The kids were finally settled down for the night and I drug myself down the basement to check my 53652 e-mails that I will probably be able to respond to a year from now. 10 minutes later, the shrieking begins. Since Michael has recently learned how to vault out of his crib and rappel down the side, I assumed he may have had a crash landing. But no, that's not what happened at all.
Michael was somehow sleeping soundly and Nick was sitting on the bathroom floor surrounded by make up and...nail polish. The nail polish had been living on a top shelf of the medicine cabinet. But my boys have mad climbing skills so nothing is safe. Nick decided that since his nails were already painted, that maybe nail polish would be good at making other body parts beautiful, like his lips, cheeks...and his left eye. So after flushing his eye with water for what seemed like an eternity, probably to both of us, he could at least open his eye again and it wasn't hurting so much. I used nail polish remover on the parts not touching his eye and rinsed him off with water, had a discussion about how toxic substances are BAD, yet again, and then I put him to bed. Then I called poison control. They should have frequent flyer miles for people like me. And we should earn spa days for having exceptionally challenging, precocious children. They probably do, but instead of the spa days, I will probably earn a visit from Child Protective Services for my abnormally high average of calls to their service.
So, this is what I learned. Eye polish is very bad for eyes, if it gets in the eye. They wanted to know if it had touched his eye. From the screaming I am guessing yes, but after holding upside-down like a bat over the tub and dousing his eye with water for many minutes, I don't know for sure. He didn't open his eye until 5 minutes of water dumping and I am actually surprised that so much water left his eyeball in there. Nick looks like he has pink eyeliner on, both above and below his eye. I wasn't about to add nail polish remover in his eye to lead to call #17 to poison control, so I left it there. He is looking fancy...or kind of diseased, depending on your perspective. By the time we finished cleaning him up, he said his eye didn't hurt anymore and he could see. So when they told me it was a judgement call to take him to the ER for an eye exam to make sure he was okay, I decided he was. My kids are loud when they are not okay. He was quiet and exhausted. Although, that could have been from inhaling the nail polish remover fumes for so long, so I am not sure.
Oh yeah, and I think Michael ate a marble tonight too. He could breathe so I figured he was okay. I was just glad it wasn't anything pointy or a neighborhood pet or something like that.
Happy Monday, everyone! :)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Almost 1 year anniversary of being a single mama
In less than 2 weeks, it will be a year from the the time I officially became a single mama. I think back to that horrible day and the weeks that followed and can't believe how long ago it seems. The thing is I remember most about that time is how many people helped me, especially my family and friends. I never cried so much in my life. I even totally fell apart for a short period of time. But I was lucky enough to have so many people help me up and keep me going when the situation became too overwhelming, which it did somtimes, especially in the beginning. After I accepted it that there was nothing I could do about it, I really struggled. Aside from my marriage ending, the impact I thought the changes would have on the kids' lives devestated me. I couldn't bear to think of them being in daycare, or being apart from them for so many hours each day, and I didn't know how we would even survive financially. I felt so scared and alone. I knew I had so many people around me who loved and supported me, but the journey was my own. I had two very small children depending on me and realized that aside from some financial support, the responsibility for their lives and raising them was about to become mine alone. I was terrified.
The months that followed were a blur...a tearful, chaotic blur. It took awhile to get the hang of things and for all of us to adjust to our new lives. And our lives are so radically different from the way they were before, they are unrecognizable. I think some things I just don't like but have accept, like not being able to stay home to raise my kids or missing so many precious moments of their little lives. But I know how lucky I am in so many, many other ways..
I have met many single parents since I moved here, largely because of a meetup.com group I joined for single parents so we wouldn't feel like such freaks. :) And some I have met just by chance, but seeing others struggle with the same, and sometimes different issues have highlighted how fortunate we are. And these are the things I am grateful for:
- Not only do I have a job, but I have a job that I love and I'm passionate about doing which is slowly turning into a career. They are supportive of a family life and I moved into a new position where I can have flexible schedule, as needed. I would rather be home with my kids, but since it's not a choice, I feel lucky to have a fun and interesting job that keeps me so busy that the hours fly by until I can get to my baby boys again.
- I am grateful that our initial experience with daycare was so disasterous. Because (put this on my list of why I will not win mom of the year) in a moment of absolute desperation I put an advertisement on Craig's list and found Jeanne and her family who have given my boys a home away from home and a loving and secure place to spend their days. They still get to be with a stay at home mama who is kind enough to open her home to those of us mamas who don't have the choice to stay home with our little ones. AND she was a single mama at one time too...how cool is that?!?!?!!!
- We haven't had to visit the ER yet. I know it's coming, but that it hasn't happened despite the hundreds of close calls we've had in the past year. (Just this week, Michael jumped off of a kitchen table and, shortly later, into the bath tub full of water headfirst and it's only Tuesday.) AND I haven't had to call poison control since Nick drank the bottle of Tylenol that one morning at 4 AM.
- We always have food to eat, a roof over our heads, and a house that is a comfortable temperature.
- I am grateful for my family and friends who have stuck by me this past year despite my inability to reciprocate their many acts of kindness and support on any kind of reasonable level. Some of you are there on a regular basis. And some of you will send e-mails or letters that always seem to come when I need them most. I feel so very lucky and loved to have each of you in our lives. And one of these day, I will be able to be the kind of friend, daughter, sister or sister-friend I aspire to be.
- I am grateful to have a peaceful, non-dramatic relationship with the boys' dad. Don't get me wrong, I definitely had a lot of anger and hurt feelings in the beginning. But things are working out just fine. He pays child support and visits them. He is a good role model and loves them. We have a polite, working relationship and I am glad for the peace.
- We are all healthy, happy and, most of the time, all in one piece.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Why I Will Not Win Mom of the Year
Over the weekend, the boys, their Nonna and Pop, and I went the the Elmwood Park Zoo. We had a wonderful time! And we spent Sunday morning at an amazing castle playground in North Wales, with a Single Parents Group we are a part of. It was so much fun! But what brought me here this evening was a magazine that my mama picked up from the zoo. It was one of those free ones they give out and the topic was moms. I was actually really impressed! The articles were great, they even had information aimed towards single mamas, which I appreciated! The section I liked best was 'Why I Will Not Win Mom of the Year." Moms wrote in stories that I found hilarious, but maybe others would find horrifying, and I could relate. So, here is my own:
Why I Will Not Win Mom of the Year :
Many months ago when I was trying to figure out how to get out out of the house on time (which I still don't manage to do on a regular basis, by the way), I found that if I dressed my kids in their clothes for the next day instead of PJs, it cut out many minutes every morning. I am not sure my kids know what pajamas are anymore.
As you can see, once I just skipped the clothes all together! Just kidding...at least for this week! :)
And I am realizing I could probably go on indefinitely here, but I am hearing some very loud thumping from upstairs and should probably go and investigate. Especially because now it is being followed by giggling. That can't be good!
Have a happy evening!
Why I Will Not Win Mom of the Year :
Many months ago when I was trying to figure out how to get out out of the house on time (which I still don't manage to do on a regular basis, by the way), I found that if I dressed my kids in their clothes for the next day instead of PJs, it cut out many minutes every morning. I am not sure my kids know what pajamas are anymore.As you can see, once I just skipped the clothes all together! Just kidding...at least for this week! :)
- I let my kids eat food off of the floor after it falls. I rationalize it by saying I am building their immune systems and have faith when I tell them to kiss it up to God, that God will bless the food and remove anything that could harm them from it.
- I told Nick if he ever touched the window in his room ever, ever again, the police would come and give him a ticket and probably take him to jail...although it HAS been effective.
I guess most people bathe their kids every night. I find that to be very impressive due to the amount of time it takes and the mess bathing 2 wiggly, soggy, splashy children make. I bathe my kids if they start smelling weird or if there is something I can't identify stuck on their hair or body. Other than that, I figure if they smell clean, it's good enough for me.
- I am months behind on Michael's immunizations. I attempted to take him many months ago but ironically missed the appointment because the kids were sick and I was so distracted that I forgot. A sweet little girl that the kids play with was exposed to whooping cough at school which is one of those things that immunizations provide protection from. We have an appointment on Friday and I am just praying we don't contract any weird diseases or illnesses between now or then.
Nick thinks when he is acting up, I am going to eat him. Really. I used to tell him I was going to beat him if he didn't behave. Because I never have, he doesn't know what the word means and just assumed I was saying I was going to eat him. Instead of explaining that I would never, under circumstance, eat him. I still tell him I'll beat him, he still thinks I am saying I am going to eat him, and his eyes get wide and he settles down pretty much every time.
- Sometimes I feed my kids ice cream for dinner.
- I still lock Nick's door to his room every night so he can't escape. That just sounds like bad parenting, but really, I am more scared of what will happen if I don't and he conducts another experiment at 2 AM.
- When Nick whines, I pretend that he is speaking a foreign language that I can't understand so I don't have to respond. I wish his whining was a foreign language that I couldn't understand...or hear at all. Or maybe that it could translate into some sort of silent language, like Braille. On the positive side, he then eventually stops.
- Michael calls every animal a dog. Cows, elephants, birds...all of them are dogs. I used to try to tell him the correct names for things, but having a world filled with dogs makes him happy, so now I point to birds and say, 'dog...woof, woof' and he is ecstatic. I know it's wrong, but if something that little gives him so much happiness, I certainly don't want to be the one to break the news to him.
And here I took a picture instead of intervening when Nick tried to feed Michael to a hippo at the aquarium. :) Actually he was trying to show Michael the hippo, but Michael was too impressed and distracted by the winged "dogs" flying through the air.
And I am realizing I could probably go on indefinitely here, but I am hearing some very loud thumping from upstairs and should probably go and investigate. Especially because now it is being followed by giggling. That can't be good!
Have a happy evening!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Happy Spring
I am not sure how it got to be April from January so quickly. But somehow it has. Nick is potty trained now, except for overnights, which has been wonderful. The great thing about him taking so long is that once he decided he was ready, he had all of one accident and he was pretty much instantly trained. :) Nick loves pretending to be different things...lately it's been firemen. He and Michael fight when we're at home, but when we are outside the house, Nick is super protective and sweet to Michael, and they are learning that they can team up and get into even more mischief that way and I can only really catch one of them at a time. Nick is super active and likes to be busy. 
It will be good when we can play outside every day after work. When we get home, I give him jobs or have an art or science project ready for him so he doesn't come up with one of his own creative experiments. :) He knows his letters, but will pretend not to so people stop asking him. I actually didn't even know he knew them until last week when we were at the grocery store and he was reading letters off of packages. He likes learning, but doesn't like to be quizzed, and likes to figure out things on his own. He'll start preschool a few days a week next year with the babysitter's 4 year old son and they are both very excited.
It will be good when we can play outside every day after work. When we get home, I give him jobs or have an art or science project ready for him so he doesn't come up with one of his own creative experiments. :) He knows his letters, but will pretend not to so people stop asking him. I actually didn't even know he knew them until last week when we were at the grocery store and he was reading letters off of packages. He likes learning, but doesn't like to be quizzed, and likes to figure out things on his own. He'll start preschool a few days a week next year with the babysitter's 4 year old son and they are both very excited. Michael is still his sweet self, but has lots of opinions on things now and is starting to throw baby tantrums. He calms down really quickly though, and he actually responds when you tell him no, which I find amazing. Michael knows lots of words now, but his favorite is 'dog'. He has a couple of dog stuffed animals and LOVES real dogs and is really gentle with them. The babysitter just got a tiny little dog and the dog and Michael are best friends. :) 
The boys really want a dog, but we are waiting until we get a house, hopefully in a year and a half. Michael's other favorite thing is balls. He loves playing catch and has amazingly good aim when he throws things at Nick. :) I took him to the playground a week ago, and he actually fell asleep on a swing cuddling a ball. He is really friendly and social with everyone...babies, kids, adults. He just seems to like people a lot. Now that Mike has walking and running figured out, he is bored with it and prefers to climb up things. So I will walk into a room and find him on top of tables or whatever else he managed to climb up. We're working on that. :)
The boys really want a dog, but we are waiting until we get a house, hopefully in a year and a half. Michael's other favorite thing is balls. He loves playing catch and has amazingly good aim when he throws things at Nick. :) I took him to the playground a week ago, and he actually fell asleep on a swing cuddling a ball. He is really friendly and social with everyone...babies, kids, adults. He just seems to like people a lot. Now that Mike has walking and running figured out, he is bored with it and prefers to climb up things. So I will walk into a room and find him on top of tables or whatever else he managed to climb up. We're working on that. :)
As for me, I just started in a new position at work, which is fun, challenging and interesting. I get to investigate and follow up on customer complaints and figure out a way to make things better. I feel really lucky to have been given a new opportunity so quickly but am still figuring out how to balance work, the kids, and life. I'm still running, but barely. I am determined to make it more of a priority to fit it in though as when I run I am a much happpier mama. :) We celebrated Easter morning at home together and then went visiting and had Easter dinner with Mom, Dad, Sari, Emma, and Mom Mom Windle. It was really nice and the kids had a great time finding eggs there. And we all enjoyed the delicious dinner.
Things are still getting better, but I am still struggling with the challenges of being a single mom. I feel like each day gets better, and although we have some regressions, overall, things continue to steadily improve. And I am very determined to get the hang of it, so I know I will. I apologize for not posting more and for missing birthdays and not staying in better contact with all of you. I aspire to do better and one of these days Ill get the hang of it. :)
I hope you're all doing well and wish each of you a happy spring from myself and the boys!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
New year for a new life!
I have to say, I am very, very happy 2008 is over. :)
So, this new year started fabulously. I just turned 36, which is my favorite number. And to celebrate, I met with a good friend from college and ran the Disney World Marathon. It was the BEST! It was an incredible race, birthday, weekend and I can't think of a better way to start 2009! If any of you are thinking of running a marathon, I would highly recommend it! They even had CHOCOLATE on the course. So, of course, I will do it again one day. So, if anyone is interested, let me know! I definitely plan on running it again! I finished it in 5 hours and 13 minutes, 1 minutes slower than when I ran my first (and fastest) marathon when I was in the Army. Pretty incredible, since I barely trained. :) So now I am completely excited about running. I am signed up, with darling Julie, to run the Shamrock Half Marathon in VA Beach in March and then the Marine Corps Half Marathon in May with 20 or so of my See Mommy Run friends in VA. I so miss them and am so excited to see them! :)
So, I tried dating. I must have gone on a dozen first dates. This is what I learned. I hate dating. I've never done it before. I just would be friends with someone and things would develop. To me, that is normal. How do you even attempt to start a romantic relationship with someone you don't even know? I know people do it all the time, but to me it is beyond weird. And running for 5 hours during the marathon, I figured some additional things out. I don't want a boyfriend, relationship, fling, date, or anything else along those lines for a very long time. I mean, I can barely keep up with the laundary! Having one more thing to attend to does NOT sound like fun. And I am just plain old not ready. I think it will take me a very long time to be able to trust someone again. Luckily for me, I have tons of time. Every other weekend, when every other weekend is not even for certain, severely limits my social life and will give me a nice, long time to get to know people. And I think that is a very good thing. :)
But I have some recommendations for all of those men who are thinking of dating a single mama:
1.) Do not show up drunk (seriously!)
2.) If you are still living with your mama and have never, ever lived on your own....please rethink who you are dating and why. My thought....do I LOOK like I need another kid, especially in the form of an adult?!???
3.) Do not even mention "when I meet your kids" on a first, second, or even fortieth date. What went through my head was how to most quickly get out of the situation and RUN!
4.) If you are questioning her for not returning e-mails in a timely fashion and then indignantly ask "do you think you are seriously busier than me?" when she explains that she has serious time constraints, you will automatically be voted off the island. Then she will go laugh with her girlfriends for a very long time.
I could go on, but those were my favorites. To be fair, I did meet some very nice people as well. And I wasn't interested and then I met someone I actually liked realized I was not even close to ready. So...moving on! :)
Nicholas is now 3 years and almost 8 months old. And still not potty trained. So now when people ask if he is still wearing diapers and look concerned, I am thinking maybe I should do something about that. Nick had been doing much better in general but had a major regression over the holidays and went full force in a tantruming, very upset little boy. He seems to be coming out of it. That, and I lock him in his room at night now, and when you read what I learned this month, you will probably understand why. It seems to make him feel more secure and he is sleeping better though, so that's good. And today he was sweet and pleasant before I had to go to work, which I really enjoyed. I am hoping my parents are experiencing the same thing. And this is my last Sunday of work, by the way...woohoo!!! :)
Michael just started walking this week! He is totally adorable. He is still very pleasant and sweet...and hungry. Very, very hungry. I think he may eat more than I do, which is impressive, because I eat quite a lot! He and Nick have been sick over the past week though, so he has slowed down. Michael loves playing ball, dances whenever he hears music, and has words and favorites. He says "what is that?" constantly. Many times while pointing to Nick. ;)
So, here is what I have learned over the past month:
-A gallon of milk can somehow spray up about 5 feet on a wall when someone attempts to pour it into a cup.
-A gallon of milk takes about 4 towels to clean up
-So does a gallon of juice
-3 year olds think they can make a sandwich out of their brothers. They spread peanut butter and jelly on them and make a bread hat for the top. I don't know if they will really try to eat their peanut butter and baby brother jelly sandwich because I was too busy screaming and trying to corral 2 very sticky kids into a bath tub at the time.
-If there is a cookie, candy, sprinkles, or anything else with sugar in the house, a 3 year old can find it. Even if you didn't know it existed. And he will risk his life to do so by stacking chairs, boxes, or anything else he things will work. But if he eats an entire bag of candy, he will kindly save his mama one to try to placate her.
-Toasters are facinating to 3 year olds. They want to see what they can do. We have learned toys get stuck and paper makes smoke. At 4 AM. And the smoke will wake mama up and she will make the command decision that locking her child in his room is much less hazardous than what he can do when wandering freely at night or while she is in the shower.
-If you ask a guy in the hardware store for a recommendation on how to lock your child in the room, he will look alarmed. When you explain the situation, he will ask, "is his name Dameon?" And then he will help you. :)
-If you get to the start line of a marathon and found you forgot your racing chip (which is how they measure your time and shows that you were actually there) you can make it from the startring area to the taxi area to the hotel, back to the taxi area, to the starting area, to the start line (which was like a MILE away!) in about 50 minutes. And you will realize that your friend who went all the way there and back with you and who risked missing the start of the race and sprinted over 3 miles before a 26 mile race just to run the race with you is a very, very good friend. :)
-26.2 miles is a very long way.
-Applesauce, when flung by a 3 year old, can fly about 7 feet. And when the 1 year old, who thinks it is hilarious, flings his applesauce as well, it can go about 4 feet.
-Those who say not to use TV as a babysitter have never been a single mom. It is amazing what can be accomplished in 30 minutes and everyone is happy. It's like magic!
I think that's about all for now. I am writing from work as it is an especially slow (which is so nice!) day. I will post pictures soon. Soon in single mama time could be months, but I will make every effort to get them up in real time soon. :)
Happy January and happy 2009, everyone! :)
So, this new year started fabulously. I just turned 36, which is my favorite number. And to celebrate, I met with a good friend from college and ran the Disney World Marathon. It was the BEST! It was an incredible race, birthday, weekend and I can't think of a better way to start 2009! If any of you are thinking of running a marathon, I would highly recommend it! They even had CHOCOLATE on the course. So, of course, I will do it again one day. So, if anyone is interested, let me know! I definitely plan on running it again! I finished it in 5 hours and 13 minutes, 1 minutes slower than when I ran my first (and fastest) marathon when I was in the Army. Pretty incredible, since I barely trained. :) So now I am completely excited about running. I am signed up, with darling Julie, to run the Shamrock Half Marathon in VA Beach in March and then the Marine Corps Half Marathon in May with 20 or so of my See Mommy Run friends in VA. I so miss them and am so excited to see them! :)
So, I tried dating. I must have gone on a dozen first dates. This is what I learned. I hate dating. I've never done it before. I just would be friends with someone and things would develop. To me, that is normal. How do you even attempt to start a romantic relationship with someone you don't even know? I know people do it all the time, but to me it is beyond weird. And running for 5 hours during the marathon, I figured some additional things out. I don't want a boyfriend, relationship, fling, date, or anything else along those lines for a very long time. I mean, I can barely keep up with the laundary! Having one more thing to attend to does NOT sound like fun. And I am just plain old not ready. I think it will take me a very long time to be able to trust someone again. Luckily for me, I have tons of time. Every other weekend, when every other weekend is not even for certain, severely limits my social life and will give me a nice, long time to get to know people. And I think that is a very good thing. :)
But I have some recommendations for all of those men who are thinking of dating a single mama:
1.) Do not show up drunk (seriously!)
2.) If you are still living with your mama and have never, ever lived on your own....please rethink who you are dating and why. My thought....do I LOOK like I need another kid, especially in the form of an adult?!???
3.) Do not even mention "when I meet your kids" on a first, second, or even fortieth date. What went through my head was how to most quickly get out of the situation and RUN!
4.) If you are questioning her for not returning e-mails in a timely fashion and then indignantly ask "do you think you are seriously busier than me?" when she explains that she has serious time constraints, you will automatically be voted off the island. Then she will go laugh with her girlfriends for a very long time.
I could go on, but those were my favorites. To be fair, I did meet some very nice people as well. And I wasn't interested and then I met someone I actually liked realized I was not even close to ready. So...moving on! :)
Nicholas is now 3 years and almost 8 months old. And still not potty trained. So now when people ask if he is still wearing diapers and look concerned, I am thinking maybe I should do something about that. Nick had been doing much better in general but had a major regression over the holidays and went full force in a tantruming, very upset little boy. He seems to be coming out of it. That, and I lock him in his room at night now, and when you read what I learned this month, you will probably understand why. It seems to make him feel more secure and he is sleeping better though, so that's good. And today he was sweet and pleasant before I had to go to work, which I really enjoyed. I am hoping my parents are experiencing the same thing. And this is my last Sunday of work, by the way...woohoo!!! :)
Michael just started walking this week! He is totally adorable. He is still very pleasant and sweet...and hungry. Very, very hungry. I think he may eat more than I do, which is impressive, because I eat quite a lot! He and Nick have been sick over the past week though, so he has slowed down. Michael loves playing ball, dances whenever he hears music, and has words and favorites. He says "what is that?" constantly. Many times while pointing to Nick. ;)
So, here is what I have learned over the past month:
-A gallon of milk can somehow spray up about 5 feet on a wall when someone attempts to pour it into a cup.
-A gallon of milk takes about 4 towels to clean up
-So does a gallon of juice
-3 year olds think they can make a sandwich out of their brothers. They spread peanut butter and jelly on them and make a bread hat for the top. I don't know if they will really try to eat their peanut butter and baby brother jelly sandwich because I was too busy screaming and trying to corral 2 very sticky kids into a bath tub at the time.
-If there is a cookie, candy, sprinkles, or anything else with sugar in the house, a 3 year old can find it. Even if you didn't know it existed. And he will risk his life to do so by stacking chairs, boxes, or anything else he things will work. But if he eats an entire bag of candy, he will kindly save his mama one to try to placate her.
-Toasters are facinating to 3 year olds. They want to see what they can do. We have learned toys get stuck and paper makes smoke. At 4 AM. And the smoke will wake mama up and she will make the command decision that locking her child in his room is much less hazardous than what he can do when wandering freely at night or while she is in the shower.
-If you ask a guy in the hardware store for a recommendation on how to lock your child in the room, he will look alarmed. When you explain the situation, he will ask, "is his name Dameon?" And then he will help you. :)
-If you get to the start line of a marathon and found you forgot your racing chip (which is how they measure your time and shows that you were actually there) you can make it from the startring area to the taxi area to the hotel, back to the taxi area, to the starting area, to the start line (which was like a MILE away!) in about 50 minutes. And you will realize that your friend who went all the way there and back with you and who risked missing the start of the race and sprinted over 3 miles before a 26 mile race just to run the race with you is a very, very good friend. :)
-26.2 miles is a very long way.
-Applesauce, when flung by a 3 year old, can fly about 7 feet. And when the 1 year old, who thinks it is hilarious, flings his applesauce as well, it can go about 4 feet.
-Those who say not to use TV as a babysitter have never been a single mom. It is amazing what can be accomplished in 30 minutes and everyone is happy. It's like magic!
I think that's about all for now. I am writing from work as it is an especially slow (which is so nice!) day. I will post pictures soon. Soon in single mama time could be months, but I will make every effort to get them up in real time soon. :)
Happy January and happy 2009, everyone! :)
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Happy Christmas Eve!
Brrrrrr! Baby, it's cold outside! I hope all of you are staying warm!
Nicholas is so excited about Christmas! It's been so much fun talking with him about Santa and watching him get more and more excited about everything. He is a bit confused about the whole idea of it being Jesus' birthday. He asked how old Jesus was going to be and I said that he has been around for forever, so very old. But then he asked why he was still a baby. Hmmmm....I had no idea. So I went with my, now standard, answer. Because God made it that way and God is magic. It works for anything! :)
Michael is almost walking. He stands on his own and will attempt to take a step every once in awhile. And he can sprint crawl amazingly quickly. And fit under anything. That baby has amazing skills! He is pretty easy though. He is laid back and generally always happy. And he actually listens when you tell him know, which is astounding to me. :) He loves playing ball, with cars, and loves listening to music.
Being a single mom keeps getting better. I can dance around the house and sing and the kids will join me and we aren't annoying anyone. I can be somewhat messy, hyper, goofy, or quiet and no one really minds. I am thinking it's not such a bad thing. And it keeps getting easier and more manageable. Well, as long as a second job or holiday isn't thrown in there. Day to day life is very manageable now, and even fun. :)
So, guess what?!?!?? Thanks to Emily being so kind and watching the boys for a ridiculously long time last night, I did my final long training run for the marathon! I ran 20.7 miles in 4 hours and 20 minutes. For all of you runners who would be interested, that is a 12:34/mile pace. So, I was ecstatic just to have completed it, but then, the pace was surprisingly good news. It was about 25 degrees so I had at least 5-7 lbs of clothes on, not counting my shoes and I was half frozen. And the route I run is very hilly. So, now I am thinking...can I break 5 hours? I will have summer running clothes, no hills, and I won't be frozen. I would be so excited! But really, I will be just so excited to be there and running it and to start and finish with no injuries. And it's on my birthday, 1/11! I couldn't think of a better way to begin a new year.
2008....I am against it. It was a very bad year for lots of reasons, but mainly one. I am excited to start 2009 doing something happy and positive and hope that the rest of the year will get the idea and follow. :)
So...things I learned this month:
Glitter never dies, ever. If someone should dump it, not matter how many times you sweep it or mop it, it will always be there. Like germs of the art supply world.
And if glitter is somehow poured on a baby, it apparently becomes a permanent part of their skin. No matter how many baths happen, you will still be able to find glitter on the baby.
The average parent does not call poison control 15 times. I know, I did a survey. And if that weren't enough, the poison control nurse kindly informed me I was over-achieving in this area.
A 3 and a half year old weighing approximately 35 lbs can drink 3/4 of a bottle of children's tylenol and be okay. And a tube of toothpaste too. But I already knew about the toothpaste from a previous call from poison control.
When the poison control nurse points out that when some kids can open child proof containers and scale upper level cabinets to reach things a lock box is in order, don't ask if it isn't illegal to put your child in a lock box in PA. They will not be amused.
Playdoh does not melt. Nick experimented by putting clumps of playdoh on the rug, tables, counters, and toys and watered it with a bottle of water as science experiment to find out if it would melt. It does not. It does turn into a sticky gloopy substance though. Not recommended.
The stomach flu is evil.
Your 3 year old will decide whatever he ate right before he had the stomach flu was the evil that caused it and refuse to eat carrots based on his life experience.
3 year olds can reach ANYTHING
Kids learn to imitate each others screams and cries and think it's hilarious to see mama run to rescue the wrong kid. Both of them. Seriously.
Kids will do anything if you call it a party! It's a cleaning up party! It's a scrubbing the bathroom party! It's a staying in line party! WOOHOO! And if you add music, it's even better!
Some people will continue to be jerks no matter how nice you are to them. Stay away from them as much as possible.
Some people will love and adore you no matter how imperfect and terrible you are at staying in touch. True friends are amazing. :)
If you are determined, you can do anything. If it doesn't seem possible, it probably is.
Dating sucks. And it only gets weirder as you get older. It is fantastic for stories to entertain friends though. :)
And last, but not least, babies do not and can not fly. Nick experimented. We both agreed that babies can't fly, bounce like balls, even if they are baby Batman in disguise as baby brother Michael.
Happy December! :)
Nicholas is so excited about Christmas! It's been so much fun talking with him about Santa and watching him get more and more excited about everything. He is a bit confused about the whole idea of it being Jesus' birthday. He asked how old Jesus was going to be and I said that he has been around for forever, so very old. But then he asked why he was still a baby. Hmmmm....I had no idea. So I went with my, now standard, answer. Because God made it that way and God is magic. It works for anything! :)
Michael is almost walking. He stands on his own and will attempt to take a step every once in awhile. And he can sprint crawl amazingly quickly. And fit under anything. That baby has amazing skills! He is pretty easy though. He is laid back and generally always happy. And he actually listens when you tell him know, which is astounding to me. :) He loves playing ball, with cars, and loves listening to music.
Being a single mom keeps getting better. I can dance around the house and sing and the kids will join me and we aren't annoying anyone. I can be somewhat messy, hyper, goofy, or quiet and no one really minds. I am thinking it's not such a bad thing. And it keeps getting easier and more manageable. Well, as long as a second job or holiday isn't thrown in there. Day to day life is very manageable now, and even fun. :)
So, guess what?!?!?? Thanks to Emily being so kind and watching the boys for a ridiculously long time last night, I did my final long training run for the marathon! I ran 20.7 miles in 4 hours and 20 minutes. For all of you runners who would be interested, that is a 12:34/mile pace. So, I was ecstatic just to have completed it, but then, the pace was surprisingly good news. It was about 25 degrees so I had at least 5-7 lbs of clothes on, not counting my shoes and I was half frozen. And the route I run is very hilly. So, now I am thinking...can I break 5 hours? I will have summer running clothes, no hills, and I won't be frozen. I would be so excited! But really, I will be just so excited to be there and running it and to start and finish with no injuries. And it's on my birthday, 1/11! I couldn't think of a better way to begin a new year.
2008....I am against it. It was a very bad year for lots of reasons, but mainly one. I am excited to start 2009 doing something happy and positive and hope that the rest of the year will get the idea and follow. :)
So...things I learned this month:
Glitter never dies, ever. If someone should dump it, not matter how many times you sweep it or mop it, it will always be there. Like germs of the art supply world.
And if glitter is somehow poured on a baby, it apparently becomes a permanent part of their skin. No matter how many baths happen, you will still be able to find glitter on the baby.
The average parent does not call poison control 15 times. I know, I did a survey. And if that weren't enough, the poison control nurse kindly informed me I was over-achieving in this area.
A 3 and a half year old weighing approximately 35 lbs can drink 3/4 of a bottle of children's tylenol and be okay. And a tube of toothpaste too. But I already knew about the toothpaste from a previous call from poison control.
When the poison control nurse points out that when some kids can open child proof containers and scale upper level cabinets to reach things a lock box is in order, don't ask if it isn't illegal to put your child in a lock box in PA. They will not be amused.
Playdoh does not melt. Nick experimented by putting clumps of playdoh on the rug, tables, counters, and toys and watered it with a bottle of water as science experiment to find out if it would melt. It does not. It does turn into a sticky gloopy substance though. Not recommended.
The stomach flu is evil.
Your 3 year old will decide whatever he ate right before he had the stomach flu was the evil that caused it and refuse to eat carrots based on his life experience.
3 year olds can reach ANYTHING
Kids learn to imitate each others screams and cries and think it's hilarious to see mama run to rescue the wrong kid. Both of them. Seriously.
Kids will do anything if you call it a party! It's a cleaning up party! It's a scrubbing the bathroom party! It's a staying in line party! WOOHOO! And if you add music, it's even better!
Some people will continue to be jerks no matter how nice you are to them. Stay away from them as much as possible.
Some people will love and adore you no matter how imperfect and terrible you are at staying in touch. True friends are amazing. :)
If you are determined, you can do anything. If it doesn't seem possible, it probably is.
Dating sucks. And it only gets weirder as you get older. It is fantastic for stories to entertain friends though. :)
And last, but not least, babies do not and can not fly. Nick experimented. We both agreed that babies can't fly, bounce like balls, even if they are baby Batman in disguise as baby brother Michael.
Happy December! :)
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Good Morning, Poison Control!
So, apparently we are frequent flyers at the Poison Control Center. I wonder if they have reward points?
Nick woke up at 4:52 this morning, before I had the chance to get a shower. So I sent him downstairs to go play so I could get a quick shower. 5 minutes later I am out of the shower and Nick comes upstairs with a sticky film covering him telling me he needs to wash his hands. And I ask WHAT is all over him. He tells me toothpaste....and red medicine. But no, I am thinking, it can't be. That bottle is in the kitchen on a high shelf where he couldn't possible reach. But I go downstairs and discover that I am incorrect. With a chair and some good climbing, he certainly can reach it apparently. And apparently also can unscrew child proof caps. Seriously!?!??? At 4:59 in the morning!????
So visions of an ER trip started dancing though my head as I call Poison Control, again. Sandy, the nurse did some crazy math calculation to figure out what three quarters of a bottle of 4 oz Tylenol with about 5 teaspoons spilled on the counter could do do a 35 pound boy and....we are safe. I don't even mention that he also ate most of a tube of toothpaste, since I have already consulted them about this in the past and know that this won't make you seriously ill either if it's kid's toothpaste. She suggests a lock box. And I am wondering, for the medicine or for Nick?
HAPPY FRIDAY! :)
Nick woke up at 4:52 this morning, before I had the chance to get a shower. So I sent him downstairs to go play so I could get a quick shower. 5 minutes later I am out of the shower and Nick comes upstairs with a sticky film covering him telling me he needs to wash his hands. And I ask WHAT is all over him. He tells me toothpaste....and red medicine. But no, I am thinking, it can't be. That bottle is in the kitchen on a high shelf where he couldn't possible reach. But I go downstairs and discover that I am incorrect. With a chair and some good climbing, he certainly can reach it apparently. And apparently also can unscrew child proof caps. Seriously!?!??? At 4:59 in the morning!????
So visions of an ER trip started dancing though my head as I call Poison Control, again. Sandy, the nurse did some crazy math calculation to figure out what three quarters of a bottle of 4 oz Tylenol with about 5 teaspoons spilled on the counter could do do a 35 pound boy and....we are safe. I don't even mention that he also ate most of a tube of toothpaste, since I have already consulted them about this in the past and know that this won't make you seriously ill either if it's kid's toothpaste. She suggests a lock box. And I am wondering, for the medicine or for Nick?
HAPPY FRIDAY! :)
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