. I'm still trying to figure that one out too.
I've been talking to Luke about potty training for months now. We've bought the potty, the underwear, the pull-ups, all the prizes, redecorated the bathroom; even letting him help pick out the decor. All to no avail. He understands what it is he is supposed to do. He just refuses to do it. And this frustrates me to no end. Also, I must admit, I'm feeling some pressure to get this done by late August so he can go to pre-school. He must be *mostly* potty trained in order to go to school--meaning, absolutely no diapers. I'm sure we could get away with pull-ups, but Luke will not even let me near him to get one on--despite the fact that we have them in his favorite characters--Disney's Cars.
He was perfectly happy to run around sans any type of diaper, pull-up, or underwear at all this morning. Until he had to pee. Then he got all squirmy and started to pee on the kitchen floor. I ran him to the potty but he stopped peeing and just started flailing, back arching--until it was impossible for me to hold him in the bathroom any longer. So, I just sighed, cleaned up the mess and got him a diaper. Score one for Luke today.
Next up-snack time. Luke has never been a great eater. In previous posts, I've mentioned his food texture issue and while we've gotten over this, Luke does not want to eat fruits and veggies. He will eat most anything else--protein and carbs are not a problem. However, he's old enough now that I insist he eat what I give him or no snacks, milk, or dessert. I'm working on fruits first. My pedi told me that as long as he eats a nice variety of fruits, the veggies are no big deal right now. Sounds good to me. While Luke usually will eat bananas and apples, lately he's been refusing them. So, for the past couple of weeks, I've insisted he eat them BOTH before any other snack and it has worked great--until today. (My plan for the future weeks will be to add strawberries, blueberries, and oranges as they come into season.) Today, he ate a few pieces and decided that was it. So in the trash they went--despite warnings that there would be nothing else all day except for his main meals. The child doesn't care. He will go to bed "hungry" and doesn't throw a fit. That is, until 6 am the next morning when he wakes me up proclaiming he is "starving". Well, from now on, if he doesn't eat the fruit the day before, he will see it at breakfast and then again at lunch and then at dinner until he eats the darned fruit! My pedi has also assured me that kids will not "starve" themselves and that he will eat when he is ready. Okay, so game on. I mean, seriously, I've talked mentally ill people out of commiting suicide and yet I'm failing at getting my three year old to pee in the potty and eat sweet, sugar filled fruit! Luke may not be out of diapers in time for pre-school, but he will be eating fruit like a champ by the end of the summer--come hell or high water--and I'm ready for both!
Until then, I think I'll eat some chocolate and drink some red wine, as that is certainly a most grown-up way to deal with all these frustrations!! ;-)
I've been talking to Luke about potty training for months now. We've bought the potty, the underwear, the pull-ups, all the prizes, redecorated the bathroom; even letting him help pick out the decor. All to no avail. He understands what it is he is supposed to do. He just refuses to do it. And this frustrates me to no end. Also, I must admit, I'm feeling some pressure to get this done by late August so he can go to pre-school. He must be *mostly* potty trained in order to go to school--meaning, absolutely no diapers. I'm sure we could get away with pull-ups, but Luke will not even let me near him to get one on--despite the fact that we have them in his favorite characters--Disney's Cars.
He was perfectly happy to run around sans any type of diaper, pull-up, or underwear at all this morning. Until he had to pee. Then he got all squirmy and started to pee on the kitchen floor. I ran him to the potty but he stopped peeing and just started flailing, back arching--until it was impossible for me to hold him in the bathroom any longer. So, I just sighed, cleaned up the mess and got him a diaper. Score one for Luke today.
Next up-snack time. Luke has never been a great eater. In previous posts, I've mentioned his food texture issue and while we've gotten over this, Luke does not want to eat fruits and veggies. He will eat most anything else--protein and carbs are not a problem. However, he's old enough now that I insist he eat what I give him or no snacks, milk, or dessert. I'm working on fruits first. My pedi told me that as long as he eats a nice variety of fruits, the veggies are no big deal right now. Sounds good to me. While Luke usually will eat bananas and apples, lately he's been refusing them. So, for the past couple of weeks, I've insisted he eat them BOTH before any other snack and it has worked great--until today. (My plan for the future weeks will be to add strawberries, blueberries, and oranges as they come into season.) Today, he ate a few pieces and decided that was it. So in the trash they went--despite warnings that there would be nothing else all day except for his main meals. The child doesn't care. He will go to bed "hungry" and doesn't throw a fit. That is, until 6 am the next morning when he wakes me up proclaiming he is "starving". Well, from now on, if he doesn't eat the fruit the day before, he will see it at breakfast and then again at lunch and then at dinner until he eats the darned fruit! My pedi has also assured me that kids will not "starve" themselves and that he will eat when he is ready. Okay, so game on. I mean, seriously, I've talked mentally ill people out of commiting suicide and yet I'm failing at getting my three year old to pee in the potty and eat sweet, sugar filled fruit! Luke may not be out of diapers in time for pre-school, but he will be eating fruit like a champ by the end of the summer--come hell or high water--and I'm ready for both!
Until then, I think I'll eat some chocolate and drink some red wine, as that is certainly a most grown-up way to deal with all these frustrations!! ;-)
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Standing Up
Jacob turns ONE tomorrow! I cannot believe it...my little baby has grown into such a handsome, strong, sweet soon to be toddler (he's cruising, so hopefully the walking will come soon!) However, while I could go on and on about how adorable and awesome he is, my point of this post is to talk about Jake's one year well visit tomorrow with his pediatrician.
My previous "Mother Warriors" post was primarily made to remind me to be strong for Jake tomorrow at his doctor visit. While I respect and absolutely adore his pediatrician, she is of course, very much pro-vaccines and well, I'm not so sure I am anymore. Nothing has specifically happened to change my views, but when I think back to the issues both of my boys have/had, it makes me wonder. It's also not that I'm afraid of autism. What I've come to fear are all the chemicals that we, as a society, inject into our tiny babies and growing toddlers. It's the allergies, ADHD, asthma, and increasing number of intestinal issues that our littles ones are developing that has me worried. Both my children have had severe acid reflux and oral aversion/texture issues with food. While Luke has overcome this (mostly!), I'm just now going through it with Jacob and it is no picnic. It's hard and trying and frustrating--for both of us. Jake took things one step further and developed a dairy/soy allergy at just 2 weeks old. While his little body has overcome that recently too (thanks in part to a very special formula), there is NO doubt in my mind now that the Hepatitis B vaccine that he received as a 12 hour old infant caused this allergy. It makes me sick to think that I could have prevented his pain if I had just done a little more research.
I was always VERY pro-vaccine. I mean, I'm a germaphobe, of course I am supposed to support vaccines. And admittedly, I will likely always vaccinate my children against the flu and H1N1 and believe me, if there were a vaccine for the stomach virus, I'd be the FIRST person in line! However, I do not see a need to vaccinate infants against a sexually transmitted disease at 12 hours old, unless the mother (or someone the baby lives with) is Hep B positive. I also do not believe that injecting our babies/toddlers with chemicals, such as aluminum, is safe or beneficial for their immune systems. As such, I will be very selective as to which vaccines my children get from here on in.
I blame myself for not researching the information, from BOTH sides, until now. When I had Luke, I was overwhelmed as a first time mom and just thought that vaccines were absolutely necessary and my doctor would never steer me wrong, blah blah. With Jake, I was so very tired and worn down with all his issues (the allergy and reflux, not to meniton the colic) and the newness of balancing life with an infant and a toddler, that again, I just went with the flow. But not now. Now I have researched and will continue to do so and I will stand my viewpoint, while continuing to respect our pedicatirician's. After all,, she is simply stating her very smart, very well trained and experienced opinion. I, on the other hand, only have my mommy intuition and gut to go by. It has been proven right before and so I will follow it.
Where was this intuition when I had Luke? I just don't know. Luke has been fully vaccinated. The relux is gone and as I've stated, we've mostly combatted the food texture issue, and have replaced it with the picky pre-schooler attitude. Jake up until this point, has also followed the schedule. However, we will no longer be doing that. The MMR will be postponed until he enters school and everything else will have it's own time and place that I will determine.
I also want to add that I would always respect whatever choices other parents make when it comes to vaccines. I don't believe in blaming or making judgements towards any parent--after all, they and only they know what it best for their children. I guess that is my whole point here. Sometimes, parents know best; not doctors and the pharmaceutical companies. And again, I want to stress that I'm not jumping on the anti-vaccine, let's blame it all on the shots wagon. Rather, I'm trying to eliminate as many unnecessary chemicals as I possibly can from my children. Yes, they are everywhere, but whatever I can do, I will. And while we cannot afford to go completely all organic, we will make sacrifices for the really important stuff, that my family eats alot of, such as apples, berries, and lettuce; for this, I will always try to do organic. We will be investing in a garden for the first time this year and I'm really excited about that. I am not going to be a crazy mom who won't let her kid eat pizza, cake, or Chick-fil-A (Heavens, no!), but when I can do better, I will do better for them and for me. But I must confess that french fries (albeit, organic if possible!) and chocolate will always be on my menu and likely on my children's menus as well...after all, life would not be nearly as enjoyable without them!
My previous "Mother Warriors" post was primarily made to remind me to be strong for Jake tomorrow at his doctor visit. While I respect and absolutely adore his pediatrician, she is of course, very much pro-vaccines and well, I'm not so sure I am anymore. Nothing has specifically happened to change my views, but when I think back to the issues both of my boys have/had, it makes me wonder. It's also not that I'm afraid of autism. What I've come to fear are all the chemicals that we, as a society, inject into our tiny babies and growing toddlers. It's the allergies, ADHD, asthma, and increasing number of intestinal issues that our littles ones are developing that has me worried. Both my children have had severe acid reflux and oral aversion/texture issues with food. While Luke has overcome this (mostly!), I'm just now going through it with Jacob and it is no picnic. It's hard and trying and frustrating--for both of us. Jake took things one step further and developed a dairy/soy allergy at just 2 weeks old. While his little body has overcome that recently too (thanks in part to a very special formula), there is NO doubt in my mind now that the Hepatitis B vaccine that he received as a 12 hour old infant caused this allergy. It makes me sick to think that I could have prevented his pain if I had just done a little more research.
I was always VERY pro-vaccine. I mean, I'm a germaphobe, of course I am supposed to support vaccines. And admittedly, I will likely always vaccinate my children against the flu and H1N1 and believe me, if there were a vaccine for the stomach virus, I'd be the FIRST person in line! However, I do not see a need to vaccinate infants against a sexually transmitted disease at 12 hours old, unless the mother (or someone the baby lives with) is Hep B positive. I also do not believe that injecting our babies/toddlers with chemicals, such as aluminum, is safe or beneficial for their immune systems. As such, I will be very selective as to which vaccines my children get from here on in.
I blame myself for not researching the information, from BOTH sides, until now. When I had Luke, I was overwhelmed as a first time mom and just thought that vaccines were absolutely necessary and my doctor would never steer me wrong, blah blah. With Jake, I was so very tired and worn down with all his issues (the allergy and reflux, not to meniton the colic) and the newness of balancing life with an infant and a toddler, that again, I just went with the flow. But not now. Now I have researched and will continue to do so and I will stand my viewpoint, while continuing to respect our pedicatirician's. After all,, she is simply stating her very smart, very well trained and experienced opinion. I, on the other hand, only have my mommy intuition and gut to go by. It has been proven right before and so I will follow it.
Where was this intuition when I had Luke? I just don't know. Luke has been fully vaccinated. The relux is gone and as I've stated, we've mostly combatted the food texture issue, and have replaced it with the picky pre-schooler attitude. Jake up until this point, has also followed the schedule. However, we will no longer be doing that. The MMR will be postponed until he enters school and everything else will have it's own time and place that I will determine.
I also want to add that I would always respect whatever choices other parents make when it comes to vaccines. I don't believe in blaming or making judgements towards any parent--after all, they and only they know what it best for their children. I guess that is my whole point here. Sometimes, parents know best; not doctors and the pharmaceutical companies. And again, I want to stress that I'm not jumping on the anti-vaccine, let's blame it all on the shots wagon. Rather, I'm trying to eliminate as many unnecessary chemicals as I possibly can from my children. Yes, they are everywhere, but whatever I can do, I will. And while we cannot afford to go completely all organic, we will make sacrifices for the really important stuff, that my family eats alot of, such as apples, berries, and lettuce; for this, I will always try to do organic. We will be investing in a garden for the first time this year and I'm really excited about that. I am not going to be a crazy mom who won't let her kid eat pizza, cake, or Chick-fil-A (Heavens, no!), but when I can do better, I will do better for them and for me. But I must confess that french fries (albeit, organic if possible!) and chocolate will always be on my menu and likely on my children's menus as well...after all, life would not be nearly as enjoyable without them!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Mother Warriors
"A mother warrior is a mother who hears there is no hope for her child, and instead of retreating and mourning, breaks down walls, weaves her way through obstacles, follows her intuition even when people tell her she is crazy. She is a mother who believes in hope. A mother who believes in miracles and is able to carry on with strength and determination, even when her partner doubts her and offers her no support. A mother who never gives up, even when she keeps hitting dead ends. These are the women who will continue to open the door so future generations of children don't have to suffer. These are the mothers with hearts of gold and shields made of the strongest armor."
~Jenny McCarthy in her book, "Mother Warriors"~
Enough said.
~Jenny McCarthy in her book, "Mother Warriors"~
Enough said.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Mini Cooper to Mini Van
Last night I told Andy that I was going back to work full time until Jacob turns 18 months! Now, of course I was only joking--well, half joking. Jake, along with his poor sleeping habits, is going through a rough phase right now--teething and achieving the major gross motor milestones. First, this kid is the
S L O W E S T teether on Earth! Seriously, at nearly 11 months old, he has only 2.5 teeth. This half tooth JUST broke through his sore gums only last week. Poor little guy is hurting I know.
Jacob has what I call a tenacious personality. Unlike his big brother Luke, who was content to fully experience each milestone until he just happened to realize he could do something more, Jake has been a go-getter since a young age. Ever he could sit up at 5 months old, he's been ready for the next step. As soon as I felt comfortable enough to remove the pillows surrounding his unsteady little body, Jake felt the need to crawl. Now, he did not actually crawl until 9.5 mos, but he tried and tried for many months before and was a very frustrated baby until he could move his little chubby self on all fours. I finally felt some relief and figured he'd stop fussing now that he could get around. Foolish mama! Jake was not content with this mode of transport for long. By 10 months, he was pulling himself to stand and at first was so proud of himself-screaming happily and clapping for himself. This lasted about 2 days. Now, he is frustrated because he wants to climb the stairs and he tries. He wants to walk, but cannot figure out just how to make it happen. Personally, I don't think he'll be off running anytime soon, but I know that his determined personality will make it very frustrating for us both in the meantime. Now, never content to settle with one achievement and wanting to strive for more is an awesome personality trait--it will serve him well in life, but for now, it just serves as tears of frustration and making this mama feeling helpless.
When Luke was going through the development of early major milestones and teething, I'm sure there were some frustrating moments. However, either Mother Nature has dulled my memory, but more likely, the reason is that Luke was not in my direct care ALL THE TIME. Luke was in daycare for the first 15 months of his life. I was only with him for a few hours during the work week. Hence, my original statement that I was going back to work until this phase has passed us!
However, in all sincerity, I do not take my ability to be at home full time lightly. It is one we worked hard to achieve and struggled with for many months. Now, before I go on, here is my disclaimer: *I do not feel that day care is a horrible thing, nor do I look down upon any mother/father who place their children in day care.* It just was not for us, well me. Everyone tells you it takes a few weeks for the mom to get used to it. Well, I never got used to it. Not once. I cried every single day for 15 months! The final straw came when I witnessed a teacher losing her temper and then this same teacher neglected to feed, or change my son the entire day. I made the decision right there and then, if I had to wear rags for the rest of my life, that I would stay at home with Luke and any other children we had.
So here I am. A human teether for Jake and constant playmate for Luke. The majority of my days are spent in yoga pants and sweatshirts which are often covered in drool and spit up and food that has been flung at me. Sometimes I feel like I am running an assembly line for feeding, for changing diapers, and for cleaning runny noses. There are moments when I look in my closet and see the Ann Taylor suits and dresses-once stored so prominently in my closet now squished in the back where I can barely recognize them. I see the my high heeled shoes, now covered in dust that have been replaced with my much more practical Sketchers. And when I look in the mirror I see roots, where there once was a lovely head of blonde (albeit highlighted) hair.
Yet despite all of this, there is not a shred of me that actually wants to leave my children in the mornings. Again, there is nothing wrong with moms who do have to or choose to leave their kids during the day. They are either the strong ones who do what they have to do or the blessed ones who love what they do. Fortunately and unfortunately for me, I ended up being neither of those until I got to stay at home full time. I used to love my job--my job as criminal investigator. But just after I got married, in preparing for a life with children, I gave up my gun/badge to become an intelligence analyst--aka, a desk job with steady hours, no on-call status, no travel, and a BIG HUGE paycheck...in other words, BORING! So to me the decision was an easy one for the heart. Why commute an hour each way to a job I was despising more and more while leaving my little Luke in the care of complete and sometimes inadequate strangers? In the end, the answer was obvious.
Some of my friends were astonished to learn that I quit my job and bought a minivan as they remember the days I used to cruise in my beloved mini cooper. They say "Leigha went from mini cooper to mini van!" And I laugh because it's true! But I feel blessed to have experienced both paths; the path of a full time working mom whose baby is in daycare to my current path, a fulltime stay at home mom (who works just as much!) with my two boys. Not every woman is blessed to have known both paths and I don't take my experience lightly. It has helped me put things in perspective when it gets rough. I still remember those days when I would drive frantically home from work in a panic to pick up Luke from daycare. I wouldn't stop for anything, there was no passing Go here. I wouldn't even fill up my gas tank until I had "rescued" Luke! So, when I look at all my nice clothes, shoes, and purses, instead of pining for them again, I feel thankful that I had the chance to wear them so that I can fully know in my heart that this was the right decision for me and my family. And who knows, someday, when perhaps my kiddos don't need me as much, I'll find myself wearing them again. As long as I'm home when they are from school, and I can still go to all their sports events, band concerts, and after school activities, and be home on weekends and school vacations and all major holidays...so if any of you out there find a job like that for me, keep me posted! ;-)
S L O W E S T teether on Earth! Seriously, at nearly 11 months old, he has only 2.5 teeth. This half tooth JUST broke through his sore gums only last week. Poor little guy is hurting I know.
Jacob has what I call a tenacious personality. Unlike his big brother Luke, who was content to fully experience each milestone until he just happened to realize he could do something more, Jake has been a go-getter since a young age. Ever he could sit up at 5 months old, he's been ready for the next step. As soon as I felt comfortable enough to remove the pillows surrounding his unsteady little body, Jake felt the need to crawl. Now, he did not actually crawl until 9.5 mos, but he tried and tried for many months before and was a very frustrated baby until he could move his little chubby self on all fours. I finally felt some relief and figured he'd stop fussing now that he could get around. Foolish mama! Jake was not content with this mode of transport for long. By 10 months, he was pulling himself to stand and at first was so proud of himself-screaming happily and clapping for himself. This lasted about 2 days. Now, he is frustrated because he wants to climb the stairs and he tries. He wants to walk, but cannot figure out just how to make it happen. Personally, I don't think he'll be off running anytime soon, but I know that his determined personality will make it very frustrating for us both in the meantime. Now, never content to settle with one achievement and wanting to strive for more is an awesome personality trait--it will serve him well in life, but for now, it just serves as tears of frustration and making this mama feeling helpless.
When Luke was going through the development of early major milestones and teething, I'm sure there were some frustrating moments. However, either Mother Nature has dulled my memory, but more likely, the reason is that Luke was not in my direct care ALL THE TIME. Luke was in daycare for the first 15 months of his life. I was only with him for a few hours during the work week. Hence, my original statement that I was going back to work until this phase has passed us!
However, in all sincerity, I do not take my ability to be at home full time lightly. It is one we worked hard to achieve and struggled with for many months. Now, before I go on, here is my disclaimer: *I do not feel that day care is a horrible thing, nor do I look down upon any mother/father who place their children in day care.* It just was not for us, well me. Everyone tells you it takes a few weeks for the mom to get used to it. Well, I never got used to it. Not once. I cried every single day for 15 months! The final straw came when I witnessed a teacher losing her temper and then this same teacher neglected to feed, or change my son the entire day. I made the decision right there and then, if I had to wear rags for the rest of my life, that I would stay at home with Luke and any other children we had.
So here I am. A human teether for Jake and constant playmate for Luke. The majority of my days are spent in yoga pants and sweatshirts which are often covered in drool and spit up and food that has been flung at me. Sometimes I feel like I am running an assembly line for feeding, for changing diapers, and for cleaning runny noses. There are moments when I look in my closet and see the Ann Taylor suits and dresses-once stored so prominently in my closet now squished in the back where I can barely recognize them. I see the my high heeled shoes, now covered in dust that have been replaced with my much more practical Sketchers. And when I look in the mirror I see roots, where there once was a lovely head of blonde (albeit highlighted) hair.
Yet despite all of this, there is not a shred of me that actually wants to leave my children in the mornings. Again, there is nothing wrong with moms who do have to or choose to leave their kids during the day. They are either the strong ones who do what they have to do or the blessed ones who love what they do. Fortunately and unfortunately for me, I ended up being neither of those until I got to stay at home full time. I used to love my job--my job as criminal investigator. But just after I got married, in preparing for a life with children, I gave up my gun/badge to become an intelligence analyst--aka, a desk job with steady hours, no on-call status, no travel, and a BIG HUGE paycheck...in other words, BORING! So to me the decision was an easy one for the heart. Why commute an hour each way to a job I was despising more and more while leaving my little Luke in the care of complete and sometimes inadequate strangers? In the end, the answer was obvious.
Some of my friends were astonished to learn that I quit my job and bought a minivan as they remember the days I used to cruise in my beloved mini cooper. They say "Leigha went from mini cooper to mini van!" And I laugh because it's true! But I feel blessed to have experienced both paths; the path of a full time working mom whose baby is in daycare to my current path, a fulltime stay at home mom (who works just as much!) with my two boys. Not every woman is blessed to have known both paths and I don't take my experience lightly. It has helped me put things in perspective when it gets rough. I still remember those days when I would drive frantically home from work in a panic to pick up Luke from daycare. I wouldn't stop for anything, there was no passing Go here. I wouldn't even fill up my gas tank until I had "rescued" Luke! So, when I look at all my nice clothes, shoes, and purses, instead of pining for them again, I feel thankful that I had the chance to wear them so that I can fully know in my heart that this was the right decision for me and my family. And who knows, someday, when perhaps my kiddos don't need me as much, I'll find myself wearing them again. As long as I'm home when they are from school, and I can still go to all their sports events, band concerts, and after school activities, and be home on weekends and school vacations and all major holidays...so if any of you out there find a job like that for me, keep me posted! ;-)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Cabin Fever
Today is Day 4 of my snow-in. I sit here writing this stuffing my face with Milky Way fun size bars leftover from Halloween, in my pajamas which I've worn for the past three days. Yes, I'm going crazy. I know to some people four days may not be alot, but to me, someone who likes to bring (drag) my kids everywhere most days of the week, this is killing me! We're finally plowed out, but the roads still don't look all that great and we all know I'm a terrible snow/ice driver. Yes, I'm from Boston, but that doesn't matter--I still hate to drive in the snow/ice ever since I totaled my car in 2008 in an ice storm.
Speaking of being from Boston...you would think I loved the snow or at the very least wouldn't mind it. Nope--never have and never will. My mother was very pregnant with me way back in the great Blizzard of 1978 and she and my father were reduced to walking everywhere for awhile--I must've picked up on my hatred of snow in-utero!! As a little kid, of course I loved sledding, ice skating, building snow forts and even eating snow, but as I got older, snow became Public Enemy #1. As a teenager, snow meant I couldn't go out. My parents didn't want me driving in the bad weather and certainly did not trust any of my friends or boyfriends to drive me around. So, whenever a snorm threatened to cancel my plans, I quickly became a sullen teen with great angst. While I may have grown up and can make my own decisions now, I still hate when the snow puts a crimp in my plans. So, yes, I turn into a sullen middle-aged mama. No running errands, no Mom's Club activities for the kids...no nothing!
My husband laughed at me over the weekend when I opened up our bedroom window just to take in the fresh air. Yes, it was freezing and I could barely see out over the snow that covered the window, but I felt I needed the cold shocking air just to continue breathing myself. And this morning, when I actually stepped out my front door to get the paper in 17 degree weather, I actually thought to myself as I did a happy dance that it wasn't all THAT cold! Maybe I could take the kids out for a walk...ok, I'm losing it, but I'm not that crazy--YET!
They say we are expecting another 5-10 inches of snow tomorrow night. So by spring, I'm sure I will have gained 10 lbs and have nothing to wear but my red snowflake fleece pajamas which have pancake batter and snot all over them since both kids are sick and I've done nothing but cook and bake all weekend!
As for my rocky relationship with the snow, well, perhaps it will be slightly amended once BOTH of my children are old enough and healthy enough to go out and play in it...for surely, I will be right there with them, re-experiencing the joys of sledding, ice skating, fort building and snow eating--well, maybe not the snow eating because I know better now and we all know what a germaphobe I am!! For I am able to put aside my opinion of the snow as long as my children can find joy in it...until of course they are teenagers, in which case they will NOT be driving in this stuff nor will I trust their friends/girlfriends to cart them around either!! I did after all, learn from the best!
Speaking of being from Boston...you would think I loved the snow or at the very least wouldn't mind it. Nope--never have and never will. My mother was very pregnant with me way back in the great Blizzard of 1978 and she and my father were reduced to walking everywhere for awhile--I must've picked up on my hatred of snow in-utero!! As a little kid, of course I loved sledding, ice skating, building snow forts and even eating snow, but as I got older, snow became Public Enemy #1. As a teenager, snow meant I couldn't go out. My parents didn't want me driving in the bad weather and certainly did not trust any of my friends or boyfriends to drive me around. So, whenever a snorm threatened to cancel my plans, I quickly became a sullen teen with great angst. While I may have grown up and can make my own decisions now, I still hate when the snow puts a crimp in my plans. So, yes, I turn into a sullen middle-aged mama. No running errands, no Mom's Club activities for the kids...no nothing!
My husband laughed at me over the weekend when I opened up our bedroom window just to take in the fresh air. Yes, it was freezing and I could barely see out over the snow that covered the window, but I felt I needed the cold shocking air just to continue breathing myself. And this morning, when I actually stepped out my front door to get the paper in 17 degree weather, I actually thought to myself as I did a happy dance that it wasn't all THAT cold! Maybe I could take the kids out for a walk...ok, I'm losing it, but I'm not that crazy--YET!
They say we are expecting another 5-10 inches of snow tomorrow night. So by spring, I'm sure I will have gained 10 lbs and have nothing to wear but my red snowflake fleece pajamas which have pancake batter and snot all over them since both kids are sick and I've done nothing but cook and bake all weekend!
As for my rocky relationship with the snow, well, perhaps it will be slightly amended once BOTH of my children are old enough and healthy enough to go out and play in it...for surely, I will be right there with them, re-experiencing the joys of sledding, ice skating, fort building and snow eating--well, maybe not the snow eating because I know better now and we all know what a germaphobe I am!! For I am able to put aside my opinion of the snow as long as my children can find joy in it...until of course they are teenagers, in which case they will NOT be driving in this stuff nor will I trust their friends/girlfriends to cart them around either!! I did after all, learn from the best!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
A decade in review...
Happy New Year's Eve! Today is the very last day of 2009 and of the 00's. This decade has been about 1/3 of my entire life thus far and it has also been the most transforming for me. Yes, during my first decade of life I was born, learned to eat, crawl,walk, toilet train, read, write, etc. However, these past 10 years have probably had the most impact on me and my future.
The decade started out with a bang for sure. Amidst all the Y2K frenzy, I graduated from college in the Spring of 2000 and moved out of my childhood home for the first time in August 2000, when I joined the US Capitol Police. All of a sudden I found myself in rural Georgia at the academy very far from my home, my family, and my friends. I learned things about myself both professionally and personally that I carry with me today. This was the first decade in which I really grew up. I bought my first car, my first home, and had my very first set of bills! Hello real world!
Just one year later, life as we all know it and certainly my job as a police officer were to be changed forever on September 11, 2001. I began to look at the world and my job differently. Professionally speaking, the next few years were a whirlwind of opportunities and advancement. I traveled the country protecting members of Congress, became a criminal investigator, and received training opportunties I had only dreamed about. Personally, I spent my hard earned overtime traveling the Caribbean and purchased my first condo.
About halfway through the decaded, I fell in love with my now husband--fittingly in Boston during the Democratic National Conventions. So much good has come from my life and time in Boston! In 2006 we got married and purchased our first real house together and where we live today.
Sadly, this decade did bring us some deep sadness when Andy's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died almost a year and half later. But we know she is watching over us from above and is likely laughing and smiling as she always did in her eartlhy life!
Fastforward almost three years, and we have two beautiful children together and two beautiful nieces and one adorable nephew. All of the Hamilton cousins were born this decade. This decade has brought us many blessings and I hope the next 10 years will continue to find us all in excellent health and spirit.
One last, but very important note for this decade in review concerning family and friends. I truly came to cherish, respect, love, and appreciate my family over the past 10 years. Moving away and growing up will do that to you. I've also come to appreciate and love all the friends I've had and lost over the past 10 years. Some were around as the saying goes "for a season" and some "for a reason". Others are my forever friends--both old and new. But one thing is for sure--I have loved you and cherished you all--whether you were my friend for a season, a reason, old, new, and forever. You've all added something to my life and I know that we have many more life adventures to explore in this new decade. So, Happy New Year and decade. May we all be blessed!
The decade started out with a bang for sure. Amidst all the Y2K frenzy, I graduated from college in the Spring of 2000 and moved out of my childhood home for the first time in August 2000, when I joined the US Capitol Police. All of a sudden I found myself in rural Georgia at the academy very far from my home, my family, and my friends. I learned things about myself both professionally and personally that I carry with me today. This was the first decade in which I really grew up. I bought my first car, my first home, and had my very first set of bills! Hello real world!
Just one year later, life as we all know it and certainly my job as a police officer were to be changed forever on September 11, 2001. I began to look at the world and my job differently. Professionally speaking, the next few years were a whirlwind of opportunities and advancement. I traveled the country protecting members of Congress, became a criminal investigator, and received training opportunties I had only dreamed about. Personally, I spent my hard earned overtime traveling the Caribbean and purchased my first condo.
About halfway through the decaded, I fell in love with my now husband--fittingly in Boston during the Democratic National Conventions. So much good has come from my life and time in Boston! In 2006 we got married and purchased our first real house together and where we live today.
Sadly, this decade did bring us some deep sadness when Andy's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died almost a year and half later. But we know she is watching over us from above and is likely laughing and smiling as she always did in her eartlhy life!
Fastforward almost three years, and we have two beautiful children together and two beautiful nieces and one adorable nephew. All of the Hamilton cousins were born this decade. This decade has brought us many blessings and I hope the next 10 years will continue to find us all in excellent health and spirit.
One last, but very important note for this decade in review concerning family and friends. I truly came to cherish, respect, love, and appreciate my family over the past 10 years. Moving away and growing up will do that to you. I've also come to appreciate and love all the friends I've had and lost over the past 10 years. Some were around as the saying goes "for a season" and some "for a reason". Others are my forever friends--both old and new. But one thing is for sure--I have loved you and cherished you all--whether you were my friend for a season, a reason, old, new, and forever. You've all added something to my life and I know that we have many more life adventures to explore in this new decade. So, Happy New Year and decade. May we all be blessed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)