A Blog a Day

I am committing to blogging once a day. I know that I would often do two or even three posts in one day, and then none for a few. Apparently those reading were not impressed. This does mean that even if I do three posts in one day, I will post them one day at a time. But one the other hand there will be something new to read everyday when you check in. I hope this meets everyone's approval and if not, what can I do? You can't please everybody!

Girl Time

We (meaning me, Gigi, Morgy and Granny) took time out of our busy weekends to have some girl time Saturday. Prior to some dessert at a restaurant and a swim back at home with Hayden, we went and got our toenails painted by Hong, owner of the best nail salon in Buttocks, Dove Nails. Yes, Syd got a modified pedicure at 3 years old. And she loved every minute of it. She has brought up Hong, saying "Hong likes me. Hong is my friend," everyday since. I didn't have a camera to take pics, so don't worry about that.

Go ahead and judge. I live in Texas, you know.

Blog of the Week (or year since I have never done this before)

A few of my mommy friends have asked me where I get the craft and "schoolwork" stuff I do with my spawn. Anyone that knows me well knows that I am a copier. That's right, a copier through and through. I have several sites and blogs that I go to for "inspiration". A favorite for toddler/preschooler crafts, which I was referred to by Peggy R. is:

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/

This Mother of the Year (or MOY, again a reference from Peggy) not only goes step by step through the materials needed to do her activities, BUT she recommends BOOKS and even goes so far as to VIDEOTAPE herself singing a song that relates to said activity. That in itself is reason enough for a daily visit. She holds nothing back. And she does all of these activities with her 16 month old. If you have a few minutes today please check her out. And enjoy the songs with hand motions.

Mother of the Year

Your child asks for more chocolate cookies, which you are feeding them for a "snack" at 9:00 a.m. and you tell her, "I will give you more, but eat the ones H-Dubya dropped on the floor, first."

Mother of the Year, I tell you. Mother of the Year.

Before you judge me and call CPS, I was immediately struck by an article I read in the last Parents magazine. It was intended for FATHERS (because no doting mother worth her salt would ever do such a thing) and said to not abide by the 5 second rule, for the sake and health of your child. That any contact with the grimy floor which breeds mountains of germs is unsanitary. It goes without saying that the playroom floor that hasn't been swept or mopped in 7 days wouldn't be a good place to serve your precious children their food. So I picked it up before she could eat it. I hate wasting food. There are children starving in Africa, ya know?

Obsessive Attachment

Syd has loved her blanket since she was 4 months old. At that time, we went to Jacksonville so that I could finish my Masters. I needed two summer school classes that were offered in a one month period. We stayed in an extended stay hotel, and with a friend who was kind enough to put us up for two weeks! Ron was with me for two weeks, and then my mother came for two weeks. Sydney of course had some trouble sleeping. At this time my mother was able to get her to take a pacifier, and found that she had a serious thing for one particular blanket, which she has always called Beese. It is really thin, thinner than a sheet. It is also a blanket that was mine as a baby and that can't be replaced, unfortunately. If she was crying we could put it over her head and she would moan and stop.

She still sleeps with the thing today. We tried to make her leave it on her bed at all times, but this is something I have been painfully lax about lately. Brokeback actually notices it more than I do. Well, when I made the post below I noticed in the pictures she has the thing with her. She is squatting so that she can hold it with her leg and still do the activity. I have since noticed that if she wants to use the shopping cart, she puts it in the bottom so she can take it around with her. This is something that I thought she would have kinda grown out of by now. But she indeed has not. When did you or your children give up the Linus-type blanket obsession?

Sink or Float

We did an activity called sink or float today. I would highly recommend it if you have a tile floor somewhere in the house. It was great because both kids could participate, and I knew the worst thing H-Dubya could do was dump the whole bowl of water on the floor, which he did, but that isn't the point of this post. We picked some toys out of the playroom and dropped them in the water. Then Syd put them on the sink or float side of the paper. It was tougher than I thought find toys that would sink. I don't know how much Syd actually learned from the activity, seeing as when Aunt Morgy asked Syd if a fork floats or sinks, she shouted. "FLOATS!" But we had a good time, as you can see in the pictures.

Our First ER Visit

H-Dubya got the dreaded "virus" that is going around town. He began his vomitting decline on Wednesday. He seemed okay when I left for work yesterday, but he had a terrible diaper. When I got home he had vomitted 5 more times and wasn't urinating much. His beautiful brown eyes were literally sinking into his head. I called the nurse and she said we needed to take him to the pediatric emergency room. It was, well, gross. Hayden was dehydrated and had to do two IVs because he couldn't keep a popsicle or anything else down. He was supposed to urinate before we left, but that never happened. We left around 6:30 and got home after 11. Luckily Gigi came and got Syd, and she spent the night over there. H was up twice last night, and has had only two more really bad diapers. I think we are defintely over the hill. I am so glad as the doctor said that this virus is what they saw all night, and some kids had it for a WEEK!

Waterbaby

H-Dubya went through a phase for a couple of weeks where he didn't want to stay in the hot tub. He much preferred to march around the perimeter of the pool for as long as he could get away with. Brokeback hated it because he was sure he was going to slip and fall, though I made him wear the snazzy water socks that my mother bought him at Walmart. The phase has now passed. H-Dubya loves to swim in the big pool, and he doesn't care how cold it is. The following pics are of him serenely enjoying his lazy days of "summer". Please ignore the liberal snot running from his nose. The boy has allergies and is recovering from a sinus infection. And be happy he isn't nude in the pictures. He prefers skinny dipping above all else.

Crafting Days are Here Again

I have been renewed and wanted to show some of Syd's newest home stuff. We weren't donig "schoolwork" everyday for awhile there so she appreciated getting back into the groove. Yesterday she did some "beginner science" with ice. She enjoyed it for about 15 minutes. I had to ask many a probing question for her to get that ice is cold, and melts into water. So ice is made of cold water.

We also made a ladybug and read ladybug books. The Grouchy Ladybug was her fave, and it was not short. She found a ladybug in the pool on Sunday and was thrilled. Thankfully I saw a ladybug craft on a blog that a friend of mine referred me to. Syd LOVES painting. So anything that has to do with that she gets excited about. I have found that the sponges are easiest to use, and you can get them at Walmart for like 50 cents. I plan on letting H-Dubya try them soon, Lord be with me.

Concentration.


She just loves her schoolwork. Notice the chocolate chip cookie left over in the corner of her mouth.


Wet hand.


The girl is an artist! Notice her "smock". I would love to get her a cute one someday.


So excited about the final product.

Lubbock Renegade's Two Biggest Fans

Brokeback and Poppy WERE the Lubbock Cotton Kings biggest fans. They had season tickets, wore the jerseys to the games, went to the meet the players events. They participated in every way but painting their faces, thank goodness. As many a Lubbockite knows, the Cotton Kings are now defunct. They are no longer a league, and while I don't remember exactly why, let me know if you have questions. I can get you Brokeback or Poppy's email address and they will be happy to explain it to you in detail.

Because of the tragedy, they have been forced to begin supporting another team. Not hockey, which disappoints Brokeback greatly, but football. The Lubbock Renegades are some sort of football league. They now attend these games regularly. Season tickets, jerseys, the works. They went to a game on Saturday night, and Morgy and I were thrilled to see that Brokeback and Poppy bought matching hats and dress as twins for the games. Please enjoy the following picture. Don't they look proud and happy?

Sickness Update

A VERY nice friend of mine called this morning to inform me that she was wondering how H and I were, since I mentioned being sick on the blog last week and then NEVER UPDATED. Made me feel so good to know that she cares!

H and I both have terrible sinus infections. We started antibiotics on Friday. I actually waited at my doctor for 2 hours to be seen, and got two shots as well as the antibiotic pills. Usually the shots kick in 24 hours later, but alas this time I must have let it go too long because I am still doing a gross and ucomfortable (for myself as well as those around me) cough. Hayden seems to be doing much better, though, and is back to his daily snotty nose,only.

Like Father Like Daughter

So, I was looking back at some recent blog posts. Smiling to myself and doing a bit of "ooohhhing" and "so cuteing". And I came to this picture:



I know that she looks like Brokeback. The same beautiful blue eyes. And um, forehead. But in the above photograph, it is even more obivous. Same tight lipped smile. Same eyes. Same forehead. Syd is Brokeback in woman form. Brokeback's mini me. Lovely.

Sick, again?

Methinks that H is going to have to go to the doctor tomorrow. We have both had a disgusting amount of drainage and a hacking cough for the last week. Zyrtec and Mucinex have been taken to no avail. Being the superb mother I am I have been putting off taking him to the doctor thinking it would resolve itself. Apparently not, for either of us. With H-Dubya it usually ends up going to the ears. I went so far as to carry him on over to the next door neighbor who is a pediatric nurse to see if she could take a quick look but she wasn't home. Or she saw us through the window and chose not to answer the door. I am not sure which one. It could actually be the latter if she found out that I have been dumping the wet leaves from the pool back over her side of the fence since they come from her unruly apricot trees. Much to Ron's constant chagrin.

7 Days

SEVEN DAYS TIL A NEW GREY'S ANATOMY!!!!


WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Little Flower

We have gazebo (for lack of a better term) type structure off of our side porch. The pervious owners brought back a beautiful blooming vine from the carribean or something. It has been working on blooming for awhile, today it started. Of course I wanted to get great pics of both of the kids, but alas I didn't. I got some STELLAR ones of Syd. Such a beautiful girl. (says her mother)




Typical ham. Notice the recorder must be held at all times. And she is wearing her new favorite shoes, compliments of her Gigi and Target.


And the one of both. No, H-Dubya is not wearing pants that are too short. They are supposed to be long shorts, or manpris, but they were sagging.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

This is actually one of Brokeback's big interests. Inneresting!

Like White on Rice

Syd sometimes doesn't know when to back off. And unfortunately for H-Dubya, Brokeback and I think it is funny. She will chase him around, holding onto the back of his neck. If he leaves her sight, she calls his name and says, "come on, sweetie pie." Wonder where she heard that?

Last night, she was just all over him. Poor baby didn't have a chance. All he wanted to do was take care of his daily habit, wraping himself in the unattractive sheer curtain in front of the window.


Then this transpired:



He tries to get away. He learns that just because he can't see her doesn't mean she can't see him.


The inevitable neck grab.


She takes him down. He fights it.


Oh, maybe he likes it?

Can't tell so much here through the fury of hair. Maybe not?


Notice she straddles him to make sure he is pinned. She thinks she is tickling him and that he should enjoy it.



The joys of siblings.

Best Friends

Wanted to share one more thing. As you know my kids are 18 months apart. It was not in our plan to have them this close together, but that is what God blessed us with. It is actually great to have them close because the older H gets the more they love to play together.

This morning Syd felt it necessary to get up at 6:30. Being the great mother I am, I put a movie on for her and went back to bed. She knows she can't go into H's room so she will periodically come back into my room and turn on the video monitor to check and see if he is still asleep. This morning when she bustled through she said, Mommy I am ready for H to get up. He is my best friend." Is that not just the sweetest thing ever? So precious. Then when he was up, they would try to sneak into my bedroom where Brokeback was still sleeping. I don't know why, to look at him maybe, or hide in my closet? Anywho, they would run out holding hands and giggling, saying "shhhh, shhh," to eachother. I wish I got a picture. Maybe next time.

Quick Update

Sorry I haven't blogged more this week! It has been busy. I start work on Tuesday, so we have interviewed some babysitters. I found a few GREAT ones on this website:

www.care.com

I think I emailed this site to some of my friends already, but I was so impressed I thought I would post the link here. I paid $25 and had access of several pages of babsitters. We found a great one. She is a Tech student and the kids seem to like her. There are other websites you can use for sitters, but this one was the least expensive and I was really happy with it.

I have been trying to get things cleaned up and organized before I go back, but I am terribly unmotivated this week for some reason. I finally got the kids rooms and playroom looking good, and that took forever as I have been neglecting those areas something fierce. Syd was so happy to have her room sparkling clean that she rolled around on her made bed with her blanket for about 20 minutes! Poor girl.

Brokeback is still working on recovering from the surgery, and things haven't been great this weekend. His leg is really painful today, so we skipped out on church. We think he just somehow did something to irritate the nerves. Please keep him in your prayers!

I must get back to cleaning and we are going to dinner at my parents' house. Everyone have a great week!

The Great Outdoors

My kids, like most, love to play outside. For some reason they prefer the front yard. Anywho, we bought this nifty t-ball set at Walmart for about $13. They just loved it. Unfortunately H didn't get to use it quite as much as big sis, because he just isn't as persistent and aggressive as she is (yet). H was just as content to pick up sticks and carry them around. He also enjoyed picking up large tree branches and taking them into the house to poke into and get dirt all over my newly recovered couches. But that is a post for another day.


Let'er rip!! She is taking this really seriously. She gets this athletic prowess from her mother. I played JV tennis in high school, you know. And just for informational purposes, the ball behind the t is not the one she hit. It went really far, like a foot or two away.


Notice she moved the t. This is because H-Dubya came with 20 feet of it during what she considered to be her "turn".


Outdoor discovery.


Pensive.


Trying it out.

Reunion

The kids were just terribly thrilled to be reunited with their father, Brokeback. Here they are welcoming him with open arms after their nap, and yes some people around here prefer to nap in their underpants. They just smother him with love. I'm sure that the warm welcome had nothing to do with the can of cashews in his lap. As heavy as my kids are I hope that we don't end up back in the hospital undergoing a third back surgery.