Adventures in Pre-K World

Adventures with Tonsils

2010-03-15T11:10:00.002-06:00

As a child, I often had strep throat and would keep it for what seemed like weeks at a time. Over the past few years, I have been having more throat issues. I had acute tonsillitis four times between late August and January. The last two bouts were only three weeks apart. The doctor decided my tonsils needed to come out.

In case you haven't heard, having a tonsillectomy as an adult is considered pretty major stuff and quite painful. My mother had hers removed a couple of years ago, and had problems and pain for over a month. She even had to return to the hospital a few times after the surgery. The ENT warned me that it was going to hurt. And I'm an a huge weenie with a very low threshold for pain.

My surgery was on February 25th. Just a couple of weeks after I started my new job. The surgery went pretty quickly and I was given ten days worth of liquid antibiotics and liquid pain medication. I was told to take the Vicodin every 4 hours whether I thought I needed it or not. No worries...it quickly became my best friend.

For the first couple of days, the pain was pretty tolerable. Not much worse than having tonsillitis. But something happened on day three, and the pain intensified. GREATLY...

I spent over a week on a completely liquid diet. Then I started having referred pain in my right ear that would come in waves and was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. Most times I could do nothing but rock back and forth crying until the pain medication kicked in. Even the Vicodin didn't take it completely away.

It is now 2 1/2 weeks post-op. I am finally back on solid foods, unless they are really rough and crunchy. My voice is back and the ear pain went away a couple of days ago. I returned to work this morning after taking two weeks off.

NOTE TO SELF: Advise anyone I come across to take care of the problem as a child. Do NOT wait until you're old. I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone...

Back to the Real World

2010-02-08T06:03:00.002-06:00

Whew! This has been a long time coming...

We were gone last week on the cruise we purchased a mere 45 minutes before I was laid off from my job. We got home on Saturday. Had church and choir practice on Sunday; then had a HOUSE FULL of people over to watch the Super Bowl. We had a blast.

This morning I start my new job! Yippee! I have been off work since October 15th and am looking forward to my new challenge. I am so going to rock this new job!

On February 25th, I will have surgery to remove my tonsils. Now THAT will be fun :( I understand that having that done later in life is really painful. Luckily, my new boss is willing to work around it all.

Now that I am returning to a new routine, I hope to be able to post more often.

Wish me luck!

Anniversary

2009-12-09T12:28:00.002-06:00

I missed a very important day yesterday:

December 8, 2004 - Anthony James Yaklin was released from Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital after 71 days in the NICU. He weighed exactly 4 pounds that day...

Happy Five Year Anniversary, sweet boy!

Missing

2009-12-09T12:12:00.002-06:00

I seem to be missing a lot these days...

- I haven't been posting on my blog
- I haven't even been reading other blogs...and that's odd considering for a while I was checking them several times a day...
- I am missing having a job to go to every day
- I am missing my motivation

My routine used to be: get up a 5-5:30am, get self and AJ ready to go, drop off AJ at 6:30am, carpool with hubby to work, get stuff done at work, carpool home with hubby, fix dinner, watch TV with family, do a few chores, get AJ to bed, do a few more chores before bed at 10pm.

My routine now:
hear hubby's alarm go off at 5am, stay in bed while he gets ready and leaves for work, let AJ sleep in until about 6:45am, get both of us ready to take him to school, drop AJ off some time before 8am, come home, check Facebook, check email, check online job posting resources, clean house, watch TV...on my really exciting days I actually do the grocery shopping after I drop AJ off at school.

I REALLY need a job...I feel like I am killing more and more brain cells each day...

On the Lookout

2009-11-04T11:57:00.003-06:00

On October 15th I was laid off from my job with absolutely no clue that it was coming. I hadn't been happy for several months, and just earlier that week, Hubby told me I should start putting out feelers to look for something else. Then we had a connection group meeting at our house and I asked for friends to pray for some clarity regarding my job. That clarity came less than 12 hours later when I was laid off.

What to do? Sit around and wallow and feel like a victim? Worrying what we would do without my income and a new house? OR

Look at it as the opening for something even bigger and better that God is setting up for me. Spend more time getting involved in AJ's school. Rest and reflect on what I would really like to be doing.

Someone wise reminded me this weekend that I only have limited space in my life. The past and the future cannot occupy the same space. So you have to move the past out to make way for the future. So I'm putting the past behind me and waiting anxiously to find out the next step.

I have sent my resume out to lots of different places. But in my industry, this part of the year is very slow. I have sent out to other opportunities, but haven't had much luck yet.

I know there is something really good coming. I just have to work on my patience...But I must confess, my attitude and stress level have improved greatly.

Whatever is on the horizon?

BRING IT!

Wordless Wednesday - UH Homecoming Alumni Band

2009-10-28T07:45:00.003-06:00

Does this make me look fat?

Fannish Cookers

2009-10-12T08:05:00.002-05:00

More evidence that my son shares most of his genes with his Daddy:

Last night we went out to eat at a local Mexican restaurant because the Hubby was craving tamales. When the waiter came to take our order, AJ said (loudly), "Mommy, why all those cookers (waiters) talking in Fannish (Spanish)?

I explained to him that we were in a Mexican restaurant. He replied (again pretty loudly), "Mexican?! They REALLY like tamales here!"

Once his food came, he came up with an idea..."Mommy! I got an idea! We should come here to eat every day 'cuz these tamales are really good!"

Yippee...now I have two people in the house who would eat Mexican food three meals a day, seven days a week...(sigh)

Meat Eater

2009-09-17T08:39:00.003-05:00

AJ has been learning a lot about dinosaurs at school recently and is fascinated by the subject. In fact, he announced to me earlier this week that he is going to be a paleontologist. (That's a mighty big word for a 4-year-old!)

On Monday night he watched a show with his Daddy on the History Channel. It was about volcanoes. By Tuesday, AJ announced that he was going to be a paleontologist and when the volcano 'rupted, he would save all the dinosaurs.

Tuesday's project at school was cutting out dinosaur pictures and sorting them as either plant-eaters or meat-eaters. (This will come back to haunt me later...)

When I picked him up Wednesday evening, I noticed that he had not eaten the peanut butter crackers that he wanted me to make for his lunch. When I asked him why he hadn't eaten his lunch, he declared:

"'cuz I'm a carnivore. If you put meat in my lunch I will eat it!"

Guess I need to stock up on the proteins...

I'm still lazy

2009-09-14T08:49:00.003-05:00

There has been so much going on lately between the unpacking, getting AJ settled into his new routine and school, and illnesses that I just haven't had the energy to do much more that a quick status update on Facebook. It's become a crutch for the things that I normally would have blogged about, but it's much quicker than beginning a new blog post.

The house is coming along. We still have a few more pictures to hang and some bookshelves to buy. We bought a really nice couch on Labor Day. It's huge; I can't bend my knees over the front of the cushions if I am sitting against the back. I feel a bit like Lily Tomlin's character "Emily Ann".

AJ really seems to like his new school. We found out on our tour that they will have the pre-K kids doing research on the internet, so Hubby went out and bought AJ his own computer. He is really doing well with it; much better than I would have expected. He could sit there for hours if we let him; just playing games on the PBS and Dis.ney websites. We also bought him some kindergarten software that teaches some math and science principles as well as the pre-reading activities. Kid is just too smart for his own good.

We are gearing up to have AJ's 5th birthday party in our new backyard. It's hard to believe it's been five years already. I keep asking myself where this big kid came from who has grown about 3 inches taller just this summer.

But life is good and we are truly blessed right now. My sanity seems (somewhat) to be returning :)

Casualty of the move

2009-08-18T15:19:00.002-05:00

Considering that we were a bunch of amateurs moving the stuff to the new house, we didn't really sustain much breakage other than a couple of glasses, the electric ice cream maker, and a vase from our wedding.

The most important loss has got to be Fred, our pet Betta fish. Fred had quite the personality and would get excited and swim to see the Hubby when it was feeding time. He almost looked like he was waving his fin at you. Fred got depressed after the move and spent more and more time hiding in his little house. We finally took the little house out of the tank to keep an eye on him. But then he wouldn't come up of the bottom of the tank. Hubby read somewhere that Bettas will do that when they are upset and depressed.

On Saturday, we went to the store to buy some medicine for Fred's tank that is supposed to be a "stress reliever". While we were at the store, AJ was busily picking out replacement fish. His Daddy explained to him several times, "Fred's not dead yet. Give him a chance."

On Saturday evening, AJ asked me whether "it's time for Fred to go live in the toilet." HUH? We had no idea where he got such a notion...

During the rest of the weekend, Fred seemed to be getting worse. You could actually see him gasping to breathe.

I was at home sick on Monday. Early in the morning, Fred didn't look good at all. By lunch, I noticed that he was lying on his side and had quit breathing.

We broke the news to AJ after school. He got really excited and wanted to see the dead fish. He asked again about flushing Fred and wanted to watch.

Hubby took Fred out of the tank, let AJ pet him, and took Fred to the bathroom for a private "memorial service." He wouldn't let AJ go with him, because AJ wasn't grasping the somberness of the occasion.

AJ just told him..."It'll be okay, Daddy. It's just a fish."

He has apparently moved on...

RIP Fred.

A New Reality

2009-07-31T09:09:00.002-05:00

Well, we did it!

Last Friday we closed on the sale of our house and on the purchase of our new home. The previous owners of our new house are just the most AWESOME people! They have been so accommodating through this entire process of cancelled contracts and extended option periods...and I think I mentioned that they threw in the fridge, desk, and guest bedroom furniture into the deal.

Well, they showed up at the closing with a housewarming gift for us! They also mentioned that they had left a "few other little things" around that they thought we might like. Right off the bat, I noticed the two huge beautifully framed pictures that were still hanging on the walls. And the sprinklers, hoses, and hose racks left in the yard. Then, when the refrigerator was being filled, we found three (3) bottles of chilled champagne waiting for us!

Their new house has a swimming pool. They said we should come over to visit and bring AJ to swim sometime. Seriously...they are just really cool people...

Closing went very smoothly. Moving, however, became another story. We rented a 26' truck to move everything in. We apparently own more crap than will fit on a 26' truck, so we had to fill up all of the vehicles of our helpers, also. We made a caravan to unload at the new house. Then Hubby and a couple of guys went back in the truck to pick up the straggling pieces. We got a phone call a few minutes later...the transmission on the 26' truck went out. So everyone headed out with pickup trucks to transfer the rest of our stuff. By the time my dad drove up in his pickup, the brakes were smoking...Saturday morning they had to find a repair shop. Several hours and almost $500 later, we were back on the road.

Unpacking is going pretty well. We have some final "organizational-type" items that we will purchase this weekend to help with the process. AJ has been rediscovering toys that have been packed for a while, and LOVES his new playroom and bedroom. He is settling well into his new school, too.

It's starting to feel like home.

Wordless Wednesday - Getting Bigger

2009-07-22T08:51:00.002-05:00

As we prepare to move into our new, much bigger house, I pause to reflect on how much bigger AJ seems these days...

Super Mustard

2009-07-07T09:47:00.003-05:00

*sigh* My son is strange. I know he was doomed to be, given his genetic makeup, but some days he's a little odder than usual.

On Sundays, we stop for breakfast at the Kolache Factory on the way to church. This weekend, AJ sat playing with the mayo, mustard, and salsa packets while eating his food. You may have heard me talk about his conversations with inanimate objects; today it was the condiments. Each of the packets had their own personality and voice. They talked to each other, posed, interacted, etc. Many of them morphed into superheroes. (What can I say? He's a little boy...) By folding the packet in half, he could turn it into a "mouth" and "talk" with it. Waving them around in the air, they flew around fighting the bad guys. (salt and pepper shakers?) He was so distracted with his play that he didn't notice his Daddy was leaving.

I turned around from refilling my drink to see my husband standing in the doorway yelling to AJ across the restaurant, "AJ! Put Super Mustard down and get in the car!"

I never really thought I would ever hear anyone say that...

Happy Birthday!

2009-07-03T09:53:00.004-05:00

I have spent my entire life being told I look just like you...now my husband tells me that I'm just like you (he thinks that's a GOOD thing!)...I happen to think that's a great compliment.

Happy Birthday, Mom! Thank you for everything you have shown me and for the great influence you have been on me and my family. We love you very much.

Wordless Wednesday - Little Buddies

2009-07-01T08:09:00.001-05:00

Boxes

2009-06-29T16:46:00.002-05:00

Looks like it's time for me to re-start packing. I hesitated to say anything about the contract that was executed late Thursday night for the sale of my house. But the inspections are scheduled for tomorrow. I am hoping that since these people are making an investment in that kind of expense, they will be less likely to flake out on me. Or so I hope...I am keeping fingers, toes, eyes, and everything else crossed.

Tentative closing date is July 24th.

My sanity can't take much more of this roller coaster ride...

Wordless Wednesday - Boxed In

2009-06-10T07:55:00.002-05:00

Will this ever end?

2009-06-09T07:42:00.003-05:00

We spent the weekend at my parent's house celebrating my dad's birthday. It was a really great time. On Saturday, we went to eat and listen to a band that my uncle plays in. On the way there, Hubby got a phone call from the monitoring service for our house alarm. They said that the smoke detectors were going off and wanted to know if they should dispatch the fire department. Since we were 200 miles away, we told them to go ahead. Subsequent emails and phone calls revealed that the monitoring service mis-read the code. It was the motion detectors - not the smoke detectors. Apparently the alarm had not been disarmed before a real estate agent came by to show the house. They tripped the alarm. Way to scare off potential buyers, right?

Well, Sunday morning we got a call rescheduling the showing from the day before. Persistent people!

Monday morning I found a feedback response in my email inbox. The message at the bottom said "we have written an offer and will forward it to you today"! WOO HOO! I guess maybe they were impressed by the security or the fast response of the fire department...don't know...don't care...

WE. HAVE. ANOTHER. OFFER!!

We sent over counter-offer for just a little more money, but we sweetened the deal with the fridge, deep freeze, and all of the window coverings.

Now we wait to hear back...

The "Red River house" is moving closer and closer to my grasp...

UPDATE: The offer from yesterday has now been withdrawn. The husband decided he didn't like the backyard. We are back to square one. I'm tired of this roller coaster...

And now...the REST of the story

2009-06-05T07:52:00.003-05:00

So here's what is going on in our little world...and a followup to my last post.

On Thursday 5/28 we had the inspection scheduled for the new house. We paid for a detailed inspection as well as a termite inspection. A Br.inks guy was there also to give us an idea of what needed to be done to the security system. Everything looks great, we pay everyone, and we head to work.

Friday was our regular day off, and we took AJ to Brenham to the Blue.Bell creamery tour and to make pizzas at a friend's pizza place.

When we pulled into the parking lot, Hubby checked his email and found a message in his inbox "Termination of Contract paperwork". Please tell me I am having a nightmare! The buyer on our house was backing out of the contract AND wanted her $1,000 in earnest money back. She had apparently decided to move out of the country. Seriously? You didn't know this before you started jerking around other families?

Anyway, I had complete meltdown in the parking lot. For three days, I could not even think about the situation without crying. We were suddenly faced with having to find another buyer in 7 days, or lose the option on the perfect house. Need I remind you, a perfect house that we had already spent quite a bit of money on...

Our current house was put back active on the market. Of course, I had already started packing boxes for the move, so we are no where near "show ready."

On Monday, Hubby got a phone call from the appraiser, who did NOT follow the orders he was given, and who was looking for another $350 for the appraisal on the new house. When asked why he didn't call to schedule it with us like he was told, his response was "I don't have to. I don't work for you." Well, then, buddy, I suggest you talk to the people you DO work for to get your money, because I'm not giving you a penny!

I also contacted the listing agent on the sale of our house and told her we were refusing the sign the release of the earnest money to the lady backing out of her contract.

You see, she is claiming her "unrestricted right to terminate for any reason within 10 days of the execution date of the contract." Well, read the rest of that paragraph, lady, and you will see that you only get that right if you paid us the $100 option fee within TWO days after signing. We didn't get the fee until FOUR days after. So sorry - no money for you...

So last night, there is a knock on our door. It was the "terminated buyer's" agent (who lives down the street. He wanted to talk to us to see if we would split the earnest money with the backed-out buyers. Apparently, the buyer's mother got sick in Vietnam and she went back to stay with her. The Buyer's husband is still wanting to buy our house for his father to live in. But they may not be back from Vietnam for another couple of months. The agent explained that they really want to buy our house when they get back. He seemed to be playing the pity card because the lady's mother is sick. Sorry...I have compassion for you...but I also am out a lot of money that needs to be reimbursed.

So as of today, this is the situation. I have a couple of college friends who are real estate agents and have talked the owners of the new house to extend our option period until the end of July. I am terminating our agreement today with the agents who currently have our house listed because they don't seem to be willing to fight for us. We will then re-sign with our friends for both the sale of our house and the purchase of a new one.

In the meantime, we have bought a little more time to find another buyer...and I'm exhausted...mentally and physically...

Because it's a long story...

2009-05-27T08:24:00.002-05:00

I will just point you to hubby's blog post about it, since I haven't had time to write my own version...

Update: The contract has been executed, the inspection is scheduled for tomorrow, and I have boxes EVERYWHERE. Closing is scheduled for June 26th!

Wordless Wednesday - Road Trip

2009-05-20T08:25:00.003-05:00

We went to visit my parents this past weekend...I leave you to discuss who the sign may be referring to... :)

Real Moms

2009-05-08T09:17:00.002-05:00

Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens, and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask "Why me?" and get their answer when a little voice says, "Because I love you best."

Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade...It is marked by the progression from Mommy to Mom to Mother...

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul...It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman with passing years only grows.

This is for all of the fantastic women and mothers in my life...especially my own mother. Happy Mother's Day!

Wordless Wednesday - Monkey Boy

2009-05-06T11:44:00.003-05:00

NOTE: This climbing wall was about 8 feet tall. My little monkey boy just scurried up it without a second thought...

Wordless Wednesday - Swine Flu Safety Bulletin

2009-04-29T12:26:00.003-05:00

Please refrain from this behavior to protect yourself from swine flu.

2009-04-22T07:53:00.002-05:00

I haven't been posting much lately for several reasons. I don't really have much to say; AJ has been such an awesome kid lately and doing so much that I can't keep track of it all long enough to write a post. Then there's the whole house thing. It's still on the market. We are getting regular showings, but no offers yet. It's getting tiring trying to keep everything "show ready" all the time. And don't even get me started on the drama of office politics that I have recently found myself smack in the middle of...AJ and I were sick for a while also. It seems I have been coughing for about 2 months now. I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. Know what I mean? I will try to do better. Meanwhile, I can barely even keep up status updates on Facebook...

This weekend is a UH Band Alumni family picnic. Should be lots of fun seeing everyone. Then Sunday is the March for Babies. Team AJ has been able to raise $1,184.00 this year...

Babies, Babies, Everywhere...

2009-04-17T08:42:00.002-05:00

The past several months has seen a big influx of new babies into my real and bloggy world. First was Margaret's little cutie pie Connor, then my friend LW from church had a little boy, next was Nikki's princess Sophia, then JM (my church choir director) had little Abigail last week. Now one of Hubby's "work wives" has been induced this morning. After several attempts, Kim is getting the baby she was wanted for as long as I have known her. The gender is going to be a surprise, but I'm very excited for her and her new little monkey! Here's to sending easy labor vibes to Kim...

Satan

2009-04-13T13:22:00.002-05:00

Saturday I was trying to clean the house to prepare for another showing, but AJ was in rare form and seemed to be bouncing off the walls. I got tired of cleaning a room, only to have him follow behind me and destroy it again. I finally asked Daddy to keep him out of my way. This conversation followed:

Daddy: "AJ, you're making your mother insane...stop driving her crazy. I need her sane."

AJ: "Daddy, why is Mommy in Satan?"

There are some things you just leave alone...

Waking up

2009-04-08T08:27:00.002-05:00

This morning I went to wake AJ up to get ready for school. When I told him it was time to get up, he rolled over, shoved his head under the pillow and mumbled, "Okay...when it's sunny..." and closed his eyes again.

When he finally got up, he decided he wanted to get dressed in the living room instead of his bedroom. When I told him it was still dark in the living room, he looked up at me and declared, "Well...I supPOSE you'll have to turn the light on."

Lots of smart-mouth from a 4-year-old when it's not even 6am yet...

Lions, and Grasshoppers, and Bears...oh my! (UPDATED)

2009-04-06T07:35:00.004-05:00

I am having the hardest time keeping that child of mine in pants. He's so scrawny (and has no butt) that ones that are long enough for his mile-long legs...well, those just fall off. So I have to locate pants with an adjustable waist.

Then he comes home with holes in the knees of his jeans. I asked him what happened to his pants. His answer? "A lion bit them off". "Really? And did the lion bite your leg too?" "No. Just my pants."

While getting dressed, he noticed a small "boo boo" on his leg and pointed it out to me. Jokingly, I told him to stop hurting my baby. His answer? "I didn't do it, Mommy. The grasshoppers and mantis did it."

So why is the animal kingdom after my child?!

Seriously, the imagination on this kid...I can't keep up with all of the things he says and does that I tell myself to remember to blog about.

UPDATE - I just found a rip in the left knee of the pants AJ wore to school today. They were perfectly fine when he left home this morning. I'm not even going to bother asking what happened this time...(he's now down to only one pair of khakis and one pair of jeans that do NOT have a hole in the knee.

Crying at my desk

2009-03-26T07:12:00.003-06:00

I usually spend my early morning time reading through the blogs I follow regularly. This morning, though, I was brought to tears by Crystal and her post about her little girl. She has such an amazing way of putting motherhood...

"She has changed our lives. All kids do. They're not just here to be little people, they're here to teach you what it means to love someone more than yourself. But there are days when I don't know if I can really do this, when I wonder if I'm going to screw her up and she wouldn't be better off being raised by wolves."

By the end of her post, I found tears in my eyes and remember those days when AJ reminds me just how special he is...and how lucky I am...

That's What Little Boys Do...

2009-03-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

So whenever AJ gets to my parents' house, he turns very "little boy" and likes to play with sticks and dirt. Saturday afternoon I asked him why he was playing in the dirt.

Response: "That's what little boys do, mommy."

Then he began to sing a little song...

"That's what little boys do...look out...they'll steal your heart..."

Indeed they do..

Mystery Cameraman

2009-03-21T17:37:00.004-06:00

While perusing the camera's memory card at the end of the weekend, we discovered some random pictures that no one would claim...

Then we had the "a ha" moment!

Someone should teach the 4-year old how to stay out of the shot!

Funny Monday

2009-03-16T06:41:00.002-06:00

I just stumbled across this guy and am having a hard time deciding which clips are funnier.

On Parenting

On Marriage

Playground Fun

Enjoy!

Please Excuse Cindy's Absence...

2009-03-08T19:36:00.003-06:00

This seems to sum it up quite nicely.

Starving Cannibals: Feverish times

Add that to a new rebranding effort at work, and you just about have it all...

Wordless Wednesday - Home with a sickie

2009-03-04T07:27:00.002-06:00

Case of the "Lazies" and Mindless Ramblings

2009-03-03T11:57:00.003-06:00

My inner lazy couch potato is in turmoil. We have our house on the market, which means it has to be "show ready" basically at all times. With 2 adults, a shedding cat and a 4 year old in the house that becomes a full time job. Instead of relaxing at the end of a long work day (which lately has been full of new creative projects and marketing projects)to watch a little TV and play with AJ, I am constantly cleaning. I feel like I'm just cleaning the same things OVER and OVER and OVER.

At work we are re branding the company, and as the marketing manager, that means a lot of new tasks to keep up with. The creative juices are running kind of dry. I INTEND to write regular blog posts; and often remark that I will write about something the AJ has done. But I just can't seem to get motivated to actually TYPE anything.

I've started a Facebook account. I manage to "somewhat" keep on top of that, but it doesn't require any extended amount of time. Just a sentence or two between projects.

We have gotten to spend a lot of fun family time lately that at least the hubby has been posting about. And I'm kind of geeked about watching AJ at his first Tae Kwon Do testing this Saturday...he's getting so grown up...I can't seem to keep the child in pants that actually cover his ankles. I can't wait for Spring and Summer so he can wear shorts every day.

And on top of that, it's only about two months until the March for Babies. Team AJ has signed up again to participate, but I haven't gotten around to any serious fundraising. I'm torn on whether to do it all this year, but we have always made it a family priority to remember the struggles AJ had.

I just can't think about that right now. I'll think about that tomorrow. Fiddle dee dee.

Tired

2009-02-24T08:00:00.002-06:00

I'm just tired...
I have several new projects at work because we are completely re-branding the company. We put our house back on the market last Wednesday, so everything has to be "show-ready" before we leave the house at 6am every morning. I have about 4 different travel clients who are waiting for more research and pricing. AJ has a little virus that has him in coughing fits several times during the night. That, of course, wakes me up each time. We decided to take him to the clinic after school yesterday, but the NP said she heard some wheezing and referred us to the urgent care center. So we went to get some dinner first. (We couldn't go home, because the house was being shown some time between 5:45pm and 7:45pm). Get to the restaurant to find out that it's "Spirit Night" for one of the elementary schools. The place was jam packed with people. We took AJ to the urgent care center after dinner and had to wait inside the examination room for an hour before anyone came in to see us. So, the NP comes in, examines AJ, listens to his lungs, has AJ cough, listens to his lungs again, and declares that "the wheezing goes away when he coughs...just have him cough...he's just got a little viral thing going on." Which I interpreted to mean "there's nothing wrong with your kid, dimwit. He's just got a cold."

Given everything going on, I didn't get to eat anything all day yesterday until about 6:00 last night. So my blood sugar is probably out of whack. THAT always improves my mood...

Wordless Wednesday - Who Made Spiderman Mad?

2009-02-18T07:41:00.001-06:00

Wordless Wednesday - WIPE OUT!

2009-02-11T11:36:00.005-06:00

Jesus has an office

2009-02-02T13:28:00.002-06:00

So last week on the way home, Hubby and AJ were having a discussion about his grandparents. AJ followed really well, until he asked about Grandma (Hubby's mother).

Hubby: "Well, she's gone home to be with Jesus."
AJ: "In Heaven?"
Hubby: "That's right."
AJ: "Why?" (because every statement ends with that question when you're 4...)
Me: "Well, she got really sick."
AJ: "Why didn't she go to the doctor?"
Hubby: "Well, she DID go to lots of doctors. But sometimes the doctor can only do so much."
AJ: "And Jesus helps the doctors?"
Hubby: "He sure does."
AJ: "And maybe the doctors got tired..."
(Pause to put car back on the road after veering off from laughing so hard)
Me: "Could be..."
AJ: "So Jesus has an office in Heaven?"

Wordless Wednesday - Designer Spaces

2009-01-28T07:03:00.001-06:00

More 4 year old wisdom

2009-01-26T07:14:00.003-06:00

Heard from the back seat:
"Skip, skip, skip to the loo..." (I had to stifle a laugh at that one...To all my pregnant friends - have you been skipping to the loo a lot?)

"Mommy, do rainbows have gray?"
"No, sweetie. There's no gray in a rainbow."
"So maybe old rainbows have gray in them?" (I can't argue with the child's logic...)

And this morning as I said goodbye to him at school...
"Are you going to be a good boy today?"
"Uh huh."
"Are you going to listen to your teachers?"
"Uh huh."
"Are you going to be a good friend?"
"Uh huh."
"Are you going to miss your mommy?"
"Uh huh...and I won't use ANY potty words today!"

Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

2009-01-21T11:57:00.001-06:00

I'm lucky

2009-01-19T08:04:00.003-06:00

Me: (to hubby) "That child of yours is ALWAYS singing..."

Hubby: "He's happy and has a song in his heart. He knows he's lucky to have a Daddy like me. You just don't know how lucky you are."

AJ: (from the backseat) "No, Daddy. You're lucky because you like me!"

On another note...AJ went to his first hockey game last night. It was the mascot's 13th birthday and all of the other local mascots attended the game for his birthday party. AJ was fascinated by the whole experience (so many animals!) and talked non-stop for over an hour after we left the game. This morning he was looking for his hockey puck to take to school.

And us? We forgot to take the camera with us! ARGH!!

A Day at the Doctor

2009-01-15T11:21:00.003-06:00

Every three months I have to go to the doctor to get two vials of blood drawn and a new refill order for my prescriptions. The blood test has to be done while fasting, so I always make my appointment first thing in the morning, either the first or second patient appointment.

And then there was today...

Doctor's office opens at 8:30am. My appointment was for 8:45am. Remember this time. I have not eaten anything since 7:30pm last night. (Note: When diabetics get hungry, they get a little cranky and irritable.)

8:30 - arrive at doctor's office in time to fill out new data form for new year.
8:45 - still sitting in lobby. Request lab order form so I can have it already filled out to save time.
9:10 - am finally called back to exam room for vitals.
9:45 - have paced a hole in the tile floor waiting to be seen
9:50 - call husband on cell phone to vent frustration
10:15 - I have finally had enough. I open the door, stand in the hallway, and say (rather loudly), "All I need to have done is a blood draw. I have been sitting in this room for an hour!" Scared nurse goes into the next exam room and pulls doctor out. Doctor decides to talk to me and draw my blood himself.
10:20 - I am in my car leaving to go back to work.

Can anyone tell me why I bothered making an early appointment! (Over 15 hours without food makes me not a happy camper!)

Dumb things parents do...

2009-01-14T07:43:00.002-06:00

To the woman in the back seat of her car, in the DARK, in the parking lot of the daycare, SPRAYING HAIRSPRAY ON HER THREE YEAR OLD SON...

Seriously?

From AJ's Dad

2009-01-06T12:25:00.003-06:00

So Cousin Margie's tagging of my dear wife made me curious has to what would be in the 4th of my 4th.

I thought it was cute so I decided to post it here too.

It's that same little cowboy but he has grown up and moved on mechanical bulls. This was taken at this past year's rodeo in Panola County. Notice he still has that arm up.

And in case anyone is interested he not only gave an 8 second ride but the judges scored it a perfect 10.

Tag - I'm it!

2009-01-05T10:19:00.003-06:00

I have been tagged by Margie. The rules are as follows:

1. Go to the 4th picture folder on your computer.
2. Post the 4th picture in that folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 more people.

Well, here goes:

This was my little buckaroo riding his rocking horse on Granny and PawPaw's back porch. Notice that at less than two years old, he already knew he had to keep his arm up...

I have no idea who would actually participate, but I'll throw a couple of names into the hat...

1. KimboSue

2. Nicki / Babysteps

3. Mindy (I'm sure her picture will be completely AWESOME!)

4. "Wierd" Nikki

Shoe She

2008-12-22T20:09:00.003-06:00

On the way home from AJ's school, Hubby and I were discussing what he wanted for dinner.

Hubby: "I'm in the mood for sushi."
AJ: "Daddy, what's shooshi?"
Hubby: "It's yummy rice rolls. Maybe someday I'll take you out for sushi."
AJ: (excitedly) "YEA! And I won't even throw up!"

I wish I felt the same way...ugh...

Journey of a Wise Man

2008-12-11T07:34:00.002-06:00

This year AJ is finally old enough to really be getting into Christmas. He asks at least twice a day if it is Christmas Eve yet.

He is particularly infatuated with our Nativity set. The figures stand about 18" tall and include Mary, Joseph, Jesus, 3 Kings, a Shepherd, a Donkey and a Camel. AJ is very concerned about what happened to the shepherd's sheep...he even went and grabbed his Little People sheep from his Fisher Price barn to place with the shepherd. Hubby came out the next morning and wanted to know why there was a tiny sheep in his nativity scene. AJ explained that the shepherd needed something to watch.

I got to go on the journey of the wise men... AJ wanted to pretend to be a wise man and bring a present to Baby Jesus. He picked up his drum, handed me a toy and pointed us toward the other end of the house. Using the overhead light from the living room as a star, we followed the light through the entire house until we got to the nativity set under the tree. AJ knelt down and started playing "rum pum pum pum" on his drum for Baby Jesus.

It was one of the cutest things I had ever seen him do. And even more special because it was so spontaneous. When you ask him what Christmas is about, he doesn't hesitate to tell you it's about Baby Jesus...I've got a pretty cool kid.

Wordless Wednesday - Iron Chef?

2008-12-03T07:30:00.002-06:00

Mommy, You're Wrong

2008-11-21T07:28:00.002-06:00

That kid is just getting too smart for his own good. He's taking all of the fun out of me playing with him.

At dinner Tuesday night, we saw a bronze statue of a cowboy outside the restaurant. AJ noticed it and made several comments about it. On the way out to the car after dinner, I told him "say goodbye to the cowboy."
His response: "Mommy, he doesn't talk. That's just a statue."

Yesterday in the car on the way home from school he was playing with an Elmo puppet that he took for show and tell. When his Daddy asked him something goofy about Elmo, AJ's response: "Daddy, Elmo is just a toy."

See? Just humor me sometimes, okay?

On the bright side, my birthday was on Tuesday, and AJ made it rather special...
Daddy: "AJ, where do you want to take Mommy for her birthday?"
AJ: "To a ress-raunt"
Daddy: "Which restaurant should we take her to?"
AJ: "uuummmm...McDonald's!!"
(We ultimately ended up at Taste of Texas...)

AJ also kept telling me that it wasn't my birthday if I didn't have a party hat. And he wanted to know if I was going to have a "bouncy thing" (moonwalk).

Biggest gift: While we were sitting at dinner, AJ WROTE HIS NAME!
(well, okay, his "J" was upside down, but it was the first recognizable letters he had ever written for me)

Randomness About November 18

2008-11-18T08:20:00.004-06:00

Guest blogger: AJ's Dad

November 18 is Albania Independence Day, Haiti Army Day, Oman National Day, and YWCA World Fellowship Day. Go out and celebrate!

On November 18 the Roman Catholic Church memorializes the dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul in Rome.

On November 18, 1307 William Tell shoots an apple off his son's head.
On November 18, 1793 the Louvre in Paris officially opened.
On November 18, 1894 the first newspaper Sunday color comic section is puplished. Consequently on November 18, 1928 Mickey Mouse debuts in NY in "Steamboat Willie".
On November 18, 1932 "Flowers & Trees" receives the first Academy Award for a cartoon.
On November 18, 1960 the Copyright office issues its 10 millionth registration.
On November 18, 1966 US Roman Catholic bishops ends rules against eating meat on Fridays and US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

Many, many, popular and famous people (for their time) were born on November 18. I won't list a bunch here, take my word for it. But what I find most interesting is that there is a lot of muscians, composers, singers, etc. born on November 18 (this will come into play soon).

November is International Creative Child & Adult Month (this will also come into play soon).

Finally, on November 18, 196? (thought I was going to do it didn't ya'?) my wife, the person that irritates me to no end, but nevertheless, that I love entered this world in Houma, Louisiana (my gosh, I didn't marry a native Texan!). For those of you who read Cindy's seven facts about herself you know that she is a percussionist. However, Cindy is very gifted and talented in music (hence why I find it interesting that many muscians, composers and singers share her birthday). And, while she won't freely admit to it, living with her all these years has shown to me that Cindy is very creative. Consequently, Cindy has provided to me the greatest treasure of my (our) life: my four year old son, who is proving to be equally, if not more, creative than Cindy.

I hope that you will all join me in wishing Cindy a very blessed and happy birthday today! I love you, dear!

PS: May I PLEASE know where you want to go tonight now??

Deja Vu

2008-11-18T07:51:00.002-06:00

I have been tagged by THREE different people (KimboSue, Nikki, and Margaret) within the past few days and all with the same topic. I guess that means I need to do it...although I did just do a version of it last month. You can just read it here:
http://ajmom.blogspot.com/2008/10/randomness.html

And I guess since I got tagged with it again, I just proved my point that nobody was reading it the first time :) And since I can't find anyone who hasn't done this one yet...If you want to play, go ahead. Enjoy!

Sweet

2008-11-17T07:51:00.001-06:00

On Friday night Hubby, AJ, and I went to a luxury suite to watch the Rockets play basketball. It was a great night, and they won...but the best part of the night was when AJ asked, "Daddy, why are all these other people in my hotel room?"

Wordless Wednesday - It's a Bird...It's a Plane

2008-11-12T07:04:00.001-06:00

Four year checkup

2008-10-30T08:26:00.002-06:00

This morning AJ went to the pediatrician for his 4-year-old check up. It turned out to be quite a traumatic experience for the little booger. He went through:

6 vaccinations
1 finger prick to test for anemia (NEGATIVE)
hearing test (A LITTLE OFF DUE TO CONGESTION AND FLUID IN HIS EARS FROM A COLD)
vision test (PERFECT 20/20)
peeing in a cup for further testing

He has finally reached the 30 pound mark on his weight! YIPPEE! He was 30.2 lbs and 3 ft 3 in tall...we're finally making some progress on that growth chart.

His poor little legs are going to be pretty sore from all the shots, so we'll have to come up with a very special treat for him this evening.

I know it's not Wednesday...

2008-10-21T10:26:00.002-05:00

but isn't this just the cutest kid ever...

Profound Conversations - UPDATED

2008-10-12T15:32:00.004-05:00

Here are some of my recent conversations with AJ:

AJ: " What is that, Mommy?"
Me: "I don't know, sweetie."
AJ: "But Mommy, yes you do know. You know everything."
Me: (laughing) "Sorry, sweetie, Mommy doesn't know everything. Who told you that?"
AJ: "Daddy."

AJ: (examining a toy figure) "Mommy, I can't find the mustache."
Me: "Do you know what a mustache is, baby?"
AJ: (pointing to his upper lip) "Yes, it's a thing that goes right here."
Me: (nodding) "Is it some hair on your upper lip?"
AJ: "Yes. It's hair on your lip that the boogers hide in."

AJ: "I want some M&Ms."
Me: "Tell Daddy to give you two M&Ms."
AJ: (in the other room) "Daddy, I want some M&Ms."
Daddy: "How many do you want?"
AJ: "Five."
Daddy: "How many did Mommy say you could have?"
AJ: "Two."
Daddy: "Then how many do you think I should give you?"
AJ: "Five."

AJ: (from the backseat while we are going to school) "Mommy, your head is not as bigger like Daddy's..."

Table Trouble

2008-10-10T08:17:00.002-05:00

I'm beginning to suspect AJ doesn't like crowds or a lot of noise. He is very similar to me in that.
Usually, we drop him off at school so early that there aren't really very many kids there yet. It's pretty laid back and he picks out a table and goes to sit down by himself.
On the occasional days that he gets dropped off a little later, the reaction is quite different. Those are the days when he looks around at all of the occupied tables, listens to the other children talking/yelling, and gets clingy. He won't pick out a seat, even at the table where his own classmates are sitting. He doesn't mind sharing the table, but he needs to be the first one there. It's like he needs everyone to come to him. I don't know if he's overwhelmed or just needs everything to revolve around him?
Thoughts?

Randomness

2008-10-02T10:46:00.003-05:00

I have been tagged by KimboSue for a meme.

1. Link the person that tagged you.

2. List 7 random/weird things about you.

3. Tag 7 people.

4. Inform them they've been tagged.

Random Stuff About Me (that I'm willing to share...):
1. I started clogging when I was 12 years old, was a choreographer for our group, and even competed.

2. I am also a percussionist.

3. I'm left handed.

4. I don't know how to swim (or even float).

5. My sister is 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days older than I am.

6. I graduated third in my high school class.

7. I LOVE old movies...I'm talking about the ones pre-1960.

I don't think there are even 7 people who read my blog, so I guess if anyone wants to participate, then feel free...

Wordless Wednesday - Meet Me Under the Apple Tree

2008-10-01T07:17:00.002-05:00

My new 4 year old

2008-09-29T12:46:00.004-05:00

It's really hard to believe my baby is now 4 years old. He had a party with some of his friends on Saturday and spent the rest of the weekend playing with all of his new loot.

His haul?

Thanks to his "church girlfriend" - 300 teeny tiny Legos that will be all over my house on a regular basis.

From his Aunt S - a V-Tech learning laptop that he has already offered to let his Daddy check email with.

From his "school girlfriend" - transformers

From one of his buddies - dinosaurs and airplanes to attack them with

From Mommy and Daddy - his own Fisher Price "fp3" player with headphones. We have loaded it with over two hours of his own music and stories. Now he wants to "listen to my phones" all the time...

And enough Hot Wheels stunt tracks and race cars to make a lap around the living room. The trick is getting Daddy to stop playing cars long enough for AJ to enjoy them.

A look back:

AJ's first birthday

AJ's fourth birthday

This Day in History

2008-09-23T09:36:00.002-05:00

On this day four years ago, our journey with prematurity and parenthood began. I went to see my doctor after work that day because my blood pressure seemed to be a little elevated and my feet had begun to swell. I was 25 weeks and 5 days pregnant.

After doing the requisite "pee in a cup" that I had been doing at every doctor appointment, I was informed that I would not be going home that day. He was arranging a bed for me at the local hospital. Pre-eclampsia was setting in and he wanted me on a fetal monitor and bed rest. I would likely be there for the duration of my pregnancy.

We had no idea at that time, that the duration of my pregnancy would only be another 3 days. That was on Thursday, September 23, 2004.

One year later, on September 23, 2005 we were preparing to evacuate for Hurricane Rita and had to cancel AJ's very first birthday party.

I sit here today in an office that is still without electricity after Hurricane Ike, preparing for my miracle baby's fourth birthday. And as stressful as those few days and weeks were in 2004, I am thankful for my sweet, healthy little boy.

Ike goes on

2008-09-14T11:30:00.002-05:00

We had power last night. Had some friends over who were without electricity to enjoy the A/C for a while. Unfortunately, the lights went out again at 4am. It finally came back on at 11am.

There are trees and fences down everywhere.

Don't think we'll be going to work tomorrow...

Update on Ike

2008-09-12T15:37:00.007-05:00

3:35pm - the winds have started to pick up now. It has finally started sprinkling. The kids outside playing with their kites are having a little harder time now.

4:00pm - it only rained for about 5 minutes. Not enough to even get the sidewalk wet. The sun is shining and there is a nice breeze. We have turned off the A/C and opened the front door.

6:00pm - They say that hurricane-strength winds have now hit Galveston. But here in Katy, it's just a little overcast, and the wind hasn't really gotten to us. A few gusts now and then, but not much.

7:55pm - the wind is staying pretty steady right now. Some pretty decent wind gusts. Getting a little harder to see what's going on since it's getting dark.

10:55pm - now getting tropical storm force winds. The power just flickered but came right back.

11:30pm - power has gone out. Hasn't really started raining much - it's just the wind. Can't post until we get power back.

3:15am - I think it's the eye of the storm. It's gotten pretty calm.

4:00am - That was DEFINITELY the eye. The winds are now much worse and are coming from the other direction. This side is MUCH worse than before!

6:00am - the power flickered on. Then off just as we started celebrating. It's hot in here.

10:00am - Still windy and raining, but not bad. Still no power. It's really stuffy.

2:00pm - if we don't get power back soon, I will likely be childless. AJ is bored and is driving me absolutely BONKERS.

3:00pm - HALLELUJAH! We just got the power back on. Hopefully everything in the fridge and freezer is okay. We were very careful not to open them while the power was out.

Hunker Down

2008-09-11T07:58:00.002-05:00

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Or so the local media would have us believe. After the latest forecasts on Hurricane Ike, I was a little worried. It seems to be drifting closer to the Houston area. At my house in Katy we are told to expect sustained winds of 81 mph if the storm goes in near Freeport on its present course. If it tracks a little further north into Galveston Bay, I actually end up on the clean side. We will be preparing today by clearing out space in the garage so that both vehicles will fit.

My biggest concern is the large pile of lumber in pieces within 10 yards of my house. They have pulled off the boards that created the form for the concrete foundation on the new house they are building. They have not bothered to clean up the construction site at all. I will take pictures of this hazard and let the builders know that if any of that stuff ends up in my house through one of my windows, they WILL get the bill for the repairs.

Other than that, we'll have AJ and the kitty sleep with us on Friday night. Or board up the window in AJ's room and put an air mattress on the floor in there with him.

We'll try to keep updates coming and we can. Stay safe, everyone!

You Gotta Ask the Right Questions

2008-09-10T07:39:00.003-05:00

Daddy: "AJ, did you go to kick class today?"
AJ: "No."
Daddy: "Didn't you and S* go to kick class?"
AJ: "Not kick class. We went to the cafe."
Daddy: "What did you learn in the cafe?"
AJ: "We. didn't. learn. anything...!"
Daddy: "Well, what did you and S* do in the cafe?"
AJ: "Kicked."

Just like in the interrogation room. You can eventually break them down...

Ridiculously Early

2008-09-04T07:30:00.002-05:00

So the EXTREMELY LOUD noises outside my house this morning at 5:30am? Yeah...cement trucks pouring a foundation next door. About 6 feet from my front door. AJ and the cat were terrified.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the one morning lately when we have actually gotten out of the house on time? Yeah...cement truck blocking my driveway so I couldn't get out.

It's gonna be a long day.

THAT didn't go as planned...

2008-09-02T08:58:00.002-05:00

Every year, Hubby and family gather for a big get-together at his aunt and uncle's house outside of Orange. This year we didn't have quite as many people (only 25 instead of last year's 75). We were having fun anyway, until they called a mandatory evacuation of Orange county for 6am Sunday morning. We were being forced out of our hotel room, and needed to make a choice. We could get in the traffic with everyone else and head back to Houston. Or we could go somewhere else and enjoy the rest of our holiday weekend. We headed north and went to my parents' house. The storm track looked like they may get some tropical storm-forced winds, so we helped tie everything down there and visited for a couple of days. Now we are home and, just like after Hurricane Rita, need to put out the sprinkler in the yard.

YIKES! I just caught movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see a mouse scurrying across the top of my desk! I'm outta here!

NOT Wordless

2008-08-27T08:11:00.002-05:00

Well for once, we have some good news.

As you recall, AJ had an orthodontic "spacer" device installed by the dentist a couple of weeks ago to correct his crossbite. We were told that he would need to wear it for about 3 months. Well after only a few days, I was able to tell a difference. My baby's smile was looking more like Bucky Beaver...

His appointment to get it adjusted was on Monday. The dentist looked in his mouth, looked at the chart, looked in his mouth, started doing some measuring...Then he said to his assistant, "We have some over-correction." Well, DUH! His two front teeth are all you see when he's talking!

Anyway, Dr. H decided to remove the device and see if AJ's teeth fall back into place. So instead of being a "metal mouth" for 3 months, he only had to wear his "de-tainer" for two weeks! (Downside, he has to be on soft food for about a week. Small price to pay...)

Fun Monday

2008-08-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is my first official foray into the mania that is called "Fun Monday". Today's assignment is as follows:

What funny trivial fact do you remember that you probably should have forgotten a long time ago?

Anyone who knows me also knows that my head is chock full of useless information. I can't get anyone to play Trivial Pursuit with me....I just can't get enough of this kind of stuff. So here goes...

1. It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.

2. In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.
When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... 'goodnight, sleep tight.'

3. Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.

4. If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

5. Coca-Cola was originally green.

6. In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have 'the rule of thumb'.

7. In the 1500's, most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

7b. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the bath water..

8. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.

I'm off to enjoy all of the other Fun Monday entries....to fill my head with more useless information.

Chores

2008-08-19T08:08:00.002-05:00

AJ will be 4 at the end of September, and he just started in his new class at daycare. I know there will be new rules and new expectations, so Hubby and I want to set up some more responsibilities at home, too. We bought a little "chore chart" to put stickers on. He gets a sticker for each day that he does that assigned task. He will earn rewards like a trip to Baskin & Robbins for ice cream, going to the park, and taking a trip to the zoo.

Now we just have to come up with some chores for him to do. I just don't know how much to expect out of him without setting him up for failure or frustration. What should a 4 year old be expected to do on a regular basis?

I'm open to suggestions...

Thunthine

2008-08-13T07:22:00.002-05:00

AJ went to the dentist yesterday morning to have a spacer apparatus put in his mouth to correct his crossbite. He was very brave, sat completely still, and only whimpered a couple of times. However, now his poor little mouth is sore. He doesn't want to bite or chew anything; and he didn't talk for several hours after it was put in. He now talks with a slight lisp...

This morning on the way to school he asked:
"Mommy, why the thun have more thleep time? Why the thun not have to get up and go to thunshine thool?"

That's a very good question, my sweet little boy...

AAARRRGGGHHH

2008-08-06T20:14:00.001-05:00

Well crap on a cracker -- now he has an EAR INFECTION!

(And on a side note - there are now purpura spots showing up on his arms and elbows...)

Tired of being sick

2008-08-05T13:59:00.002-05:00

Conversations with AJ yesterday:

(Wiping at the purpura spots on his leg) "Mommy, I all done with these. You get some water and wipe them off."

(Last night at bedtime)
"AJ, are you ready to pray?"
"No. I do it myself."
(AJ puts his hand on top of his head) "Thank you Jesus for loving me in my heart. Thank you God for make me not sick anymore. Amen."

At the point that my three-year-old starts laying hands on himself, I have to leave the room. I can't deal with this much longer...he's breaking my heart.

New answers

2008-08-01T13:44:00.002-05:00

An update on our progress:

Thursday, AJ woke up and was able to walk normally and wasn't complaining of any pain. We took him to school as normal. When we went back to pick him up, his teacher informed us that after naptime, he started hurting and couldn't sit normally in his chair. She propped him up and got him as comfortable as possible. By the time we got there to pick him up, he couldn't walk and his knee was swelling again. The red spots have spread over more of his legs and elbows.

Only problem? It was the other knee. The swelling and excrutiating pain has now traveled to the other leg.

We took him home and gave him a dose of Tylenol with codeine to try to help ease the pain. By 6:30pm, we decided that we needed some answers. At the very least some strong IV antibiotics. So we loaded everyone in the car and headed to Memorial Hermann Children's Hospital in the Medical Center. By the time we got to the Emergency Room, AJ could not be moved without much screaming and his left hand was also starting to swell.

At about 10:00pm, a resident came into the exam room to look at AJ. He decided pretty quickly that it is not an infection. He said he needed to check a theory and would come back after discussing with the attending physician.

They returned around half an hour later with a diagnosis. AJ apparently has Henoch-Schoenlein Purpura (HSP for short). HSP is an inflammation of the small blood vessels. The vessel begin to leak, thus forming the pitichiae and red spots. It also causes fluid to build up painfully in the joints and causes swelling. They don't know what causes it, but they know that there is no cure for it. The only thing to do is to manage the pain and try to make him as comfortable as possible. It will eventually work itself out and will go away in anywhere from a few days to as long as 8 weeks.

So here we sit, giving him Motrin to try to reduce the inflammation and pain. And we wait...

We got home from the hospital at 12:30am. AJ woke up an hour later screaming in agony. Codeine does nothing to help him. He can't stand for anyone to touch him, so all we can do is watch and listen to him cry.

I haven't felt this helpless since we finally got to bring him home from the NICU...

Not again (WARNING: Long story ahead)

2008-07-30T18:47:00.007-05:00

I see irony in the fact that in the mail Friday, we received a bill for AJ's last trip to the Emergency Room. As you may recall, he was vomiting badly for several days and we couldn't figure out why...

Cut to Friday night. I awoke at around 2:30am to the sound of AJ coughing. Only it wasn't a normal cough. I went to his room to find that he had thrown up all over himself and his bed. I woke Daddy up to change the bedding while I cleaned up AJ.

On Saturday morning, AJ woke up at his usual early time. We were scheduled to participate in a campaign walk for Congressman Mike McCaul. AJ decided that he was up for going. We drove to Cypress to meet the other walkers, but while we were in the parking lot, AJ said he needed to throw up again. Which he did - leaning over the curb to puke in the bushes. We brought him home and gave him a dose of promethazine (Phenergen) that he had left over from the last bug. That knocked him out for a few hours. At about 5:00pm he woke up and told me his tummy hurt and he needed to throw up again. Yippee! This time it was so violent that the poor baby even had it coming out of his nose...Another dose of Phenergen and pure exhaustion and he was out again.

He woke me up a couple of times during the night Saturday night to ask for a drink of water. At about 2:30am he woke me up to tell me his leg hurt. From the way he described it, I just thought that he had been lying on it wrong and it cramped or went to sleep. I told him to roll over and sleep on his other side.

Hubby and I were awakened at around 4:45am to AJ screaming in agony. We rushed into his room where he was crying and holding his leg. He wouldn't let anyone touch him; he just kept screaming and crying. We noticed that his right knee looked a little swollen. We thought that he had twisted it somehow. We gave him some Tylenol and he went back to sleep.

He limped into our room on Sunday morning. He seemed to be okay as long as he didn't put much weight on his leg. As long as he sat still, all was fine. When he moved, he screamed and cried out in pain. I wrapped his knee with an ACE bandage and we went off to church. We were going to watch him carefully and take him to his doctor on Monday morning.

When we got to church, a doctor friend came up to check on AJ. He felt AJ's knee (through the bandage) and told us to turn around and take AJ to the Urgent Care Clinic. He thinks AJ has an infection in his knee. Well, crap on a cracker....that's what we need...

We took him to the clinic. The doctor examined him and diagnosed AJ with Cellulitis. Apparently, most people carry about 3 different kinds of staph bacteria on their skin. If they get any kind of injury, there is the risk that some of that staph will get under the skin and cause an infection. The infection must be stopped before it spreads or gets into the bloodstream. AJ was put on a strong antibiotic and some pain medication. We were told to take him home and keep him still with his leg elevated for a day or two. AJ spent the rest of the day propped up on the bed watching movies.

Monday morning, AJ woke up with red spots all around his ankle. Throughout the course of the day, the red spots spread up his right leg and started on his left leg.

Tuesday morning, the red spots had gotten much worse and had spread even farther. So I took him to his pediatrician. She looked at the spots and determined that it was not a rash as I had suspected. She said it was pitichiae (pi tee kee i). She wrote up orders and sent us to the hospital lab to have a CBC and blood cultures done. AJ screamed bloody murder through the entire blood draw...it was VERY traumatic...

CBC came back completely normal, but we will have to wait until Friday for the blood culture results.

Tuesday night at 12:30am he vomited again.

Wednesday morning, we took him to school. The red spots seemed a little lighter. However, I got a phone call from the school at 2:45pm saying that he had already vomited twice. I left work and went to pick him up. He has taken this evening's dose of antibiotic along with food. He has had Motrin for the pain in his knee. He was also given a dose of Phenergen before bed.

Hopefully, he will sleep through the night with no incidents.

We will see what tomorrow holds...

Bummed Out

2008-07-24T11:16:00.002-05:00

I guess all good things must come to an end...
We got a message from the endocrinologist's office this morning. Earlier this week we did AJ's bloodwork again to see how he was doing. Unfortunately, my sweet kid will have to go back on his medication after being med-free for two months. His total T4 is low, so he will need to get half a tablet of synthroid per day. They will retest him again in 6 weeks.

That and the LCD screen on our digital camera broke last night while we were at the circus. Now I need to find a new camera. AJ seemed to enjoy the circus. He didn't get much into the acrobatics, but liked all of the animals. He says his favorite part was the clowns. We took pictures; I'll upload them soon.

Bouncy Things

2008-07-21T06:59:00.002-05:00

So if there's food and cake, it must be someone's birthday, right?

Well, if you're AJ, that's what it means. We went to a friend's wedding on Saturday. I got AJ to behave by telling him that there was going to be cake later. Just as he was finishing his slice of cake during the reception, he turned to me with a concerned look.

"Mommy....we forgot to sing the birthday song!"

I told him to go tell Aunt K* (the bride). She acknowledged the slip and told him she would fix it. It just so happens, the groom's birthday was the same day as the wedding, and she was planning to have everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to him anyway...

About 20 minutes later, AJ inquired of me. "Mommy, where's the bouncy thing?"

"Well, sweetie, there's not a bouncy thing today."
"Where is it? Is it outside?"
"Nope. There's not one."
"Well where is it?"
"Aunt K* doesn't like to bounce..."
*completely baffled* "She doesn't like to bounce?! Why?!"
"Well, sweetheart, it gives her a tummy ache."
"Oh. Okay."
And off he went, satisfied with my answer...

And with that, I get one baby step closer to being struck down by lightning...

Fashion Critic

2008-07-15T07:37:00.002-05:00

Apparently my three-year-old (who wants to wear his cowboy boots with shorts) has turned into a fashion critic.

Before we went on vacation a couple of weeks ago, I went out and bought some new clothes. I went down to the hotel lobby one morning where AJ and Daddy were having breakfast. AJ looks at me funny and says, "Mommy, why you wearing THAT shirt?"

This weekend we went to my parent house to visit. Sunday morning, my Mom came out dressed for church. AJ looks at her funny and says, "Granny, why you wearing THAT shirt?"

My Mom asked him what was wrong with her shirt.

AJ's answer: "It's FANCY... I don't like those flowers."

Quickies from Today

2008-07-10T19:23:00.001-05:00

AJ singing: "Smarter than a fizz waiter..."

Daddy: (upon finding all of the doors in the house closed) "Why are all the doors closed?"
AJ: "Cuz I am the door monitor!"

Where are your teeth?

2008-07-08T08:06:00.003-05:00

Conversation had with AJ while strapping him into the back seat after school yesterday:

Me: "What did you do today?"
AJ: "I cried in time out. WaaaaWaaaa! Miss T* put me in time out."
Me: "Miss T* put you in time out?"
AJ: "No."
Me: "You just said Miss T* put you in time out. What were you in time out for?"
AJ: "I did not have my teeth on J**."

School policy says that they call the parent if there has been a biting incident. I got no call from them. I have no idea whether my kid bit his friend or whether he's just making stuff up again...

Later that evening:

Me: (noticing an insect bite of some sort on his leg) "AJ, what happened to your leg, sweetie? Did you get a boo boo?"
AJ: (closely examining his leg) "I need a band aid. A car did it. A car hit me on my bone. It was a black car. Look at my bone."

Umm...okay...

Negotiation

2008-07-07T07:14:00.001-05:00

AJ really needs to work on his negotiation skills...

Me: "AJ, you have 10 more minutes to play. Then it's time to put on pajamas and go to bed."
AJ: "No, Mommy. Just five minutes."
Me: "Okay, sweetheart."

Independence

2008-07-03T07:55:00.003-05:00

June was a busy month full of business and personal travel. We just returned from a short mini-vacation on Monday that I should have pictures of soon.

Our other progress has been kept on the "down-low" because I didn't want to jinx anything. On May 30th, AJ had his regular quarterly visit with the endocrinologist in the Medical Center. At this trip, we got to meet a different doctor. After going through a few questions about AJ's general health and development, the new doctor went away. He came back in a few minutes with AJ's regular specialist. They decided to take AJ off of his medication to see how he would do. We were to observe him and process new bloodwork after one month to see if his thyroid levels stayed in the normal range.

We took AJ to the lab for new blood tests on the day before we left for vacation. His follow-up appointment in the medical center was scheduled for yesterday.

The results are in -- ALL THYROID LEVELS ARE IN THE NORMAL RANGE!

This is big, people! AJ's hypothyroidism is the only lingering effect from his prematurity that he was still being treated for. All of the other myriad of specialists tracking this kid have already released him.

They still want to test him again in another month, but if everything stays normal, he could be completely off all meds.

If you ever doubt that prayer works, I have an amazingly cute, smart, HEALTHY kid I want to introduce to you...

It's Wednesday Again!

2008-06-25T07:57:00.002-05:00

So much for Wordless Wednesday. I didn't even realize until a few moments ago that it was even Wednesday already.

I was gone Wednesday through Friday of last week attending a convention in Las Vegas. LOTS of walking and 106 degree heat.

The weekend was a bit of organized chaos that included shampooing the carpet in three rooms, shampooing the carpet in both vehicles, and a trip Sunday evening to the Emergency Room.

We will be leaving on a mini-vacation tomorrow, so this Wednesday will be filled with packing and last minute errands. Then it's off to Louisiana for food and sightseeing...we'll be back on Monday evening.

Headache

2008-06-23T08:51:00.002-05:00

AJ was very cuddly yesterday because he didn't feel well. He kept grabbing at his forehead and the back of his neck and crying. During one of his better moments, he touched the top of his head and said, "Mommy, what's that?" I replied, "That's your head."

Then he touched the front and asked again, "Then what's that?"

I replied, "That's your forehead."

His next question?

"Mommy, why I have four heads?"

My Dad: The Hero

2008-06-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

My parents' next door neighbor is caring for her twenty-something son who has been a quadriplegic for only a couple of years. He operates his wheelchair with a "blow tube" and has become pretty independent. About a week ago, "J" got a little bored and decided to go over to my parents' property to sit by the pond and watch the ducks. We're not completely sure what happened, but "J" ended up going over the edge of the bank and down into the water - face first! Being strapped to his wheelchair meant that even the water could not float him free.

My father happened to go outside and heard the cries for help. All he could see was "J"s face in the water. Dad ran across the yard and into the water. He managed to get "J" unstrapped from his wheelchair, and dragged him up onto the bank. Then Dad hurried to my aunt's house nearby and had her call 911.

(A little background on my father: He turned 71 years old the day after the incident and has survived multiple heart attacks over the past 30 years...the exertion in the water and trying to make it to my aunt's house naturally got him VERY winded and out of breath. My aunt's immediate reaction was that Dad was having another heart attack.)

Anyway, my aunt called 911 and the fire trucks and ambulances soon arrived to check everyone out. My poor mother arrived home from work to find her driveway filled with emergency vehicles...you can imagine her gut reaction...

Everyone seems to be okay. But we thank God that my Dad came outside in time to help. And that's just what he usually does - help others. He's been a great example to me and now to AJ.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! We love you and are very proud of you!

Wordless Wednesday - Man-eating Shark?

2008-06-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe not exactly "man"...

More words of wisdom - AJ style

2008-06-02T07:49:00.003-05:00

"Phones don't go in cars. Phones are for doctors; they're not for little kids' parents."

"Mars have bocanos (volcanoes). Bocanos are very hot."

While waiting at a downtown bus stop...
AJ: "There's our bus!"
Daddy: "Nope. That one says U.S. Marshalls on it. Definitely NOT our bus."
AJ: "There's our bus!"
Daddy: "Nope. That's a beer truck."
AJ: "I wanna ride the beer truck."
Daddy: "You can't ride the beer truck, son."
AJ: "Why?"

Yes, we have officially entered the dreaded "why" zone! According to the developmental charts, the "why" stage starts at around 4 years old. Leave it to MY kid to find that one to be advanced in....I think it would make me less insane if he believed me when I told him "I don't know". But he argues with me, convinced that I must be holding out on him. If I just make something up, he tells me I'm wrong, and tells me what HIS version is.

I just can't win...

Another Wordless Wednesday

2008-05-28T07:40:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday - 90 Point Ride...

2008-05-21T07:15:00.003-05:00

Out of the mouths of babes

2008-05-20T07:35:00.002-05:00

I am really getting a kick these days out of AJ's interpretation and ways of saying things. You know...the concept is there, but it's just a little bit off...

For example, this is AJ's version of "Jesus Loves Me":
*singing*
"Jesus loves me
Yes He know
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones can be strong...
Hurray!

Little ones, little ones, little ones...
Bible, Bible, Bible...
Jesus, Jesus, Jeeee sssuuuuss..."

And "This Little Piggy Went to Market":
*singing*
"Baby Baby
Went to market
To see the little town and stuff."

At the rodeo this weekend, he was cracking us up by cheering for the calves during the roping competitions...
*yelling*
"Run, baby cow, run! That man is gonna git you!"
"Mommy, that farmer's not berry nice..."
"That's a bad horse right there!"

Wordless Wednesday

2008-05-14T05:00:00.002-05:00

TEQUILA!

Where's AJ?

2008-05-13T08:07:00.003-05:00

So we were cooking dinner and cleaning house and other such evening activities when we heard the toilet seat go up. We looked around and didn't see AJ anywhere. I walk toward the hallway and find AJ (in the dark), shorts around his ankles, lifting the toilet seat. He paused, then turned a walked (shorts still around ankles) to retrieve a stool from in front of the sink. He carried the stool to the toilet, turned around, stripped from the waist down, and climbs up to sit on the toilet.

I walked to the bathroom door and asked if he needed the light on. He answered affirmatively and told me to go away.

In case you weren't paying attention....my little boy TOOK. HIMSELF. TO. THE. POTTY. WITHOUT. ASSISTANCE.

Happy dances and high-fives all around! This is HUGE, people!

On the road again

2008-05-12T08:32:00.003-05:00

AJ was well enough for me to keep my business trip to Dallas on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. We will leave after work on Thursday to go up to East Texas to visit my parents for a long weekend.

AJ starts swimming lessons on June 2nd. For the first two weeks he has to go every day. The second week of June, Hubby will be a delegate to the Texas State Republican Convention. The third week of June, I have another business trip - this time for three days in Las Vegas.

I'm already tired. I can understand why AJ took a 3 1/2 hour nap yesterday afternoon.

On the other hand, now that Hubby has his own blog, I can leave town without fear of my blog being hijacked!

Hope to have more fun pictures soon...

Late-night Adventure

2008-05-03T07:48:00.002-05:00

NOTE to SELF: Do not be surprised if child given dose of Epinephrine at 1:45am is still VERY wired and active at 3:30am. Also do not be shocked if said child wakes up again as soon as the sun wakes up...

AJ started wheezing and having trouble breathing at around 12:30 last night. I gave him the first breathing treatment that he has needed in over a year, but it didn't seem to help. After a couple of minutes observing him, I went in to wake up Daddy. Daddy came in to check it out, AJ barked a cough at him, and we got dressed for a trip to the emergency room.

It appears that AJ has croup again. You may recall the other time he had this problem. He was six months old, and it was our first trip out of town since he was released from the NICU. We were in a very small town in South Texas, and he had to be hospitalized for 2 1/2 days...

We were discharged at 3:00am this morning with prescriptions for steroids and more breathing treatments to do for the next five days. He sang songs and talked to himself all the way home. I swear the kid was high. He woke me up at 7:00am wanting to watch cartoons. Every time he coughs now, he covers his mouth and tells me he doesn't need anymore medicine. It's going to be a long week. We have discovered that AJ on steroids means no sleep. No sleep for AJ means no sleep for Mommy...

Learning to Share

2008-05-01T20:32:00.003-05:00

Quick story...

We went out to eat Saturday night. AJ appointed himself as the official "giver of the straws". After everyone at the table had a straw, AJ had some left over. He stood up on his chair, held up a straw and yelled, "Does anyone want this?"

Wordless Wednesday

2008-04-30T07:35:00.002-05:00

ROCK THE HOUSE, LITTLE DUDE!

Out of the mouths of babes

2008-04-25T07:25:00.003-05:00

Things seen and overheard recently:

On the way to take Hubby to the airport to leave town on a medical emergency, we were listening to KSBJ on the radio and singing along. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw AJ sitting in his carseat, head bowed, eyes closed, and holding up his "prayer hands"...and he seems to always be making up songs. Usually I can't understand anything that he is singing except "worship you"..."Jesus"..."love you God", etc.

(As we were pulling into the church parking lot)
AJ: "Mommy, are we gonna go to church and sing and praise Jesus?"

A couple of weeks ago, our choir director's three-year-old son brought his guitar to church so he could show it to the guys in the church band. After the service, we started looking for him and AJ. We found the two of them on the stage..."JM" was playing his guitar... AJ was holding a microphone and singing... both of them were dancing. They were completely oblivious to everyone else watching them from the back of the sanctuary. Unfortunately, no one had a camera with them to catch the moment.

(Mommy and AJ are reading a book about bugs and animals.)
AJ: "What's that?"
Me: "That's a dragonfly."
AJ: "I eat those."
Me: "Oh really! What do dragonflies taste like?"
AJ: "Tastes like chicken."
(NOTE: I then had to go pick Daddy up off the floor...)

(On the way to the car one afternoon, AJ got distracted and started dawdling...)
Daddy (yelling across the parking lot): "Come on, son! Move your tail!"
AJ (stops, looks behind him, and yells back): "Daddy, I don't have a tail. I got a BUTT!"

(This morning. From the back seat, 6:00am on the way to school)
AJ: "One Sunday morning, Thomas the Tank Engine got bigger. He went faster and faster over the mountains and went to his house."
(A block later...)
AJ: "Bunny rabbit...hairy...hairy...big...big hairy bunny rabbits."
Hubby (mumbling from the front seat: "at least it's rabbits and not spiders."
AJ: "Spiders. The big hairy spider had some food and went to bed."
(Apparently AJ has better hearing that Hubby may have suspected...)
Hubby: "You're checking the bed before I get in it tonight."