Memorials

Today we were heading to the park with a small steam train children & adult can both ride when we got lost & ended up at Washington DC. So we decided to do some sightseeing (Lincoln & Washington Memorial). It's amazing how much you appreciate as an adult compared to the junior high trip everyone takes. We got some great pics which I'll post tonight. Tonight we might tour the Pentagon!

Chuck E!!!

Today we went to Chuck E Cheese where my son loved the shows. Then we went swimming with my brother at my other brother's. Then it was a delicious homemade steak dinner that my mom & dad made. Now off to take my son to bed!

All about me

Your Heritage: Polish
The Shoes You Wore Today: Sandals - I love them
Your Weakness: Being too critical
Your Fears: Losing the ones I love
Your Perfect Pizza: No cheese, extra pizza sauce, pepporoni & black olives
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: Getting our backyard set up for my son
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger: LOL - Laugh out loud
Thoughts First Waking Up: What time is it???
Your Bedtime: Late
Your Most Missed Memory: Vacation alone with hubby before with got married
Pepsi or Coke: No difference to me
MacDonalds or Burger King: McDonalds to my hubby's misery
Single or Group Dates: Both
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Lipton
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate
Cappuccino or Coffee: Cappuccino
Do you Smoke: I tried a cigarette once a few years ago & I couldn't understand the big deal.
Do you Swear: Sometimes when kids aren't around
Do you Sing: All the time!
Have you Been in Love: Several times but my hubby is my soulmate
Do you want to go to College: No drive or desire to. Wonder if I should have finished though...
Do you want to get Married: Already there & loving it!
Do you get Motion Sickness: Never
Do you think you are Attractive: Average
Are you a Health Freak: Nope - far from it!
Do you get along with your Parents: They're very supportive & I love them for it.
Do you like Thunderstorms: I find them very calming if I'm not driving in them.
Do you play an Instrument: I tried the flute once as a child but it didn't take.
Drank Alcohol: On occasion
Smoked: Ugh... Please No!
Been on Drugs: You'd never ask that question if you knew me. It's just not a posibility.
In the past month have you gone on a Date: On a wonderful surprise overnight in downtown chicago by my wonderful hubby!
In the past month have you gone to a Mall: Can't remember
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: Guilty as charged
Eaten Sushi: Can't stand the stuff
Been on Stage: Technically no
Been Dumped: Twice but it was sort of mutual.
Gone Skinny Dipping: Nope but want to.
Ever been Drunk: First time was after I turned 21. Since then on occasion but I don't handle alcohol so well these days. Although I've never had a hangover or gotten sick from drinking!
Ever been called a Tease: Yes by boys I wouldn't date.
Ever been Beaten up: No but have been threatened by some girls in junior high & high school
Ever Shoplifted: Never did... not even a stick of gum.
How do you want to Die: In my sleep surounded by friends & family.
What do you want to be when you Grow Up: I already am... a mom!
What country would you most like to Visit: Europe to see the castles!
Best Clothing Style: Tankini top & sarong is what I'm most comfortable in,
Number of Drugs I have taken: Never in my life.
Number of CDs I own: Not reall sure; probably about 100 with hubby's. Now if we're talking mp3's.... a couple hundred.
Number of Piercings: Only my ears, thank you.
Number of Tattoos: None currently but I plan on getting one for my 35th birthday after I finish having kids!
Number of things in my Past I Regret: Some things I wish would have happened differently but it has made me who I am & that is the person I want to be.

Another 'baby'

Time to body slam the sofa! My son is fascinated with climbing all over this!














My son sits with his baby boy.

Silent blessings

My new nephew - only six days old & alert!













A kiss for baby!











My brother & sister-in-law enjoy their new quiet son.

Allergic reaction

Two days ago I received this bite from something which made my arm swell up as you can see. My brother thinks it's a spider bite!

Focus

My masterpiece! Believe it or not, I put together this magnetic map of the United States all by myself. Granted I looked at an atlas for help but I did it!












My son watches his movie intensely while my dad naps.













My son enjoys his new animal tv tray while eating sliced apples.

No win today

The newlyweds












Great call!














My son is excited to spend time with his long-awaited uncle













Walking into the park before the game

The pretty couple

Our wonderful date night in downtown!

I love my Vegas dress!










The hearts in our romantic dessert.

Lonely hearts

Last night when my mom & son had gone to sleep, I was lonely & missing my honey. I can't wait to hold him in my arms & feast my eyes on him. We'll definately be needing a date night to make up for lost time! Love you baby!

Trouble on the go!

A few days ago my mom & I witnessed another one of my son's milestones - he discovered how to loosen his seat belt. That day we got a realistic baby boy to distract him & help him get used to being around the baby all the time. It's helping a little.

As for the seat belt, he hasn't really messed with it since then which is great. Hopefully it will stay that way or I'll be one of those parents who turn around to find their child out of their car seat & expoloring the car. Please don't let me be that parent!

The hotel room is really nice. Last night my son fell asleep about 7:30 pm (Eastern time) on the way home because he was so exhausted. After waking up in the middle of the night after his diaper leaked, he joined my mom & I in bed. Mom got up in the morning with him around 8 am & they watched some tv together. We stopped to get some breakfast which is yummy, plentiful & free! I love the blueberry muffins. Then we picked up Dad at the airport which was surprisingly easy.

When we got back to the hotel, Dad & my son took a nap while I showered & Mom got the internet hooked up. Now I can blog to my hearts content! My mom says she'll never get me off the internet now when we're here. She may be right!

Let's pretend!

Last night my son went to bed like a beautiful dream! I got halfway through the book when he fell fast asleep.

This morning my son crawled into bed with Mom & I. We then crawled & chased each other on the floor. My son & I played in the pool at the hotel with two older kids from the hotel. My son loved playing with the older boy & his action figures.

This afternoon we found a close park where my son played pretend in the plastic market/house with Mom & I. We were served eggs, bread, chocolate & ice cream on frisbee plates.

Afterwards we got visit with nephew who came home today with brother & sister-in-law. He seems to be doing very well & is calm.

My hubby is in for a fun & relaxing weekend so have a great time for me! Love you baby!

Doing fantastic!

My sister-in-law is getting around very well after having her first baby via C-section last Saturday. We're so proud of her! Good thing she's getting her rest though.

Our own place

Today Mom found a fantastic rate at a great nearby hotel that is actually a suite. It's about the size of my brother's apartment without the walls so my son will be much happier there & will be able to sleep on his own bed. Not to mention it has a full kitchen which will also help for days when we are on our own.

After checking in today, we unpacked for the first time since we got here. I can't tell you how good that felt! I get so frustrated living out of a suitcase. Mom & I made taco salad for dinner & my son is watching way too many movies every day for my taste. The question is how else do you keep a two-year old happy in a small living room that's not baby-proofed. For now, we're doing the best we can to keep him happy. I'll deal with the consequences when I get home. Tomorrow we can start using the apartment pool which will help.

I can't wait to see hubby again. My son has handled being away from his Daddy much better than in the past. That helps!

We know a few streets!

After 1/2 a week here & getting lost daily (due to seriously bad signage & expressways everywhere), we finally recognize a few of the common streets in the area. Isn't that wonderful?

My brother & sister-in-law are home & my brother is heading back to work today. On Saturday my nephew comes home from the hospital, Dad arrives & we check into a local hotel. That will be a busy day.

In the meantime, I'm missing my hubby...

More errands!

Today we went to a local resale shop where they had very reseanable prices, clean clothes & a nice selection. We found some great clothes for my nephew & a portable Winnie the Pooh Bear singing toy for my son. After visiting my nephew in the hospital where Mom & I got to hold & feed him. On the way home we checked out the hotel we're staying at (starting on Saturday). Then it was off to pick up last minute groceries for tonight's late dinner, rent Dumbo (which my son is very eager to see). Now that we're finally home, we're going to rest until my brother & sister-in-law get home in a while.

Have a good evening all!

Things not said...

Yesterday evening we took my son to Chuck E Cheese in the evening. There is not much to do here for kids so he was really looking forward to it. When we got there we immediately ordered pizza & bought some tokens. My son saw the last 30 seconds of the show & refused to leave the show area because he wanted to see the singing animals again. It was only then that they informed us that the place was closing in 15 minutes! We hadn't even gotten our food yet. Don't you think that's something you tell people before they order food? Maybe that's just common sense to me. LOL Anyhow, my son finally left the area & was able to ride one ride before we left eating our food in the car on the ride home.

Cause for concern

I know some of my recent posts have not been all been upbeat about how great motherhood is. First, since I almost wasn't one, I know it's a blessing never to take for granted. Some people may feel concern about how I'm doing now & how I will handle a second child. Let me ease your concern.

In some ways, it will get easier with time because I learn how to handle my stress better & how to react better. The catch is that my personality has always been a little high-strung; a personality trait inherited from my father. My personality won't change but my mothering wisdom will continue to gain strength as my son gets older.

For those who are concerned, you must realize that I am a stay-at-home mother of a toddler. In another six months or a year, it's highly unlikely that my son's "terrible two's" will be over yet. As he gets older, he'll get better but as a child he'll always be testing us. Let me say that I admire his persistence & unwillingess to give up; I want him to keep those traits to be successful in life. I want his wonderful personality to flourish throughout his life.

In another year, we'll have pre-school costs which aren't cheap. If you add IVF costs to that, it'll make it even harder financially.

Also I would rather not have my children five years apart. I want another child next year & I will handle it. I admit I'm very stressed but not more so than other stay-at home moms of toddlers. Please understand that! I will learn to deal with it better in time because that is just what you do. Others do it & so will I.

So no worries, okay?

No pics! How is that possible?

As you've noticed, there haven't been any pictures posted. It's not that I'm not taking them but that I haven't been able to copy them to my brother's computer & upload them. Until that happens, sorry folks. I'll share them with you as soon as I can.

We have reservations!

This morning Mom found a hotel close-by where we can stay starting Saturday for a week. My brother & sister-in-law are coming home Wednesday evening from the hospital. We'll sleep in their living room starting then until Saturday. Then we'll check into the hotel nearby where we can come & go between the hotel, my brother's place & see my other brother occassionally. This way we'll be out of the way in the evenings at my brother's & have a place of "our own".

My Dad will be flying into the area on Saturday & also staying with us at the hotel. This way he'll get to spend time with my son at the hotel & apartment pool as well as visit with my nephew at the apartment.

Day two in Virginia

Last night we all slept so well! It was just what we needed. We still haven't worked out our final living arrangements which is stressful. We will though. Today we ordered Mom's medicine from another pharmecy, got lost on the highway (terrible signs out here which my youngest brother verified), looked at possible local hotels, saw my nephew in the NICU unit, did some neccessary shopping & had dinner with my brother & my hubby's cousin who's visiting the area as well. My son fell sound asleep in the car again & went straight to bed. We're exhausted & still not sure of future living arrangements.

All night long

Today we drove from Virginia with good weather. We only ran into about 5 minutes of light rain. Saw a beautiful sunrise, early morning hang glider & some great skylines! It was a beautiful drive which Mom & I enjoyed. My son was great. He slept through the night until 6:30 am. Then he napped a couple times, played nicely with his small toys, ate snacks & sang. He only fussed a couple of times & quieted down easily enough.

When we arrived in the area, we went straight to the hospital. There we visited my brother & sister-in-law. My sister-in-law seemed to be doing okay. There was a shift change so we could not see my nephew then.

We arrived at my brother's apartment where my son went berzerk after being in a car for 17.5 hours. Mom unpacked 2/3 of our stuff into the second floor apartment up three flight of stairs while I cleaned up the apartment to get things out of my son's reach. The first pharmecy screwed up & never called Mom's medicine in so that didn't make things easier. By the end of the evening, my son just fell asleep after his bathtime while we changed him into his pj's. Now we're headed to bed where we'll probably will hopefully get a good night's sleep.

Heading to wide open spaces!

Mom, my son & I are leaving to help my sister-in-law & brother on the east coast with their new baby boy. The car is all packed & my hubby is staying behind. This is not going to be a real vacation but we're hoping to see some sights. Hopefully our son will sleep through the night while Mom & I drive.

Go White Sox!

This afternoon my hubby & I picked up our son & went to the baseball game with my sister-in-law & her new hubby. Shortly into the game it started a light rain. These two guys behind us got obsenely drunk; drunk enough for one of them to roll up his pant leg in his seat during the game & pee which got on my sister-in-law & her hubby! After getting security, they moved (only 12 rows down!), then were pulled into the security office with my sister-in-law & her husbandwho decided not to press charges. The security office was going to arrest him for disorderly conduct anyway. During all the security business, our son loved watching the post-fireworks show & flirting with the pretty girl next to him.

Welcome my new nephew!

My sister-in-law & brother had their baby boy this morning at 12:31 am (Eastern time). He was 7 lbs 11 oz & 19 inches. The labor did not go well & my sister-in-law had to have a C-section since she's so petite. My nephew had a slight infection following birth so they're keeping him in the NICU unit on antibiotics as a precaution until next Saturday. My sister-in-law had a slight fever following the birth as well so she couldn't hold her son until probably tomorrow. Otherwise everyone is happy & okay.

Romance is alive!

Last night my hubby surprised me by taking me out for a wonderful getaway worthy of a queen! I wore my fancy Vegas dress which he loves. He picked me up at my folks while my folks watched our son overnight.

We headed to downtown where we ate dinner at a classy all-you-can-eat brazilian restaurant where you flip a coaster to green from red & multiple servers offer you a wide array of any meat you can imagine (almost) from warm skewer. We especially loved the leg of lamb & flank stank! When you're done, flip the coaster back to red till you're done. The passion fruit tart was so incredibly delicious.

Next was a comedy show which made us laugh a lot.

Then we went to a trendy dance club where one of my sister-in-law's friends works as a bouncer. There was a mix-up on the VIP list but we got in okay. The atmosphere was very cool but the music was definately not my style. Not much for R&B or techno. It was a cool experience though.

While we were there, my purse chain got caught on the crystals sewn on my dress. When I finally got it disconnected, a few crystals started falling off but I was able to safety pin it temporarily.

At this point it was 2:30 am & I was tired since our son had woken up during the middle of the previous evening. We drove around trying to find parking so we could walk around the city beach but no luck.

Then we ended up at a hotel where we stayed overnight in the most delightful bed I've ever slept in. After sleeping in this morning, we went swimming & had lunch. I loved the time alone with my hubby!

Rumors

Rumor has it that my hubby is planning a nice date night tomorrow while my parents watch our son overnight. It's nice to know that I'm doing a good job with our son & that it's appreciated. I'm so ready for a night out with my hubby. Not just amovie either but a night where we get dressed up & go out on the town.

Although I wouldn't change it for the world, being a stay-at-home mom is an exhausting job, emotionally & physically. So many people can empathize but only a parent who has stayed home with their toddler an extended time can truly understand the toll it takes on yourself & your marriage. While you're trying to guide your child to learn right from wrong, you are left with nothing at the end of the day emotionally or physically.

Sometimes I beilieve it's the lonliest job ever. No wonder people crave adult contact...

No longer a baby

Our son is almost 28 months old! For months now he's been a toddler, but I never fully realized how much our life has changed since we have a toddler instead of a baby. It's really amazing.

Ten Days

I love holding my niece, G! She feels so light & tiny compared to our son.

She is eleven days old today. The picture was taken yesterday.

Dancing visits

Now that our son is napping after getting up at 6:15 am, I can tell you about our day yesterday. My son & I drove to work with my hubby where we met my Mom. We then transferred a homemade & decorated house she received from Freecycle into my hubby's car. Our son loves playing with his animals in it.




We went to visit my middle & her daughter, G, for a short while.





My new niece has the darkest eyes! She's becoming much more alert.













At my Mom's place we watched Chicken Little with my son. He really loved dancing to the music during the credits with his beads. Isn't he adorable?














Amazingly enough, Mom & I were able to do some crotcheting while my son played with his toys while constantly testing his limits.














Later after we got home with Daddy, our son had a serious conversation with the Mickey & Minnie we received from Freecycle.

A new audience

This is how you know when your living room has become a performance center with it's own audience. It looks like this!

The best favor

Our son did me the great favor of getting up at 6:15 am this morning. So now he's watching Madagascar while I try to nap some more on the sofa.

Welcome baby D!

A few days ago on Monday, July 17, our friends, C&L, had a baby boy at 9:43 pm. He weighed 8 lb 13 oz & was 21 inches long. Only an ounce less than our son! Both Mommy & Baby are healthy. Everyone is thrilled!

My poor knee!

Our son kept getting out of bed tonight at bedtime so the three of us went to bed together in our bed. After our son was totally out, we moved him into his own bed & then went to bed ourselves. Today was a good day. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

I really hope it rains for hours tonight because my knee has been killing me since yesterday afternoon. Last night it was so bad I kept waking up because it continued to hurt so badly throughout the evening. Normally my knee aches the night before it rains but this time it's even worse. I'm guessing that means there's a ton of rain coming because it's nearly 24 hours later & my knee still hurts. It was a little better after the light shower this afternoon. Cross your fingers & hope the weatherman is right on this one!

Helping hand

Our son learns how to use a screwdriver. The tool... not the drink. Not yet anyway. LOL
















Now let me help Daddy!
















Time to wrestle Daddy to the ground!















He gets Daddy good!

Racing through life

You know how they say that Baskin Robbins has a flavor of ice cream for every day of the month? Well, it seems this week that we have plans every day. Monday didn't turn out because of the lack of car seats. Today our son & I picked up a utility sink for Daddy.

On the way back we stopped at a local family fun center. Our son & I felt the wind in our hair during our go-cart ride. Next we were off to get our feet wet by bumping into walls on the bumper boats. Finally my son examined all the video games he would play as he got older. Then we left with wet buts & smiling faces.

We stopped at a resale shop where we picked up a couple of books for him. Then my son had fun playing with the trains at the local library while I picked out some new bedtime books for him on Thomas the Train, Counting with Winnie the pooh & a couple of Dick & Jane books.

Then I picked out a book on cd for myself. It's not what I expected but it's interesting & pulls at the heart strings.

When we got home, our son fought taking a nap until he just laid down in bed & went to sleep with some music. Then we watched a movie until Daddy came home & we ran some errands together. Then it was off to bed for our son with Daddy; meanwhile Mommy unloaded & put away some groceries, prepared for tomorrow & put away dishes.

Now it's time for bed! Night-night to all of you!

Exhaustion

Sometimes life is just too exhausting... and then you just fall asleep while you're eating your crackers.

Freak toes

Usually when our son naps I relish the time alone but since we had plans to go out today that got changed, I'm bored out of my mind. You see, I was actually expecting to have adult conversation today before my hubby got home. No such luck though.

Therefore, I'm sharing with you what my beloved husband calls my freak toes. Now why are they called freak toes you ask? It's because I'm pretty good at picking things up with them by shaping them like this.

Do you really think you'd see pictures of my freaky toes otherwise? Now I'll go back to do doing... something.

A better view

Saturday we got a lot of work done on the back yard. My hubby set up & stabilized the wingset all day while I watched our son. Not bad for freecycle, huh? My hubby just needs to fix the rope ladder & my mom is making a cloth cover for the fort. In the meantime, we can enjoy it plenty. Our son likes having his own slide, especially when we make it a water slide.



My hubby also set up the pool so my son & I could play in the water. Truth is he was more interested in playing with the other kids & their various pools than staying in our pool. He then moved the grill out back as well. Now we just need to get a cover for it.



During our son's nap, I rinsed & set up our patio table & umbrella along with his picnic table. So now we can actually enjoy our backyard. I was thinking it was just various patches of grass with no purpose! Hopefully we'll have a full green backyard by next summer. Keep your fingers crossed!

Found it!

I finally found our battery camera charger with some medicine we took to my in-law's. They were both in a plastic bag waiting to be put away. Thank goodness! Now I'm back to taking my photos.

Sisters Weekend

My mom went to Michigan this weekend where she met all five of her sisters there. They were having a Sisters' Weekend to help my Aunt P out who has health issues. They had a ball & are planning to do it again next year. How many people can arrange a full weekend away from their families? I think it's so cool!

Dead or alive?

Anyone who knows me, knows that when it comes to plants it's not how long I keep them alive, but how long before they die. You know how spider plants are hard to kill? I once managed to kill 4 out of 5 once. While our yard flowers which my hubby planted are doing great & look beautiful, the catnip plant which I somehow managed to grow from a seed died a quick death after 1 week. Yup... that's me & my fine planting skills. Anyone want help gardening? Too bad that flowers don't resist death like weeds!

How much is that doggy in the window?

Today I was working in the office while my hubby & son were sleeping when I saw one of those cute little white fluffy dogs wandering in our backyard. I went outside & softly approached it to find her very receptive. Then she let me pick her up & snuggled with me. She was so adorable; just the type of dog I would get (if I had the lifestyle for it)! I knew I hadn't seen her around our immediate neighbors. Just then a car from the street noticed me & asked about the dog. I met her on our street where she was so thankful she found her baby. The dog definately knew her too because she settled right onto the passenger car seat. I can imagine the fear she must have felt. Now I am filled with the wonderful feeling you get when you help someone.

Way too hot!

The day my hubby & I decide to get yard work done, clean up the outside of the house & put up a wooden swingset, we have a 90 degree day with possible heat index of 96 - 102 degrees. Yes we are nuts!

Ironic, don't you think?

I find it very ironic that I'm such a girly girl with a son who's "all boy"!!!

Motivation

After lacking the motivation to do about five loads of clean laundry, I finally motivated myself by watching the movie 'Jersey Girl' while I folded & hung most the baskets. At the end of the movie (which I thought was okay), I found myself in another ara.

Our son woke up sometime without a fuss, managed to open & close his bedroom door & walked into our bedroom while I was folding laundry. You should have seen the dumb-struck look on my face. He's still struggling but he's definately there.

So at the end of the movie I had a son who could turn doorknobs & finally had most the baskets cleared. How things can change in two hours!

Look in the sky!

This is one of the planes that were flying by our house the other day while I was taking photos.

It was then that I realized that I needed to charge our battery camera. Problem was that the battery camera charger was left at my in-law's last weekend! Noooo! Guess I'll have to use our old camera until then & hope for the best.

Age of Technology

It's amazing how in this age of technology we can see things that happened decades ago. I'm a huge fan of Crystal Gayle & her music since I grew up with her music (along with the Carpenters, Olivia Newton John, etc). She was popular when my parents & today I found a video of her singing a few of my favorite songs. It's amazing & so cool that she's still singing & performing. She recently made a new song for the soldiers which you can find here (http://www.crystalgayle.com/newalbum1.htm). It's sounds nice from what I can tell of the clip. She still has her voice! I found out she's performing in our area in a few months. That would be so cool to go to & meet her in person. I got the chance to see Olivia Newton John in concert & would love even more to see Crystal Gayle. Who knows if that will ever happen but it sure would be great...

The slide of life

It's funny how our emotions change from moment to moment, especially when you have kids. With children, you can experience the full range of emotions in 20 minutes; sometimes less. Maybe they're meant to teach us about ourselves & how we want them to be through our actions. It sounds easy but it's really not.

Keeping in shape

I've come to the conclusion that we have toddlers because they are meant to keep us in some kind of shape. They have such little legs, they run very fast! Today our son was playing in the sprinkler in the front yard when he decided to take off. There he was running down the sidewalk away from the house! I yelled at him to stop & he only seemed to run faster. So there I was running after him in wet flip-flops down the block with him a few driveways already a head of me. Finally I caught up with him halfway down the block. This little bugger is gonna scare me again one of these days by running where he shouldn't. He really has no fear & that's not always a good thing. I want to say that some day he will learn but I really don't know.

Crunchy fish

Time for lunch! All snapped in Mama!
















Picking out the best crunchy goldfish!
















It's so good!

Easier with food

Last night my hubby brought me Taco Bell when he got home. He also brought me flowers the other night. Tonight he's taking apart & picking up a wooden swingset from freecycle. This weekend he's going to be working on a project as well as fixing & putting the swing set together.


Afterwards I finished my chenille blanket, except for darning the loose threads. Doesn't it look great? It's so soft & warm. My hubby asked me to make it long enough so he could use it too. That means a lot because my hubby generally abhors the use of blankets. :-) Our son loves to cuddle with it too. Our cat, S, also loves to sit on it. As you can see, it's going to be very popular!







I also made an enclosed foot rest at the bottom of the blanket to keep my tosies warm. Then it was off to bed with me!

Peace at last

After minor struggles, our son finally went to bed. Now I can go to bed early myself & hopefully ease my aching head before tomorrow arrives.

No one told me about this!

Maybe our son is unique but he loves to scream. Everyone told us about the hitting, biting & kicking phase which we expected. Loud toys I can deal with. It's the screaming phase that our son is in that's causing terrible headaches for me. I guess that happens when your son screams for over half the day. We've tried explaining the quiet concept but can't tell if he gets it or not. All I know is that it's killing my head & I can't make him stop without gagging. No worries, that's not a solution.

Today I tried explaining to him that Mommy has a boo-boo inside her head. He got a very concerned look on his face like 'Oh my god!' & I couldn't resist laughing. My reaction of course made him laugh & then scream. Utter failure...

Too much to resist

Today we went outside & talked to our neighbors. Our son insisted on bringing his toy keys & 'sleeping baby sign' (for the front door) with him. The other kids were playing in a couple of sprinklers which our son couldn't resist. Soon there he was running through the sprinkler fully clothed & spraying the girls while laughing. He is definately all boy!

Tomorrow afternoon we have a playdate with some neighbors (J,A & K) to make cookies again! That's always fun to do with the kids & both are such a good helpers despite being in the 'terrible two's'.

Hmmm... maybe all these cookie play dates is where I'm starting to gain a little weight. It most definately would not be the snacks I've started eating again. Nope siree!

Well practiced

Our son is at the age where he does pretend play with everything now. It's really very cute, especially when I hear him imitating our conversations. Once he pulls out his animals & people he's generally good for at least 20-45 min. Now if you add a house or farm to it... that's the pot of gold!

Those are the moments that make all the others during this age of terrible two's worth it.

Home safe

My sister, J & her new baby, G are home from the hospital & doing great.

Dreams of innocence

Excelling in the art of pretend play















The mating dance















Dreams of innocence

Troublemaker

Yesterday marked our first coloring incident. Our son was drawing on some paper on the office floor when he decided that the carpet should also have some blue on it. Luckily it came out easily after 10 minutes of cleaning. I know it's the first of many...

The dreaded animal print

My hubby dislikes the fact that I like leopard print. Notice I have everything from hanging dice, wheel cover, mini stuffed leopard & floor mats.


He especially dislikes it when it's all all over my car & he has to drive it sometimes. But he's a good hubby & deals with it. Thank you baby!










My leopard dice that help me identify my car in a parking lot. Everybody who drives my car gets annoyed by these.


See my crystal too? Isn't it pretty?












My stuffed leopard keeps my son & I company.