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!