A message from AJ's Dad

Cindy has always said that she would give me the password and let me post on her blog if I wanted to. I've never felt like I have had anything important enough to say until now. However, it is midnight on Saturday morning and my family is currently sound asleep. I however, am wide awake and I have been forced to hack into Cindy's blog account because I have something important to say.

This weekend is my high school class' 20th anniversary reunion. This really doesn't interest me very much as I have not kept up with very many people from high school. Actually, I have kept up with only one person. My high school class had something like over 500 members in it. And only one of these was ever important enough to me to keep up with. At any rate, my friend asked me to come out to an unofficial reunion event tonight at the Firehouse Saloon. Since I do not get many opportunities to spend with my fried as he lives in the Dallas area now I obliged, despite the fact that I never cared for the "bar scene" even in my younger days.

Now as any of you that I have attended one of these events is aware everyone that you run into (whether they know or knew you or not) feels obliged to ask, "What have you been up to?" Yeah, like I am going to give you the history of my past 20 years. I don't even remember your name. Nevertheless, as some point during the evening and amongst the conversations I was forced to ponder what has happened to me over the past 20 years.

Has my life turned out as I expected it to? Am I where I wanted to be by this time in my life? Have I acheived my goals?

Again, if you have attended any of these events I would be willing to bet you can answer some of these questions in a very similar manner that I can. In case you are interested, my answer to all three of the above questions is a resounding no. However, the answer to the more important question is a resounding YES. What is that question? Am I happy with my life?

Over the past 20 years I have had many experiences. Some good and many not so good. In fact, my life has not turned out at all the way I expected. And I am nowhere near where I thought I would be. I don't know if I have acheived my goals. I must admit that I was never sure what my goals were.

But I am very happy with my life. I am not rich and successful (at least in the way that the world defines these phrases) by any stretch of the imagination. Like most of you I have had to scratch and claw my way to where I am today. But I am here and I have done it (to quote Frank Sinatra) my way. But most of all I have two things that nobody from my high school class, none of you, and in fact nobody else in the entire world will ever have.

This leads me to the reason I have hacked into Cindy's account.

Several years ago I lost a somebody that was the most important thing in my life -- my mother. My mother was my best friend and my greatest cheerleader. Whatever I chose to do or not do my mother was there to support me. No offense to any of your mothers or any of you mothers, but my mother was simply the greatest in the world. You would have to know the entire history to know why and I don't have time to tell you. This is already getting long. Now you are probably wondering about something that I lost. Because as is His way God took something valuable away from me only to replace it with something even better.

My wife has become my one and only cheerleader. She is there to support me in anything that I choose to do or not do. Best of all, no matter what happens my wife is always there to love me, comfort me and be with me. She truly has become my help mate and my confidant. She is my wife and my best friend. And nobody in the entire world will ever have my wife. She is mine and only mine - and I hers.

Cindy and I have been through some great time over the last several years. We have also been through some of the hardest times of our lifes together. Those of you that have been reading Cindy's post for a long time know what those hardest times are. If you don't you are going to dig back into the archives to find out because it is a long story and this is already getting long.

Nevertheless, I have one more thing that nobody in the world will ever have. I have one possesssion that is more valuable than all the gold ever found, lost, and to be found in the world. That one thing is my son, AJ. It has been nearly 3 years since AJ entered our lifes. In those three years I have experienced times that have put my faith in God to the test and I have received blessings beyond my imagination. This evening, before I left AJ brought me a few books to read to him. I read the books to him, albeit begrudingly at the time. In fact, I now feel guilty about this. These moments that I spent with the little guy are so priceless, when he looks at me and says, "I love you too, Daddy" I realize that every experience that I have ever had in my life, every path that I have been down as been to be this little boy's daddy. This is the job I was meant to have and this is the job that I embrace. I am proud to be AJ's Dad! And nobody else can ever say that.

However, I also look at AJ and I grow frightened. Frightened that I can not live up to the expecations that AJ has of me. Frightened by the very job that I embrace and love. But that leads me to the last thing that I have. But this thing is free to everyone. I have a Lord and Saviour that will always stand with me to guide and counsel me with the wisdom to do this job. A God that has promised me all the riches of Heaven and Earth. Afterall, it is the Father God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit that has led me through all these experiences to bring me to here. To this place that I love and that I am happy with.

I am richer than any of you can be because I have Cindy and AJ. Nevertheless, I pray that every Daddy out there can be as rich as I am.

Cindy and AJ: This is meant for both of you to know how much I love both of you -- and I want everyone to know. Thanks for being my family!

Now, this has gotten pretty long already. If you will excuse me I need to email my wife the new password to her account so she can continue to bring you her Adventures in Toddlerhood. Thank you for allowing me to ramble on about my blessings and my family.

So THAT"s what a navel is for!

After bath and before bedtime last night, AJ was cuddling with me in my chair. He decided he wanted me to read his "Jesus book" again. About halfway through the book, he tells me he wants to go to Jesus' house. "I 'na see Jesus house, mommy."

I pointed to his little chest and told him that Jesus lives in there. In his heart.

AJ lifted up his shirt, pointed to his navel, and asked me if Jesus went in through his belly button!

Now THAT'S classic!

Elmo is Zeus

AJ seems to like his Spanish class every week at school. Yesterday as we were driving down the road, AJ kept repeating, "Hola, amigas" over and over again. We were on our way to church, so this was often interspersed with "I wanna see Jesus. I go to Jesus house."

So we started playing with him on other phrases. You know, to stop the monotony or obsessive repetition....So Daddy tried to get him to say, "Te amo". Things progressed, and eventually we hear "Elmo is Zeus!" from the back seat.

Elmo is Zeus = Te amo, Jesus

Makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

Just Fooling Around

Had to take AJ to the doctor today. He has a bad sinus infection. I'm too lazy to write anything, so I'm unloading the camera....

Milestones and Jay Coes

This is my 100th post! Start the fireworks!

AJ has been speaking so well lately that I tend to forget that I still have issues with his enunciation. He woke me up by whimpering in the middle of the night on Monday. When I went into his room, he was sitting on the edge of his bed. He looked up at me and said, "Jay Coes. I want Jay Coes." Huh? I patted him on the head, told him everything was okay, and tried to get him to lie back down. "Mommy, I want Jay Coes." Again, I'm getting nothing. Haven't the foggiest idea what the child is talking about. After repeating it a few more times, I got down on my knees to give him a hug, and realized he had pee'd on himself. AHA! Got it! "Dry clothes, baby? You want some dry clothes?" "Uh huh."

I peeled his wet pajama bottoms off and put on fresh underwear. He was perfectly happy, and went back to sleep....

Last night he saw a picture of a rocket in outer space in a book and has now decided he wants to ride a rocket. Not any rocket, mind you. A RED rocket. And he wants to go to the sun, the moon, and Saturn. He wants to take Chicken Little to a spaceship and meet some aliens...

Okay, sweetie, I'll work on that for you.

Fun Friday

Today was AJ's quarterly visit to the endocrinologist for his thyroid testing. Poor baby now recognizes the lobby of the Memorial Hermann Professional Building, and starts pouting and whimpering when you take him in the door. His quarterly visits require a trip to the lab where a parent (Daddy) has to hold him while the nurse draws two vials of blood from the tiny arm of the screaming toddler. He did really well today; was quite the brave soldier.

AJ now weighs 25.2 pounds and is 35 inches tall. This sounds great until you realize he is going to be three years old in another 2 1/2 months. Poor scrawny kid...but considering the size he started out, he's actually pretty big.

Speaking of "scrawny"....Hubby has been on a diet for the past month. He measures portions carefully, counts calories and fiber intake, keeps a detailed online food journal, and has begun exercising. We have the "Dance Dance Revolution" game for PS2. It has a nice workout mode that we think is a lot more fun than "real" exercise. It tracks how many calories you are buring while dancing. Well, he has lost over 12 pounds since he started. This afternoon when we got back from the medical center and obligatory guilt trip to the zoo afterwards, Hubby carried a tired toddler back into the house. When he put AJ down, he stood up and his pants FELL COMPLETELY DOWN AROUND HIS ANKLES! Tee heee....I could barely get out of the car to come in the house because I was laughing so hard... He's doing really well at keeping with his program. He worked off 2,000 calories last night after we got home, and is going at it again right now while I blog.

I took some funny video of one of these nightly workouts that I need to figure out how to post. We have an older dance mat that is not connected to the PS2 that we lay down for AJ while we are working out. AJ loves to dance along next to Daddy...it's very cute.

All dressed up and no place to go

This is not the first time this has happened. It looks really cute, but could be a little disturbing if he keeps it up.

Today when we picked up AJ from school, we walked into his classroom, and he came running toward us wearing a frilly, organza, princess dress! His teachers told us that he picked it out himself, and put it on all by himself.

The child can't seem to get himself dressed in the mornings, but he can put on a pretty dress! Here I thought we were making progress because he has started being able to pull his pants up by himself after he goes to the potty....guess that's not as glamorous as cross-dressing....

Deep Thoughts

A very well-rested 33-month old (after a FOUR HOUR nap) just wanted to cuddle with me yesterday evening. He had many deep and meaningful things to say...

AJ: "God tell me..."

Me: "What did God tell you, sweetie?"

AJ: "God tell me....ummm...Jesus...Jesus love me"

Me: "God told you that Jesus loves you?"

AJ: "Uh-huh."

Me: "That's very nice. What else did God tell you?"

AJ: "uuummmm......God tell me......read my book!"

Me: (astonished at the possibilities of where this conversation was heading) "Really?! What's in the book?"

AJ: "uuhhhh................THOMAS!"

(I'm pretty sure now that he wasn't talking about one of the disciples..)


Oh well....this morning when Daddy and I went to wake him up for school, Daddy asked him "who loves you?"
AJ's answer? "God"
Daddy: "Who else?"
AJ: "Jesus"
Daddy (clearly looking for a different answer) : "Who else loves AJ?"
AJ: ".....my friends"
Daddy (clearly AJ is not taking the hint) : "Anyone else?"
Mommy (helpfully, in a low whisper) : "mommy..."
AJ (whispering back to Daddy) : "Mommy!"

I WIN!

Things that disturbed me today

I read some news stories today that really disturbed me.

- A 19 year old girl with a 4-month old baby...TAPED THE PACIFIER TO THE BABY'S FACE so she wouldn't keep spitting it out. The baby died. The mother told police that she didn't realize that it would hurt the baby to do this. She also told them that she usually swaddled the baby up in a blanket, but the blanket was lost, so she used pajamas to tie the baby's arms down close to his body. See the story..

- A waitress at an Applebee's restaurant accidentally filled a toddler's sippy cup with a margarita instead of apple juice. The baby naturally got very sick.

- A 5-year old boy in New York took some heroin to school and passed it out to his friends thinking it was candy because it was stamped with a smiley face. Six children had to be hospitalized.

We live in a scary, sick world...

Late on FUN MONDAY

I'm a day late on the Fun Monday assignment. This week we were supposed to post pictures of stuff we have hanging on our walls.

The guest bedroom is completely "Gone With The Wind". These are just a few of the items hanging in that room.

I also collect old advertising. The breakfast room and kitchen are decorated with old ads and the antique tins.

Totally off the subject

I had a blast on Saturday at MamaDramaConQueso, and met some really great people (hi Margaret, Catazon, Heather, Min, and Jenny!) Since Margaret is getting married soon, the conversation moved to wedding dresses. After describing my dress, I was ordered to post some pictures of it. I couldn't find the pictures that were taken inside the Wortham Center foyer, but here are a few others that kind of show just how long and heavy this dress really was.....

(Note: Here is me doing my very best "Princess Di" walk...)

(A view from the side...)

(This shot was mainly about the flowers, but you can sort of see some of the beading detail around the neckline and sleeves...)

P.S. Tee hee...I still managed to pull this assignment off without actually having to post a picture of myself....

Elmo britches

AJ has now gone an entire week without any Pull-ups AT ALL! He doesn't even wear them to bed at night. He has only had one night-time accident (early in the week). He is waking up dry every morning. Huge realization - I DON'T EVER HAVE TO BUY DIAPERS OR PULL-UPS AGAIN! That's like getting a big raise!

We went last weekend and bought AJ some new underwear. He's so small it's hard to find his size. The only ones we could find had Elmo on them. Daddy calls them AJ's "Elmo britches". I asked him this morning to please not call them that in front of AJ. AJ doesn't do very well with compound consonants, so I'm sure AJ would be asking for his "Elmo bitches". NOT GOOD. Let's just stick with "undies" or "underwear".

Daddy has been teaching 1st and 2nd graders at VBS all week. What a great form of birth control!

I have been dealing with uproar at work all week. I was offered a position with a different company. My current employer found out, and FREAKED out. I have to write myself my new dream job description and have it ready on Monday....the most exciting part about it?....I should now be able to afford to have someone come in to clean the house again twice a month. WOO HOO!

Tomorrow I will be meeting (partying) with several local bloggers at what has been christened "MamaDramaConQueso". Should be a blast! Then we're all going to Stephanie's house for Bethany's first birthday party. Saturday night will consist of a surprise bay shower for one of Hubby's coworkers....full day!

I should have lots of new stories next week.

A giant leap for Toddlerkind

AJ has woken up dry every morning this week. He hasn't had any accidents at school all week. So we decided this morning that maybe it's time for the Pull-Ups to go away. Yeah, I know I may be washing sheets pretty often, but I'm ready to give it a shot. Two evenings in a row now, AJ has told me that he needs to poop BEFORE he actually does it. And we've made it to the bathroom in time to actually poop in the toilet. Yippeee! He's getting to be such a big boy. I'm proud of him, Daddy is proud of him, and AJ is proud of himself. When he gets praised, his little face just lights up.

I'm boring

Hubby told me my blog post yesterday was boring. Duh...My life is boring right now, so I can't find anything to write about.

Last night AJ pooped in the bathtub. He told me he wanted to go, but I couldn't pick up a wet baby out of the tub fast enough to put him on the potty. He has been dry all night for the past 3 nights, and yesterday he actually came home in the same clothes he went to school in. That means NO ACCIDENTS! And no laundry needed. He has only had 2 accidents in the past week. I call this major progress, people!

Gratuitous toddler picture...

Toddler in a box!

Hug a Child

Today I am battling between sad and angry. I just don't understand all of these horrible news stories over the past few weeks of people injuring or killing little kids. How do you get to the point that you put your tiny baby into a microwave oven and turn it on? How do you get to the point that you hang your FOUR young babies in the closet! I somewhat (but not really) understand the people who leave their sleeping toddler at home alone while they run out for just a few minutes to take care of something, then return home to find their child dead and their house on fire. When did we as "adults" lose control of our common sense and reason? Are we so caught up and stressed out in our own lives that we have lost sense of how helpless a small child is? How they depend on us to care for them? How to keep our tempers in check enough to take a breath and calm down before picking them up and shaking them until they are permanently brain damaged?

Do people honestly think that since Andrea Yates got away with drowning all of her children that they can do the same? I am very happy I waited until later in life to have my son. I cannot imagine being in my early 20's, single, having no idea how to raise a child, but having to do it regardless. Yes I get mad and frustrated at the toddler temperament and stubbornness, but I have learned to separate myself -- give myself a "time out" -- until I calm down and realize that he is still learning, still exploring his boundaries, and learning to express himself.

And then he does express himself. He'll come up to me, put his hands on both sides of my face, lean in and kiss me, and say "I love you, Mommy", and giggle. Then I know that I'm doing okay.

Wanna get away?

We have set up another group cruise leaving Galveston, Texas on February 4, 2008. It's a 5-day run to Progreso and Cozumel, Mexico. We have gotten a great rate of $317 per person for interior cabins and $367 for ocean view. You will also receive a $50 on-board credit (per cabin). This can be used for alcoholic drinks, shopping, photos, spa treatments, etc. The first two passengers in each cabin will also receive a free collapsible tote bag, perfect for carrying home those souvenirs! A $25 per person deposit to hold a space is due by June 15th.

If you're interested in joining us for a big party, leave a comment or check out the link to our flyer....
http://papaaj.com/uploads/PapaAJ_BDay_Cruise.pdf

Who writes this stuff?

It has occurred to me that very disturbed people must write children's songs and nursery rhymes. Here are some scary themes that I heard on just one of AJ's CD's yesterday:

1. Chopping the tails off of blind mice.
2. Dying from eating a rotten peanut.
3. Cribs (with babies inside) falling out of trees.
4. Old women eating flies, spiders, birds, cats, dogs, horses, and dying from it.
5. Crows pecking off some woman's nose.
6. Bribing the baby to stop crying by offering presents.
7. Songs encouraging toddlers to hold up their middle finger and "talk" with it.
8. Sexual harassment on the playground (Georgie Porgie kissed the girls and made them cry).
9. Six in a bed.
10. And don't get me started on the 3 grown men together in the bathtub...

We're baaaacccckkkk

Whew! I need a vacation to recuperate from my vacation... On Saturday before the ship left, we spent the day at South Shore Harbour Resort relaxing by the pool before meeting an old college friend of mine for dinner at the Kemah Boardwalk. Much fun was had by all, and AJ doesn't seem to be afraid of the water anymore. He had a blast jumping off the side into Daddy's arms.

On a side note -- while we were in Kemah, we ran into the parents of one of AJ's NICU friends. Caitlyn was born a couple of days before AJ and they were in the Level 3 nursery together. We would talk to her parents every night during visiting hours. Poor little Caitlyn was doing great until she developed a staph infection and was put into isolation. We found out later that Caitlyn never recovered and never got to go home with her parents. On a happier note, her parents had another little girl that following Christmas who was full-term (thanks to Mom's weekly injections to fight early labor) and is absolutely adorable! It was heart-warming to see their success...

Anyway...we were to board the ship in Galveston on Sunday in time to have lunch onboard. Unfortunately, their check-in computer system went down, leaving us sitting in line on the hot gangway for over an hour.

Monday was good. Lying by the pool, playing some games...it was formal night and we took some family portraits (to be posted later).

Tuesday the battery in our in-cabin safe went out so we couldn't get anything out until it was repaired.

Wednesday - Montego Bay, Jamaica. Fun in the sun at the Rose Hall Beach Resort. AJ had a blast playing in the water, and we got some really good pictures.

Thursday - Georgetown, Grand Cayman. I went on an excursion on the Atlantis submarine which took us out to the edge of the coral reef that Grand Cayman sits on, then dropped down 115 feet under the water. I shot some really good video of this, including the shipwreck that we passed. AJ and Daddy went to the Butterfly Farm and had another beach break. They were bored with the butterflies after just a few minutes. At the beach, Daddy lost the camera. It apparently floated out of his pocket and is somewhere in the Carribbean. In the process of changing AJ's clothes to get on the bus back to the ship, he also left AJ's swim trunks and new t-shirt in the sink of the restrooms.

Friday - Cozumel, Mexico. One word - HOT! No, make that two words - CROWDED! Note to self, do not book a beach excursion in Mexico in May. After we returned to the ship, I booked a "Ladies Night Out" special at the spa. It included: full body exfoliation, sauna, steam room, mini facial, milk protein hair conditioning treatment, eye toner, and shoulder and neck massage. It lasted 2 hours and only cost $59.

Saturday - Fun Day at sea. Ten of us had a very nice dinner at the reservations-only supper club on the upper deck to celebrate a family birthday.

Now it's back to reality. The next group is leaving on the Carnival Ecstasy on February 4, 2008! Making plans now...

Is it so wrong?

Is it so wrong that I am about to leave on my 3rd cruise in 6 months? I REALLY need this vacation...
Hubby and I have started a new business -- we are now travel agents on top of our full-time jobs and parenting a headstrong 2-year old. I'm exhausted, but it's kinda fun. We've had some successes lately, and look like we may be able to grow this someday to hopefully more than a hobby. Keep us in mind when you need a break~

AJ mas made MAJOR progress on the potty-training front. The Friday before we left for the funeral, he decided to start going pee pee standing up. This is working much better. We have had several days now with only one sometimes 2 accidents a day. YIPPEE! I'm so looking forward to the raise I will get by not having to buy diapers or pull-ups.

It's pretty hysterical to watch, though. He stands in front of his potty chair, pants around his ankles, leaned over with both hands on the wall in front of him. It looks like he is ready to be frisked by the cops. When he finishes doing his business, he pushes down the lid on the potty, stands on the top of it, and does a little victory dance. Then he climbs down and announces "I wanna prize!" VERY glad the whole "potty prize pack" thing is so successful.

So, now that he is trained, AJ will be allowed in the swimming pools on board the ship next week. He'll enjoy that.

Thirteen of us will be leaving Galveston on the Carnival Conquest on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday are sea days. Wednesday we are in Jamaica, Thursday in Grand Cayman, and Friday in Cozumel. Saturday is another sea day. Back in Galveston on Sunday.

Daddy and son have matching t-shirts to wear when we board the ship on Sunday. Since Daddy is an IT (Computer) guy, his says "Version 1.0". AJ's shirt reads "Version 2.0". Cute, huh?

So I will be out of touch again for a while...but hope to have great pictures upon my return.

Have a great week.

Gotta take the bad with the good

AJ had a fantastic day at school yesterday! He went an entire 24 hour day without having an accident. He made it to the potty every time. Unfortunately, we got a phone call from the school late in the afternoon that AJ appears to have pink eye. Yippee...I took him to the doctor this morning. He definitely has conjunctivitis, but his cough has also gotten to the point that he is back on 2 breathing treatments a day for the next 5 days.

Luckily, he doesn't act like he feels bad. He just won't.take.a.nap.today! I'm not getting anything done....

Getting Ready for Vacation

We are leaving on Mother's Day for another 7-day cruise. It's on the same ship we cruised on in November, going to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. There are 14 of us going this time, so it should be a blast. Before we can go, however, there are certain things that must be taken care of....if Jenny at MamaDrama can have her 2-year old daughter doing chores inside the house, it is time we put AJ to work with some more productive chores.

Let's start with the yardwork...

Better late than never

Okay okay okay....I KNOW I am late getting the Easter pictures and stories posted. We have been so incredibly busy. Here goes...

It was cold and rainy outside on Easter weekend, so everything had to be done indoors. We decided to let AJ color his own eggs for the first time. He discovered that if you squeeze them, they make a lovely cracking noise. We ended up with only 5 unbroken eggs. Thank goodness for the plastic ones I could fill with candy. The egg coloring kit I bought came with little religious stickers to put on the eggs after they were colored. AJ particularly liked the picture of Jesus. We put that one on an egg. He kept picking up that egg, hugging it, and saying "I love you Jesus". Until he hugged Jesus a little too hard and discovered the aforementioned cracking sound. He also had a bit of a problem waiting for them to dry and kept picking up the wet eggs and dropping them into the colors again.

Packet of Roses...Fall Down

AJ has learned how to play "ring around the rosey". He grabs my hands and goes around in a circle, singing "Packet of roses....packet of roses....ashes....FALL DOWN!" and throws himself on the ground. It's really cute.

On another note...AJ only had 3 accidents all day long yesterday. He had one in the morning before leaving for the doctor's office, another one at 5:00pm, and the last one around 6:30pm. YEA! I think we are making progress. Daddy started the "potty prize pack" on Saturday. It's a bag of treats (candy, stickers and such). AJ gets to have something out of the bag anytime he goes tee-tee on the potty.

Let them be little

I have recently rediscovered this song, and it still makes me smile sadly. Enjoy:

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.
You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.
How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.
Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon.

So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

I never felt so much in one little tender touch.
I live for those kisses, your prayers an' your wishes.
An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see.
Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is:

Please, let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

The so innocent, precious soul:
You turn around, an' it's time to let them go.

Let them be little

If you would like to hear this song performed, click on this link:
www.hit-country-music-lyrics.com/Billy-Dean-little.html

Happy Anniversary

Today is the 8th anniversary of me meeting my hubby in person for the first time. If that sounds a little odd worded like that, it's because we met first on the Internet. Neither of us were looking for anything more than friendship at the time, but, oh well...best intentions? We had messaged, emailed, and talked on the phone several times for about a month. Then we decided to meet in person after work one Friday evening. It was decided that we would meet at the Joe's Crab Shack on the Loop near the Astrodome. Unfortunately (bright people that we are) we had neglected to come up with a way to recognize the other person. We stood in the parking lot not more than 6 feet from each other for about 20 minutes before actually speaking and figuring it out....DUH! We went inside, had dinner, and talked for almost FOUR HOURS! This is particularly amazing considering that we were sitting in the middle of a popular restaurant on a Friday night, and no one pressured us to leave.

We parted as friends, and built on that until our first kiss on July 29th. There have been ups and downs, many adventures, and a precious son....Thank you sweetie, for being such a good man, a good father, and a good example for keeping our family close to God. We are truly blessed.

Like Driving through the Zoo

First let me clarify where I live. I live in an unincorporated part of Harris County that lies between Houston and Katy. Across the street from my subdivision is Katy. One mile away on the other side is considered Houston. I am 3 miles north of Interstate 10. I am NOT in the boonies by any stretch of the imagination...but on my way to work this morning at 6am, I almost hit a bobcat and two deer with my car! The bobcatwas first and shot out across the road. The two deer ran out and stopped in the middle of the road a mile or so later. Luckily I wasn't going very fast and was able to stop until they passed.

Isn't this the wrong time of the year for me to be seeing wildlife in the city?

Third Time is the Charm

At last the senseless killing has stopped. We went out this weekend and bought another fish (for those keeping count, this is #3). Fred Cubed seems to be taking quite nicely to his new home and is even eating regularly. We have surpassed the old record of keeping a Betta alive for a little over 48 hours. Yea!

By the way, we found out when we bought Cubed that there is a 14-day guarantee on the fish. Maybe they should have mentioned that to us before.....hmmm?

More Misc Ramblings

I have been terrible about posting lately. Things have been incredibly busy at work. And since I was made Operations Manager in February, I haven't seen the top of my desk. I'm irritated pretty much on a daily basis about my job and the people there, and spend much of the day wanting to either crawl under my desk and hide or bang my head repeatedly against the wall.

During this time, AJ decided to spend a week as Satan's spawn. I was spending my lunchtime every day on the phone with his teacher trying to figure out where all of the aggression was coming from. Hubby and I already didn't much like this teacher. We think she has unrealistic expectations for what 2 and under kids can do. Admit it, they don'y have much of an attention span...She doesn't think AJ respects her as an authority figure. He ignores her, tells her no all the time, and doesn't listen. Hmmm....two?Park his little butt in time out until he does what he is told. He doesn't listen at home all the time either.

Well, yesterday we found out that this teacher is moving to the other location starting on Monday. AJ's new lead teacher seems really good. And doesn't seem like she'll take any crap off of anyone -- least of all a two-year-old. She has kids and grandkids of her own. This ain't her first rodeo! She told me this morning, that AJ hasn't been aggressive this week, he hasn't been climbing all over the furniture, and he doesn't yell at her. YEA! My good little boy is back!

AJ has gone to school every day this week in big boy underwear. He is averaging 3-4 accidents per day at school. He still gets distracted playing and doesn't remember to tell anyone when he needs to go potty. But yesterday afternoon, his teachers went looking for him and found him in the bathroom. He had taken himself to the potty. And he stayed dry the whole time we were out for dinner and errands last night. Folks, this is PROGRESS!

We seem to be losing a little momentum on the March of Dimes WalkAmerica efforts, but the team is still doing well. I'm really looking forward to this year's event. We have some new team members that I can't wait to meet and spend time with.

It's going to be a busy weekend. We have AJ's school party today at 2pm. I have to be at church for sound check at 6pm. Service at 7pm. I still have MAJOR house cleaning to do before Sunday afternoon. And I have to pick up a few more items at the grocery store. Tomorrow morning we are all volunteering at the church's Spring Festival. We'll get home in time for AJ's nap. I can get some cleaning done then. We're going to let AJ color his own Easter eggs this year. I'm thinking that little project is best left for the garage. I think he'll have fun. Sunday I have to be at the church very early for sound check, then singing for both services. We will have 8 people for Easter dinner at our house on Sunday afternoon. Then, we'll hide some eggs in the backyard for AJ to hunt.

Okay, this is getting way too long....I need to get some work done so I can leave early today. Besides, hubby keeps telling me every day that my posts are boring...

Joining the music bandwagon

I wasn't officially tagged for the "music I'm listening to" meme, but I'll throw mine into the mix anyway. First let me confess, I have VERY eclectic taste in music.

1. Jonathan Stockstill is very high on my list right now. We have been working on quite a bit of his stuff in choir, and I just love it.

2. Anything by Lou Bega is fine with me. He's fun and makes you want to dance.

3. The soundtrack and libretto to "Phantom of the Opera". Andrew Lloyd Weber is truly a genius.

4. Brian Setzer Orchestra - What can I say? I just love me some swing music, old or new.

5. Trace Adkins - his baritone voice is just awesome, and he also sings some really fun songs.

6. Harry Connick, Jr. - yum

7. The Best of Country Sing the Best of Disney. I love Allison Kraus' version of "Baby Mine". I like to cuddle with AJ and sing it to him. It always makes me want to cry.

Okay, I know I was only supposed to list seven things, but I couldn't leave out the magic that is Jean Michel Jarre "Rendez-vous". I got hooked on his stuff when I was in college and they held the first "Power of Houston" event downtown. That was 1986. Cool stuff.

I miss my itty-bitty

AJ is a such a big boy now. I kind of miss my little squirt who smeared food everywhere and liked to sleep on me (no, wait, he still does those things). It's different now. He doesn't like to cuddle quite as much anymore; he's much too independent.

I came across some pictures today that made me miss my itty bitty boy...

And, yes, he still likes to read a lot...

Truths About Real Moms

Stephanie over at MamaDrama has tagged me for a meme to disclose the truths about real moms. So, here goes. (Even though Stephanie must be sharing half of my brain, because she said EXACTLY what I was thinking..)

1. In response to "Real moms feel guilty most of the time" - I DO feel guilty that AJ spends so much time at school. But I feel guilty that sometimes I just need a "time out" from my own child. I feel guilty that I am so tired and overwhelmed most of the time that there is nothing left for my husband.

2. Real moms take care of everyone but themselves. Oh yeah, we talk a big game about going on diets and exercising more, but honestly there just aren't enough hours in the day. And we feel guilty if we take time for ourselves, because our family or our jobs seem to need constant attention. (See #1)

3. Real moms have clutter in their lives, dirty clothes in the hamper, and dust bunnies multiplying in the dark corners of the furniture. And honestly, most of the time, we are okay with that. We spend so little time with our children that, given the choice, we will choose having a tickle-fest over scrubbing the toilet anyday.

4. We have a tendency to judge other mothers. (Ok, maybe that's just me) We look at the people around us talking on the phone while trying to play with their babies, and we think how horrible that she won't just focus on her precious baby....or overweight kids stuffing themselves on junk while lying around in front of the TV.....I'll stop now before I really make myself look catty.

Question of the day

Why is it, with hundreds and hundreds of dollars of toys, my son gets the most enjoyment out of an empty laundry basket, an old T-shirt, and a pair of nail clippers?

Open letter to the vandal(s) in my neighborhood

Dear hoodlum:

I'm not sure why you decided to get your jollies by spray painting profanity on the back of our car while it was sitting in our driveway on Saturday night. Thank you, though, for only getting the paint on the window and not on the car itself. That made it much easier for my husband to waste his Sunday afternoon scraping paint off instead of spending quality time with our son. And by not damaging our paint job, you have only committed a Class C Misdemeanor. Congratulations on that achievement. I'm sure you'll do better next time.

Really...I know since I live at the end of a dead end street that makes me more of a target. What with less traffic and possibility of getting caught...When I move in a couple of years I will try to move onto a major thoroughfare. I apologize for leading you into temptation.

P.S. Might I suggest you get a dictionary? If you are going to paint profanity on a stranger's car, you could at least SPELL IT RIGHT! Geez....

Okay, so my kid is normal after all

Here is a reprint of an article I just found. Considering my two year old does each of these (sometimes all in the same day!), I found a little comfort...


Problem Child? Probably not.

Kenneth N. Condrell, Ph.D.Child Psychologist
I frequently run into new parents who are so distressed about something their toddler or preschooler has done that they become convinced that it’s the first sign of a serious problem. Again and again I find myself reassuring these fretful parents that their little one is normal. They sigh with relief, but they still seem puzzled about how such “odd” behavior can be par for the course.The fact of the matter is that perfectly normal 2- and 3-year-olds display a lot of seemingly strange behavior. To an inexperienced parent, this behavior often becomes cause for concern. “Do you think she’s becoming a brat?” I’m often asked. “Maybe my son is developing an obsessive-compulsive disorder,” another parent wonders. If a child has temper tantrums, her parents worry that he’ll become violent down the road. Parents of a bossy little girl may fear that she’s getting out of control.To help ease new parents’ concerns, I have compiled a list of typical behavior for 2- and 3-year-olds. As you read this I hope it reassures you that you’re not lacking as a parent—and that you’re not raising a future delinquent!Children this age throw their parents for a loop when they:

(1) Melt down when you deny an unreasonable request, like eating ice cream before dinner, taking home a puppy from the pet store or putting spaghetti in their milk.

(2) Suddenly disappear in a store for an impromptu game of hide-and-seek, sending you on a frantic search.

(3) Insist on wearing a particular outfit that’s not appropriate for the weather or so mismatched that it looks ridiculous.

(4) Have to have everything just so. This child repeatedly and meticulously lines up toys, making parents concerned that he or she has an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

(5) Experience unpredictable mood swings. One minute he’s happy and cooperative; the next he’s belligerent and uncooperative.

(6) Start using bad words despite the fact that neither parent swears.

(7) Break rules they followed the day before.

(8) Start defying you with a smile. For example, you ask your child to stay close at the mall and she runs away while you frantically chase her.

(9) Don’t anticipate the danger of walking into the street, climbing up on the cupboard or leaning back on a chair.

(10) Hit a playmate for no apparent reason.

(11) Become fearful and hysterical at the sight of a tiny bug, for example, or the prospect of getting in the bathtub.

(12) Ignore you and seem to go deaf when you give an order.

(13) Start crying hysterically over nothing and can’t be consoled—even after having a very pleasant, uneventful day.

(14) Become a very finicky eater, rejecting all but a select few foods at mealtime.

Does anything sound familiar on this list? It probably does, as many young children behave like this. Of course, when it’s your child, you tend to feel like a failure, as if you’ve done something wrong as a parent. Or, you worry that something’s wrong with your child.In all likelihood, neither scenario is true. At this age children exhibit a lot of unreasonable behavior, and it’s almost never a reflection on their parents’ parenting skills or some aberration in the child. If you’re a new parent, remember that your child is going through a phase that will soon pass. In the meantime, try not to become frustrated—and keep a cool head!

One Track Mind

Sometimes I wonder whether being a toddler is similar to having mild OCD. AJ just gets to fixated on one thing (or word) and just beats it to death. Repeating it over, and over, and over, and over, and OVER...

It's Wednesday. We have had a new phrase or word of the day every day so far.
Monday we went out to Katy Mills. We did not know that there was a carnival set up in the parking lot. We spent over an hour hearing nothing but, "I 'na see da ferr weel, I 'na see da ferr weel, I'na see da ferr weel, I 'NA SEE DA FERR WEEL..." You get the idea?It got so bad that I had to trick him as we were driving home. We went out the back side of the parking lot so we didn't have to pass the carnival again. However, it was still going to be visible from the entrance ramp. I sat in the back seat next to him, picked up a toy, and distracted him by making him look my direction instead of out the window....I'm so mean!

Tuesday after school we stayed outside to do some yardwork. The garbage collectors were running late yesterday, and didn't come down our street until about 5pm. AJ had never seen a garbage truck before and somewhat freaked out over the beeping noise it made while backing up. After a couple of minutes, he got used to the truck. New phrase for the next hour -- "I 'na garbig tuck...I 'na garbig tuck...I 'na garbig tuck....."

This morning for the entire way to school we hear THIS from the back seat, "hi...hi...hi...hi...hi...hi...hi...hi...hi..."

Not the outdoors type

Those of you who know me and my husband, know quite well that neither of us is very outdoorsy or athletic. AJ has been sent to us from above apparently to break us of that habit. One of his favorite things to do on these warmer afternoons is to drag Mommy and Daddy outside to chase him around the yard, play ball, toss the frisbee, or go for a walk. Yesterday we played in the sprinkler. Here's AJ peeking around the corner of the house waiting for the water to come back to him.

The water was a little chilly...

Oh, I'm a Lumberjack and I'm okay...

Well, last weekend we went to East Texas to help my parents cut down some trees. This was going to require either my Dad in the front bucket of the tractor being raised up with a chainsaw, or my (sometimes less than outdoorsy) husband. Seeing a recipe for disaster?

Well, after my dad was almost dumped out of the tractor from about 20 feet in the air, Hubby decided he'd better get in the bucket with the chainsaw and let my Dad drive the tractor. Nothing was cut off that wasn't supposed to be cut off, so I'd say it was a success.

AJ even got into the spirit of things by offering to pick up downed limbs and rake the yard.

And he REALLY wanted to drive the tractor!

Walk for a Good Cause

On April 29th, Team AJ will be participating again this year in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica. This is a 5k fun walk to raise money to fight prematurity and to search for the causes.

Today in the U.S., 1 in every 8 babies will be born prematurely. In Texas, that rate jumps to 1 in 5. Some of them won't survive, and others will have health problems that could last a lifetime. The funds we raise in WalkAmerica support research that saves babies' lives. AJ has been one of the lucky ones. Born 14 weeks early, he weighed only 18 ounces at birth. Today he is a growing 2 1/2 year old boy who loves to climb and sing. Many of the babies who shared the NICU experience with AJ will have long-term or even permanent physical disabilities and developmental delays.

We have chosen to support the March of Dimes to help research ways to prevent prematurity. Please help our family's mission by donating or walking with us on April 29th.

Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. If you would like to join us for this great exercise or donate to Team AJ, please consider visiting my fund-raising website at: http://www.walkamerica.org/ajs_mom

Weekend Fun

On Saturday we took AJ to the BBQ cook-off and carnival. Some of Daddy's colleagues gave us an invitation to one of the tents. We wook AJ over to the carnival to see how he would react to all the noise and lights. He thought that was the most fantastic thing he's ever seen. He got to ride the 150-foot tall ferris wheel (which of course stopped at the top), and the kiddie roller coaster. While he was riding the roller coaster with his Dad, he looked up and said "I 'cared". Daddy: "Are you scared?" "Yes" "Are you having fun?" "YES!" He rode the ferris wheel and the roller coaster twice. He also went through the fun house, which he has deemed "stupid".

On Sunday, we got up at our usual early time and watched PBS kids while getting ready for church. Two blocks from the church we hear an odd sound from the back seat. I turn around just in time to see AJ throw up all over himself. After four waves of it, the poor baby was just worn out. I was set to sing that morning, so they dropped me off at the church since we were so close, and they headed home. I got a phone call a little while later. They had made it home, but Daddy did not have a key to get into the house. And the spare key we keep in the van was not there. They were stuck. I had a key, but no way to get back the 20 minutes to take it to them. A few minutes later, I started getting voicemails and text messages from the alarm company. Daddy had apparently broken into the house.

When AJ woke up from his nap, he was a completely new man. We went outside to pull weeds and work in the yard. He was running around, laughing and having a great time. Until he tripped in the middle of the street and skinned his knee really badly. Daddy took the screaming kid to get cleaned up and bandaged. A little while later, he was outside playing again. Poor kid tripped again! This time he scraped up both knees. Then at bedtime last night he was carrying his pillow to his room and tripped over his Little People Noah's Ark. That left a bleeding scratch all the way down his shin.

We sent him to school this morning and hope they don't think we've been beating him.

Ick

Apparently my family is trying single-handedly to control Betta fish overpopulation. Monday evening on our way home we stopped to buy another Betta to replace our dearly departed Fred. Fred Squared (or F2) was a lovely dark blue Betta. F2 settled into his new home, and would often have staring contests with AJ. Life was good.

Wednesday morning, Hubby noticed that F2 was starting to look "not so good" and was getting little white spots on him. A little research discovered that F2 may have possibly come down with a case of Ick. Seems there's a little parasite that attacks Bettas and shows up as little white spots all over their bodies. I think it looks like he had barnacles.

Anyway, last night we went to Petsmart and got Fred some medicine. Hubby faithfully nursed F2 for the rest of the evening until bedtime. We went to bed hopeful because F2 seemed to be getting a little more active. I am sorry to report that this morning I discovered that F2 had gone on to that big aquarium in the sky.

R.I.P., F2.

Farewell to Fred

Farewell, Fred...seems we hardly got a chance to know each other...

We bought AJ a one-gallon aquarium on Saturday afternoon and let him pick out a male Betta fish to put in it. We got the aquarium all set up on Saturday, but left Fred the Fish in his store container for 24 hours to let the water settle. While I was gone to choir practice yesterday afternoon, Hubby introduced Fred to his new home. Seems Fred didn't eat all of the food that we gave hime Satruday night, so his water was looking quite polluted. Fred didn't seem to like it much, and by the time I got home, had already started looking rather lethargic. By bedtime, Fred was just kind of looking sickly and floating in the corner vertically. AJ wished him a merry "night night Fred" and went off to sleep.

We got up this morning to discover that Fred had passed away during the night. Hubby gave him a proper ceremony in the bathroom. AJ still walked up to the fish-less tank, pointed, and said "fishy".

He's really broken up about it all.

Still Alive

Yes we are still all alive. Just extremely busy. We have 23 shows this month, not counting just the small "one-off's". Many days I'm not exactly sure which way is up!

We got a note from AJ's teacher on Monday asking us to call her. I finally MAYBE figured out what it was about yesterday (Wednesday) when I just happened to find a copy of an Oh-No Report from Monday that no one told me about. Apparently AJ has been aggressive with his friends and consistently tells his teacher "no". This is the same thing we have heard from her since she became AJ's teacher. He constantly says "no" at home, too. We put him in time out -- when that doesn't work, he gets one swat on the butt. Short of beating the child (which I am sure CPS would have issue with) I just don't know what else you are supposed to do with a stubborn two-year-old. His communication skills are still greatly lacking, and I'm sure a lot of it comes from frustration. Most of the time, I can end the meltdowns by distracting him with something else.

As for the "aggressive" behavior, she's just going to have to be more specific. What exactly is he doing? I can't very well punish him for something at home for something he did that morning at school that I didn't see. We won't put the two together.

Offer a suggestion for a solution or stop just complaining to me that you are letting a two-year-old defeat you. The complaints are not news anymore -- he is stubborn at home too.

AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!

My corns

AJ's speech seems to be getting clearer every day. I can actually understand about half of what he is saying now. When we got home yesterday, I took him out of the car, he grabbed my hand, and said "Come on." Apparently we were going to play outside and I was required to go with him. We wandered down the street looking at kids playing and listening to dogs barking. He wanted to go look at the dogs. And there was one house about midway down the block that he wanted to go inside to play there. I distracted him with a bug crawling across the sidewalk. I was able to get him to walk back toward our house by telling him we were looking for more bugs.

What we found in our yard was not bugs - it was acorns. Or "my corns" as AJ calls them. AJ picked through all of the acorns on the ground to find the cracked ones. Then he would peel them open to get to the "baby tree" inside. Then he had me pick him up so he could put the "my corn" back on the tree. We did this (over and over and over) until it started getting dark.

When we went back inside, I asked him what he wanted to eat for dinner. He went immediately to the table and sat down in his chair. Pointed to the kitchen and said "I wanna eat!" When I asked him what he wanted to eat -- "CHICKEN" (pause) "NUGGETS". Didn't have any chicken nuggets at home (having just returned from vacation), so we went to Wings 'n More where he had fried pickles with ranch dressing (which he calls hot sauce), and chicken tenders and french fried with gravy.

WARNING -- AJ double dips.

Kandoo

This is just the cutest dance and music. AJ really likes to get his groove on with this one:

http://www.kidskandoo.com/en_US/movesDance.do;jsessionid=B12E9AC47D4B4C65A342E6A741AFF5D0

Am I Forgetting Anything?

1. pillow
2. blanket
3. sleeping bag
4. potty
5. Pull-ups
6. socks
7. pants
8. shirts
9. comb
10. shampoo visor
11. medication
12. nebulizer
13. "prayer" bear
14. favorite books

Geez, the kid is only going to be gone from home for 4 nights. It's going to look like he's moving in with his godparents. Hubby and I leave tomorrow (Thursday) for a cruise to Cozumel. This will be the first time AJ has been away from both of us. I don't know who it's going to be harder on -- him or us.

Buzz & Booty

Just a quick giggle from this morning....AJ was sitting on his potty and I was holding his new pair of Pull-ups to put on when he finished. This package of Pull-ups (with Cool Alert, weee) has pictures from Toy Story on them. This morning's pair had a picture of Buzz Lightyear and Woody the Cowboy on them. AJ points to them each and calls them "Buzz" and "Booty".

Tee hee.

Little Mooch

So we're sitting at the table having a normal dinner. AJ has done well with eating most of his, so I decide to go ahead back into the kitchen to get us both some garlic bread. I usually make 4 slices -- 2 for Daddy, 1 1/2 for Mommy, and 1/2 a slice for AJ. While I am sitting back at my plate, pulling some apart for AJ, he reaches over and grabs my entire slice off of my plate and starts eating it! Daddy just about fell out of his chair laughing. AJ is munching away, and I sit trying to figure out where I lost control. On the bright side, though, he did give me back the crust...

We can have the EXACT same thing on each of our plates, but AJ always steals food off of mine. Why does it always taste better from Mommy's plate!

(This morning at 1:00am, I hear my name. I open my eyes to AJ standing next to the bed holding up a book for me to read...) The reason I am unhealthy: (1) hunger (2) sleep deprivation.

Just tell me who did it!

My husband and I have completely banned Barney from our household. This was decided way before AJ even came along. Barney is the reason all the other dinosaurs are extinct -- they all jumped off a cliff to get away from him.

Well, AJ and I were flipping through a magazine while he was sitting on the potty this weekend. There was a small advertisement for a Barney DVD on one page. AJ pointed at the ad and says "BARNEY! Hi Barney!" Aww....crap...someone has exposed my child to the evil purple thing. I know he didn't get it at home; I blame the school. Someone has brought Barney into my house!

Just tell me who did it!

Shaving

Apparently, my little 27-month, 24-pound boy has had a growth spurt. Sometime, while I wasn't looking he has gotten tall enough to grab stuff off of the bathroom vanity.

I caught him this morning with Daddy's razor in his hand -- AND HE WAS RUBBING IT ACROSS HIS FACE! I just about had a heart attack, especially when I realized that he had the blade-edge against his eyebrow. Luckily he didn't cut himself at all. Didn't have a mark on him.

Deep breaths...deep breaths...just breathe...

I don't know what I'm going to do when he gets tall enough to actually turn doorknobs.

He's Here! He's Here!

Many of you may remember that, a month or so ago, I won a Weird Things Contest hosted by Jenny over at MamaDrama. The prize in the contest was Mr. Poodlestein, a framed oil painting of a dog painted by its owner. Well, Mr. Poodlestein has finally arrived, and I decided to introduce him to the girl who got him his new home.

"Hey....who are you? "

"Wanna get into some mischief after everyone goes to sleep? Come on, it'll be fun."

"Aaaaawwwww....little goody two-shoes. You're no fun at all. Guess I'll go play with the cat instead."

The argument for (and against) little boys

Pros:
- Fewer shoes and clothes to buy.
- No fuss hair. Just run your fingers through it and they're ready to go.
- Everyone expects them to be messy.
- No wedding to pay for later.
- Always love Mommy most.

Cons:
- Stubborn & willful.
- They climb on EVERYTHING.
- Destructive.
- Loud at frequent intervals.
- Always love Mommy most. (There is no "down" time for Mommy)

Stage Fright

I still haven't captured any still images from the Christmas video, but I can at least let you know about AJ's debut as a ring bearer this weekend.

James' cousin asked AJ to be one of the ring bearers for the wedding. We made no promises, but she was okay if he didn't actually make it down the aisle. It was mainly about the pictures for her.

AJ did really well during the rehearsal on Friday night, and he was a HUGE hit at the rehearsal dinner where he did the Cotton-Eyed Joe and Schottische (sp?). The wedding was held at 2pm on Saturday afternoon, but they needed to be there at noon for pictures. First recipe for disaster -- that is major NAP TIME! AJ fell asleep on the way to the church, so we had to wake him up after only about 45 minutes to get dressed and take pictures. He acted like he was terrified of the bride's dress and didn't want to be anywhere near her. It was Santa and Funship Freddy all over again...The maid of honor picked him up and backed him toward the bride without him seeing her, so they managed to finally get a picture together.

Ceremony time...AJ was supposed to walk down the aisle with the flower girl and another little ring bearer, Slade. When it became obvious to AJ that everyone was watching him, he froze. Slade started having a complete meltdown tantrum and refused to go down the aisle. I knelt down next to AJ and told him to take his pillow to the maid of honor (he had been all over her all weekend), but he just whimpered a quiet "no". I saw hubby squatting between the first two pews, so I told AJ, "there's Daddy. Go take your pillow to Daddy." At that point, AJ unfroze and SPRINTED down the aisle! Hey, he made it to the front. I guess doing it at a full trot still counts.

Here's a picture of my two handsome men before the wedding:

Still Alive

Yes, we are all still alive (barely). We have been out of town so much with cruise, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year that I have gotten behind in EVERYTHING! This weekend we will be gone for a wedding that hubby and AJ are in. Can't wait to see AJ in his tuxedo as ring-bearer. Cross your fingers that he actually makes it all the way down the aisle without major meltdown. Especially since the wedding coincides with his usual nap time. This has potential for disaster written all over it.

I am waiting to capture some of the best Christmas pictures. AJ got a tricycle, but it was 30 degrees and rainy at Christmas. That would be why we have been off and on with breathing treatments for the past few weeks.

I will post much more completely later. After the wedding. With reports of the festivities.

Oh, and did I mention, we leave again for another cruise on February 1st? I still have to start planning for that too!

Marshmallows and Snowman Droppings

Earlier this week, a coworker gave me a small baggie of marshmallows along with a note inside saying that I had been naughty and that all I was getting for Christmas is snowman poop. AJ had never had marshmallows before (to my knowledge), so I offered him some "snowman poop". He thought it was absolutely fabulous and wanted some more. When Daddy came into the room, AJ was standing in the kitchen, pointing at the counter, and asking "more poop?"

After picking up Daddy and explaining about the snowman droppings, he decided it would probably be best to teach AJ to say "marshmallow" instead. We could just see him at school asking for more poop to eat. They would call CPS on us, and it would just get really ugly...totally not worth it.

We ask for "mallows" now, but was I so wrong for letting him use a word he already knew?

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all. Now go enjoy a nice handful of snowman poop!

Quiet Time Out

Call it what you will ... quiet time or time out ... I'm not sure we're getting the hang of it. We've watched "Nanny 911" and "Supernanny" and even have the "Supernanny" book. We give the warning after the bad behavior, put him in a quiet spot one minute for every year old, and make him apologize afterwards. Now whenever AJ does anything wrong and gets scolded, he says "quiet time" and heads to the corner on his own. We have to tell him to come back -- that he hasn't been sent to time out. He hugs an apology when you first take him to the "naughty spot", before he has even sat down. What are we doing wrong?

Tinkle Tinkle Christmas Star

AJ had his Christmas program at school on Friday. HIs class was the youngest group to perform. They sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Christmas Star" while holding cardboard and glitter stars on sticks. The center of the star was open, so they could put their face in the hole while they sang. AJ was the only one out of the 16 kids that actually held the star in front of his face. I think he did the best of all! (Of course I am completely objective). They went back to their classroom afterwards to have a party and snacks. Lots of fun was had by all.

On Saturday we went to Mary Jo Peckham park with our lunch for a picnic and playing on the playground. AJ had an absolute blast. He didn't want to eat -- just wanted to swing and slide. It was a great family outing, and much needed. He woke up this morning in a fantastic mood. I think the breathing treatments have finally helped. He feels much better and is a new man. My sweet little boy is back and the demon spawn has left the building. Yay!

Merry Christmas

I got an email this morning that finally got me sort of in a holiday spirit. Enjoy!

http://badaboo.free.fr/merryxmas.swf

Find the Baby

Grace Community Church in Katy hosts "Journey to Bethlehem" every year on the church grounds. It's a really neat walking tour of several vignettes leading up to a live nativity. We decided to take AJ there on Saturday night. He was really interested in watching the camel, the donkeys, and the goats...more so than actually paying attention to the story. Along the "journey" you meet fellow travelers, including Roman soldiers, census takers, Magi, and shepherds. They are all looking for a baby they have heard was born. I kept leaning down to AJ telling him, "let's go find the baby." He would say "find the baby" and be ready to move on.

On Sunday morning, he was watching cartoons when a goat came on. AJ pointed at the television and said "Jesus?". I think he may have missed the point of the story....he now associates goats with baby Jesus.

Santa Claus, the Sequel

We took AJ back out to Katy Mills last night to try the Santa thing again. Since we went last week, AJ has been noticing Santa's pictures everywhere and pointing them out. He'll say, "Santa" and kiss the picture. Reasonable assumption would be that he's okay with Santa now.

Uh uh. Reasonable does not apply to toddlers -- particularly stubborn two-year-olds.
Before we left the house, we asked AJ "you wanna go see Santa?"
"Yes."
"Okay let's go."
"Leggo"
We get to the mall..."wanna go see Santa?"
"No."
"You wanna go get your picture taken with Santa?"
"No."
We get to the Santa display...AJ holds onto me with a death grip.
"No."
"Can you say hi to Santa?"
"No."
"You want Mommy to sit on the bench with Santa?"
"Yes."
"Will you come take a picture with us?"
"No."
"Look, Santa is giving you a candy cane. You want a candy cane?"
"Yes."
"You wanna shake Santa's hand?"
"No."
"Santa gave you some candy. Wouldn't it be nice for you to take your picture with him?"
"No."

We ended up just going to eat dinner instead.
AJ=2, Santa=0.

He actually SMILED!

AJ has this longtime suspicion of cameras. I don't really blame him. The child has always had a LOT of pictures taken of him. With him being so premature, we logged just about every second of progress. It's understandable that he NEVER smiles in pictures. He's always laughing and carrying on, but stops as soon as he sees a camera.

On the cruise, however, we finally captured the rare big smile while AJ was playing on the balcony.

Mission Aborted

Well, we put AJ in underwear all weekend and tried to do some intense potty time. Here is how it went:
8:00am - I actually managed to get AJ to go poo poo in the potty. While we were celebrating and putting his undies back on, he peed all over the bathrom floor.
9:00am - AJ has been cuddling in my lap watching cartoons when I notice that both of us are now wet.
10:00am - Got AJ to sit on the potty for a while with no results. He wanted me to carry him back into the living room. On the way, he peed on me again.
noon - Sent AJ to potty before we leave the house to pick up food. Take a change of clothes with us to run to Taco Bell. Standing in line at Taco Bell waiting to order, I look down and AJ is standing in a puddle.
naptime - We put him down in Pull Ups for a nap. I leave for the store to run errands. I get a phone call from Daddy to tell me AJ went pee pee in the potty when he woke up from nap.
afternoon - We have now gone through all of AJ's long pants, and have put him in shorts. We're doing LOTS of laundry.
dinner - We're all a little stir crazy, so we decide to go to James Coney Island to eat. Again, pack extra clothes for AJ. This time I take him to potty right before we leave, then again right when we get to JCI. No results. Two bites into dinner, I see large wet spot on AJ's pants.

Sunday - Daddy decides to stay home with AJ while I go to church. Have to change AJ's clothes twice before I leave the house at 9:30am.
Sunday evening - We have decided that maybe we are a little premature on this. Go out to buy some more diapers. We don't want AJ to start seeing this as a punishment or something bad. He obviously is not ready to tell us when he needs to go potty.

This is going to take some more time...

Hi! I'm in trouble

AJ has recently developed a new habit, and I don't know where it came from. When he has gotten in trouble (and possible got a swat), he'll scream and cry. Then he'll look up at us, wave, and say "HI" with a little grin.

It's kind of a neat way to diffuse the tension. Whether he does it on purpose or not. Hard to stay mad and frustrated with someone when they're being so gosh darn cute.

Uh-oh

I just had to laugh at AJ this morning. I went to wake him up, and he was sleeping so peacefully. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked around and said, "uh oh". Then he lay back down and closed his eyes.

You know -- how many of us feel that same way in the mornings? UH-OH, I'm awake...

Potty Progress

Since we have been gone for two weeks on vacation, then Thanksgiving, AJ seemed to have lost his progress on using the potty. He has been in diapers all week at school. He was sat on the potty at school, but hadn't done anything there.

Last night AJ decided he needed to "help" me potty and followed me into the bathroom. While I was sitting there, AJ pointed at his potty, said "potty", and started pulling down his pants. He kept getting up and down for a while, so I figured he was just playing again. Then he went over and tried to flush the regular toilet. When I looked down I saw that he had actually went pee pee in his potty. Since there was no flush handle on his potty seat, he was trying to flush the big potty.

This weekend we will try to put him in his underwear for the first time. Fun, fun, fun...

Weird Things follow-up

Apparently my doll has won the Weird Things contest over at MamaDrama. I have found out what her real name is and started to do some research. Seems she might have some twin sisters out there somewhere...


http://www.bigredtoybox.com/cgi-bin/toynfo.pl?saucyindex

Santa and Funship Freddy

It seems AJ has developed a phobia of Santa and large costumed characters. We thought it was kinda cute that he was afraid of the Funship Freddy mascot on the cruise. During the Camp Carnival Talent Show, AJ was much more interested in watching Freddy's every move with great suspicion, than with actually participating in his class dance.

Last night we went out to Katy Mills to have AJ's picture taken with Santa again. He did so well last year, and we got such a cute picture. This year, however, AJ didn't want to have ANYTHING to do with Santa. He didn't want Santa within 6 feet of him. I felt bad for the poor Santa -- he really tried to engage AJ, but AJ would just scream and look away.

Guess Daddy's idea of an annual Santa picture is going to have a gap...

Weird Things Contest

Jenny over at the MamaDrama blog that I frequent, has put out a challenge to show her the weirdest thing that you have. My entry for this contest seems to freak out everyone but me. Jenny seems to have an eye for the macabre, so I think she will like my "evil possessed doll" also. This doll was given to me MANY years ago by my grandmother, and I have never seen another one like it. On the surface she seems like a normal doll, but when you pump her arm up and down she changes facial expressions. Here are some of my favorites.



One night in college I had a party at my apartment. The next morning (after drinking a bit the night before), I found my precious doll sitting at the end of my bed with this expression and holding one of my kitchen knives...

I can't imagine why anyone would have a problem with that.

Relaxing Vacation

This is a child who knows how to party down on his first big family vacation. Here is AJ enjoying Jamiaca.

Here he is enjoying the Cayman Islands.

And partying hard in Cozumel.

Still going in our cabin.

And really enjoying Camp Carnival.

Sneak Preview

Things have been a whirlwind since we got back from the cruise on Sunday afternoon. I am unpacking and repacking to leave again tomorrow for our annual Yaklin family Thanksgiving in Falfurrias. I know I have to do a long entry about the cruise, but here is a sneak preview.

Here is AJ relaxing on the Lido deck.

Countdown to Cruise-time

Hubby has talked of little else but the cruise for the past six months. To the point that I told him not to mention the word again. Today is my last day at work before we leave, and I think I finally have a case of "vacation-itis".

Okay, I'm back now. Apparently I will not be allowed to tie up loose ends today and coast through the day. There have ben nothing but emergency fires to put out since I walked into my office this morning. AAGGHHH!

I'm looking forward to relaxing on my stateroom balcony, spending some quality time with Hubby and AJ, and celebrating the big 4-0 in style. I'll post pictures when we return.

Peace out!

Shopping Needed

We had a little chat with AJ's lead teacher this morning at school. She says that he's doing really well with the potty and we should go ahead and start putting him in big boy underwear. Let me get this straight -- we are leaving in 5 days, taking a one-hour ride to Galveston, standing in line for who-knows-how-long, going on a seven day cruise (complete with 3 shore excursions), coming home on another hour-long drive, going back to school for only two days, leaving for a 4-hour car ride, staying in a hotel room for 4 nights, then taking another 4-hour car ride home. And this lady wants me to put AJ in underwear for the first time? Who is she kidding? I think we'll wait until after Thanksgiving. Jeez, he has only gone pee pee on the potty a few times...And I don't think I'm ready to start changing his clothes 4-5 times a day.

I think she and Daddy are going to have a hard time convincing me...

Wanna Potty, Part Deux

We seem to be making some real progress in the potty department. Of course, that progress will more than likely go away when we leave on Sunday for our vacation. AJ went pee pee in the potty twice at school yesterday and even did it once at home last night. Unfortunately, he had pulled off the little deflector shield on his potty at home, so most of it just went all over the bottom of his shirt....Oh well, I've cleaned up worse stuff than that lately. He was very proud of himself. I think it might just be starting to sink in.....

Wanna Potty

We bought AJ his very own potty this weekend. He apparently took that to mean that he needed to potty CONSTANTLY from that point forward. We set it up in the spare bathroom and he would run to the bathroom door yelling "wanna potty". We pull down pants, remove the diaper, let him sit on the potty, he would play instead of doing anything in the potty, I'd get him up, put on a new diaper, pull up his pants, go back into the living room. Then five minutes later -- "wanna potty"! Off we go to repeat the process. We spent most of the weekend in the bathroom. Of course the one time that I made him get up before he wanted to, he peed on the floor....I know it's a case of the boy crying "wolf" (or potty), but I just know that the one time I ignore his question would be the first time he would have actually DONE anything in the potty. So I guess I will just spend the foreseeable future hanging out in the bathroom. At least I quickly broke him of thinking that if he was sitting on the potty, that I had to be sitting on the big potty too...

Reverse Trick-or-Treating and Vampires at School

Halloween is over....YAY! AJ looked absolutely adorable in his clown costume even if he wouldn't leave the red nose on. There would be a picture posted here, but the batteries are dead in the camera and the pictures are locked inside. AJ had a couple of parties at school. During morning snack time, they put on their costumes and trick-or-treated to the other classrooms. During afternoon snack time, they had juice boxes, cookies, and fruit. One of the other children bit AJ on the back of the neck during playtime. They put ice on it for a while, but there is still a big bruise on his neck. Must be the Halloween thing....biting on the neck is a first for us.

After school, I picked AJ up and took him to the church for Heroes night. Daddy acted in a skit, and after the program, about 165 kids went "trunk or treating" in the parking lot. AJ's clown costume was again a big hit. AJ went to each trunk, said "tukteet" and held up his bag. After the first few trunks, he would go up to the next trunk, reach his hand into his bag, and try to give candy back. Thus is born the new fad of "reverse trick or treat".

It was a long day. AJ was so enamored of his costume that he wouldn't let us take it off. He passed out in the car on the way home. I finally managed to remove costume and clothes from a still-sleeping kid. He woke up long enough for me to let him down to go say goodnight to Daddy, but he walked straight to his bed, crawled in, and lay down. Daddy and I said "Night Night". AJ just waved at us through the bed rail and said "bye bye".