Chronicles of A Boy

Success!

2009-01-22T10:52:00.002-05:00

HA HA!! After months and months, we have had 1 night of success! It probably doesn't mean a whole heck of alot in the big scheme of things, but last night Owen SLEPT THRU THE NIGHT. All NIGHT. IN HIS OWN BED.

This is a momentous occasion. Happiness and bliss all around the homestead today!

Let's play catch.....up.

2008-12-16T07:39:00.002-05:00

Wow-hadn't realized how long it had been since I have updated...time certainly does fly, doesn't it?

We have been having a bit of a rough patch with Owen and his sleeping. It seems as tho he has adopted the sleep schedule of a newborn again. Up at 1am, 4 am...ugh, it is grating. Not sure what to do to break the cycle! It is actually up to John to break it, since he is the one that brings him downstairs into our room, will give him some milk in the middle of the night. I figured I have already done tough love and broken my heart numerous times, he can try it now! But, the key difference is Owen is now sleeping in a big boy bed, so now he just silently drifts downstairs only waiting until he is already in our bed to make himself known.

We have added a puppy into the mix, too. He is a great dog, but a complete spaz. He just had his castration surgery, and then developed a whopper of a UTI. Poor little thing. But, he and Owen get on great most times and I hope that they will be good friends for each other. I had a black lab growing up that was always around us, and such an integral part of our everyday lives. It was a great expereince, and I hope to be able to recreate that for Owen.

Gearing up for Christmas..what fun it is! I have always enjoyed Christmas, but to have the gift of seeing it thru Owen's eyes? It is over the top! We went to see Santa, and he didn't show a moments hesitation. Let the Man in Red know he wanted a tractor, and was very preoccupied with what Santa feeds the reindeer (Cawwots, by the way). He has been great with the tree and all the lights and decorations. And the ability to hang Santa over his head when he is being naughty? Truly priceless! I am going to milk it for all it is worth!!!

Been starting to look at preschools-can't believe it is almost that time. We spent a few hours at one of the top contenders and he blended right in, was participating eagerly, and on his best behavior. Of course, once I make my decision, it will create havoc with the schedule his has had for almost 2 years, but it will be worth it. The teachers were great, and it seemed like they really did enjoy the kids. No bad vibes whatsoever. Still need to look at 2 others that are front-runners, but will do that after the holidays.

Well, the Boy has finally woken up, my time is done for now...

Hallmark Moment #182

2008-10-18T20:20:00.003-05:00

Owen has been going thru a very Daddy-oriented period. No one can do anything quite as good as Daddy can. He has been John's literal shadow. In the bathroom, down in the basement. Out in the shed, in the kitchen..everywhere.

It was grating a bit on John (and me!~). Finally, John asked Owen

"Why is Daddy so special?"
Without missing a beat, Owen said "because you're my best friend"

All together now...Awwwwwwwwww....................

More of Why It's Good to be Owen...

2008-10-18T19:59:00.010-05:00

Going on an authentic Steam Engine Train Ride thru the White Mtns. during peak foliage season:

Seeing a Live Bear Show:

Bumper Boat driving (and he knew how to drive it and squirt the water out!)

He got to look at this every day (multiple times~)

Just adore this picture-the real anticipation and excitement on his face is precious..

Who needs Pumpkins when you a Ham?

Decorating his own hand picked pumpkin at a craft fair:

My 2 guys getting ready to hit the Not So Scary Hayrides at a local farm:

Y'know, the more I was looking at pics for this post, the more I thought about it. Yes, it is good to be Owen, but it is GREAT to be his mother.
*Eyeroll* But it's true!!

Out of the mouth of babes...

2008-10-09T05:48:00.003-05:00

When: Tuesday morning, 7:30 am
Where: Home

John was still sleeping, and Owen and I were playing around in the livingroom. I told him to go into the bedroom, tell Daddy that you loved him, and it was time to wake up.
Owen padded into the bedroom, then came rushing back about 30 seconds later. This is the resulting conversation:

me: Did you tell Daddy that you love him?
Owen: yes.
me: Did you tell Daddy that it was time to wakey-wakey eggs and bacy?
Owen:yes
me: Well, what did he say?
Owen: He said...........He said........(the entire time he has his index finger up to his lips, looking at the ceiling) he said he wants a lollipop.

Couldn't help but laugh my tail off at that one!!

Here is a recent picture for your viewing pleasure from the last few days...

Growing up is so hard....on ME!!

2008-09-28T06:50:00.004-05:00

Well. Yesterday was an adventurous day for Owen. He did quite a bit of growing up, and I was completely unprepared.

First order of business on the yucky, overcast & rainy day was a haircut. Normally, we go to one of the cheapie places (Have a hard time justifying $20 plus on haircuts!) and we have had nothing but great luck with all the terrific stylists. He sits on my lap, we are both draped in a cape, and he sits still and doesn't move a muscle. He wanted none of that yesterday. He wanted to sit "all by myself" in the chair. He was animated, funny, and on best behavior. I was so proud!! It was probably the only time I didn't have my camera with me and I regretted it.

Next we come to nap time. For the past 2 solid weeks, he has been taking 2 1/4 to 3 hour naps. It is like clockwork between 1-2 pm. Yesterday, we weren't so lucky. It was probably because we were stuck inside most of the day due to the weather, and he isn't used to that. So, I made many attempts in vain to get him to go down for a nap. As a last straw, I put him in the crib. Not even 2 minutes later, he silently had wandered downstairs and said "Hi Mommy". It took a minute to process this ! He NEVER has climbed out of his crib! He's been tall enough to do it for a long time, but never actually done it! His beloved "cwib"! So, spur of the moment, John and I decided to get a Big Boy Bed. He had slept in one before up in New Hampshire and had marginal success. So, we were very optimistic. Got a lovely pine Shaker mission style twin, comfy mattress, and waterproof mattress pad. He passed out at 5:30pm in the back of the car.

Got him home, laid him on our bed for a little while, set up his new bed, then figured the best way to wake him up would be move him into his new bed. Right? Wrong. He woke up of course, but rolled right over and went back to sleep. He inherits his sleeping from me, I think..he can sleep anywhere. Finally, he woke up and wanted to know every detail about his crib..where is it? Is it at the store? Is it hiding? Is it coming back?

The first night started off fine..he went to bed and stayed in bed til around 3:30am. He ended up downstairs with us and slept in on this still rainy Sunday.

This was his first time checking out his crib, way back when..

And this was last night:

It was hilarious, my parents, S&D, came over to visit, and Owen was very excited to show them his new bed! To the point that when they made it upstairs, he shouted "TA DA!". Now, that was funny.

He did so much growing up yesterday. Now if I could just keep pace with him!

The best comfort of all

2008-09-22T19:11:00.002-05:00

So, been a bit upset lately that my cousin J, is leaving to go to Switzerland again. This has been an endless drama for a while now..quick background: her and husband M have lived in Switzerland for 12 years, J had a horribly traumitizing pregnancy and birth, and had many, many physical and psycological problems as a result.

For several months, it has been a constantly changing and evolving storyline..is she going? Is he coming? how long is she going to be gone? Will their son adapt well? etc etc.

She is leaving tomorrow. We had a playdate with Owen and her son all day on Friday,and I just didn't want it to end. Even when Owen was in the midst of his 3 hour nap. But, it did. They needed to get going. J and I were going to see each other on Saturday to have a pedicure and go shopping and just hang out. Each time after she departed, I became very upset, crying, sniffling, and shaking. At one point, Owen "patted" my head, and asked me if I was sad. I told him yes, because I am going to miss J. He put his finger to his lips, said "Hmmmm", patted me on the head again and said "We go to the playground and swing"-he paused- "Swinging makes you happy".

It was great. Trying to be positive, know she is coming back in a really short amount of time, but still...going to miss her, but trying not to be sad!!

Love Me Not So Tender

2008-09-04T18:29:00.003-05:00

The Boy is brutal. Ruthless. A savage.
he hates me.

He has been coming out with such little gems such as "Don't want you for a mommy", "don't like you", "don't want you", "go away", "bad mommy", "You're NOT my mommy".
Most of these were in the course of one day. And up until that point? We had had a blast. I wonder what he'll say to me when we have a bad day??!!

I honestly try not to take it personally..he also does it to his beloved Nana. Trying to remember he is clinging to his male role models (and I am SO thankful to have 2 great men around, day by day trying to teach him to be a good person, and a strong, good man some day). But still. I try not to react, I try to say "I love you, even tho you don't like me", all that crap. But it still really hurts. Oh! And the best part? He furrows his brows together, and points a single tiny finger in my direction when he is saying it.

Now I know why people want another baby once their first one hits 2 years old..a little helpless creature that can't talk back and hurt you so badly.
Maybe we'll look into getting a puppy.

A taste of my own medicine

2008-07-24T07:25:00.002-05:00

Owen has a lovely daycare provider, M. He always has fun, they do crafts, and he rarely ever wants to leave when I show up at the end of the day to bring him home. Equally, he never wants me to leave when I need to drop him off. For several weeks, he has been doing the octopus..grasping onto any part of me as hard as he can, as M. works to pry him away. Then he squinces up his face, the tears start, and the crying is shortly thereafter. I have to make a hasty getaway while M. attempts to distract him.

Then we come to this morning. Thinking it would be the same song and dance, I tried talking up all the fun he was going to have, seeing the other kids, etc. All he kept saying to me was "I want YOU Mommy!" So, tried (haha!!) explaining we have all day tomorrow together kept us busy on the few minute car ride. We get to M's house, and he peacefully lets me take him in, and he scoots down from my hold and begins engaging with the other kids. I speak to M for a few minutes, and announce I have to leave to go to work, and Owen turns around and WAVES at me. No hugs, no kisses, no clinging, no nothing. Just a wave.

While I can intellectually see he may be saying "Take THAT Mommy, for leaving me here" it came as a complete shock and surprise to me. I know that it should feel good that he is comfortable, confident and safe there, but no KlingOn impression? Really has shaken me. I know I will get over it, as I usually do, but...still. I guess I feel a little guilty for not getting the hugs, and not being the center of his universe at this moment. I'll be fine. Just no more of my own medicine.

Take my baby, please!

2008-07-18T09:23:00.003-05:00

This little phase of anarchy and defiance can end ANY DAY now. We have had a really tough morning. It started out great, he was giggling, silly, and pretty laid back. Then, it all changed at 9am. His twin evil spawn side raged on to the scene with ferocity.

For the first time ever (trying to see the silver lining thru the hurricane clouds) he got undressed by himself. Diaper and all. That began the peeing on the floor. The carpet. The Toilet. The stairs. Everywhere. Cleaned up all that, and got him redressed after some stern words. 20 minutes later, he again is completely naked, holding the diaper with the morning movement in it. He kept saying "put it in trash, put it in trash, stinky diapy." At least he knows what to do with it, right? Sigh. Again, redress, more stern words. Not even 5 minutes later, naked again, pees on the floor, then runs into the potty and goes on there. Argh! Time out commences.

I started dismantling the refrigerator shelves to clean quickly before the immanent food shopping later on today. While at the sink, indrustiously scrubbing away, he grabbed the maple syrup without me seeing. He disappears into the master bedroom (which is right off the kitchen) and pours it onto the Berber rug and a 3x3 brand new play mat with trucks and sounds and everything. This is not good. Immediately I swoop him up and put him in his room for safe keeping until I can dig out every tool I have in my cleaning arsenal. How does one clean up Maple syrup (1/4 of a bottle!) anyway? Well, a combo of Oxyclean, Pine-Sol and a big ass scrubbing brush did the trick. So upset was I that I left him upstairs for 10 minutes. I know it is best not to acknowledge such abhorrent behavior, but I was ripping mad. Still am. But, at least he chilled out a bit and some semblance of my former baby is coming back.

All this and it isn't even noon. Lovely.

Try not to take it personally.

2008-07-16T21:11:00.002-05:00

Y'know, in my line of work, I say this several times to several different people in several different instances. It is 100% true, it is a professional thing, not a personal thing.

But what happens when your husband says it to you in reaction to how 2 1/2 year old son is treating Mommy? Not an easy pill to swallow. He even tells his beloved Nana to "stop talking" "go away" etc. It is heartbreaking. He is just really going thru a very strong Male Only phase. He only wants Daddy to comfort him from a nightmare, or read a favorite book before bed, or make his dinner, or even change his diaper. Mommy can't do it without a hissy fit ensuing.

Hmph. My feelings are hurt. I know the pendulum will undoubtedly swing the other way sooner rather than later, but still. What a horrible feeling.

Hitting the wall

2008-07-08T11:16:00.004-05:00

On a number of things...potty training has stalled and been put on the back burner, and his temper is rearing it's ugly head. He is a stubborn, strong willed child. Everyone is very quick to point out that he got those particular qualities from ME. Can you imagine?? (*Wink*)

He is so funny when it comes to water and the beach. He loves his tubs, pretends he is swimming, blows bubbles, etc. But when we get to the beach itself? Won't go in the water, won't take off his shoes, won't take off the life preserver, and can't get him out of his clothes to save my life. I guess one day (hopefully soon) we can not look like a 90 year old man beachcombing for treasures. See?

Here are a few pics from a really fun boat ride with my parents recently:

Robert DeNiro: LOOK OUT!!

Like he has been doing this for-eva!

Building Mud Castles:

Mommy and PopPop being silly for Owen's sake (it worked!)

No desire to write, feast on photos instead

2008-06-22T11:19:00.003-05:00

Digging into that delicious pudding~!

Taking a little rest

Playing with a reflector..toy of the day!

Snoozing on Poor Felix!

You KNOW you're a bad singer when...

2008-06-18T14:37:00.003-05:00

Folding laundry, with your newly acquired and much loved Pink Zune rocking out to Weezer's "Hash Pipe"....and your elderly cat who was very comfortably sleeping on the bed next to you gets up and lays on the kitchen floor instead.

Now THAT is bad.
:-)

So much to say..

2008-06-06T21:07:00.003-05:00

and just not a lot of energy left to say it. Owen has been AMAZING these past few days..really making leaps and bounds in his social skills. Being able to hold a complete (altho doesn't always make sense) conversation on the phone, and be coherent? Love it.

Also? Adventures in Potty Training has gone into High G. Almost everytime it was time for a diaper change today, we went to the potty. See?

We had many riveting conversations while he was on the potty today. Including, when we did rush to the potty, he was not able to go.

"Penis is broken"
"Honey, it isn't broken, you just don't have to go pee"
**STRAIN, face turns red, give winky a good slap**
"Mommy, it's broken. Doesn't werk"
"Maybe your penis is just napping and doesn't want to work right now."
"Of course"

Many, many of these priceless conversations occurred today. It was a struggle not to laugh at some of them.

Honey of an O

2008-05-28T18:10:00.002-05:00

I know everyone has these kind of nights..but, tonight for dinner I gave Owen a big bowl of honey nut Cheerio's. Kindly keep in mind before stoning me to death, that he ASKED for them. How can I say no to this face?

Or for that matter, this face?

Catch up

2008-05-21T21:00:00.003-05:00

Well, not a ton going on over here to report. Finally done with all the May birthday's! We have several of them in our family, and you throw Mother's Day into the mix, May quickly becomes the 2nd most expensive month (December being the 1st).

Owen has been fabulous. More talking, more learning. He spontaneously identified a Triangle as such a few days ago. He can count to 14 on his own, and with hints, can make it to 20. He sings the alphabet song, knows Twinkle Twinkle and a few other songs. Every day he is becoming more and more independent and vocal. I know I will probably regret that in a few years when he won't SHUT UP, but now I love it.

Finally sold John's mother's house after being on the market for way too long. The buyers aren't the most ethical people in the world, but, at least it is over. Nice to have that chapter over.

Gearing up for a big yardsale this weekend. Hopefully can make a few hundred dollars, and get rid of the ugly, broken car that has been in my driveway for almost 2 years. Anyone want to buy a real fixer upper, classic muscle car? 1966 Chevelle. Name a price, it is YOURS.

Other than that, nothing more to report. All's well with Owen, and that is just fine with me!

Baby did a Bad, Bad Thing

2008-05-15T10:21:00.002-05:00

I had a whole sleeve of Fig Newton cookies. For breakfast. All I wanted was 1 or 2. Then while I was working I just kept reaching for them. And then they were gone. Baby is so sad now.
:-)
Happily, that is the biggest ordeal of the day. And it is almost lunch time! Fancy that!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2008-05-11T20:21:00.010-05:00

Albeit a tad late, but..I thought of you all!! All my wonderful friends who are mothers, those who desperately want to be, and those who would rather just "borrow" our kids and go home to fur babies.

A recap of my great day:

Vera Bradley WHO?? I have an OBKD Original!

Helping me open things:

My Haul: 2 8x10 frames, 2 5x7's, 2 4x6's, 3 bags of tealights, and several Yankee Candle wax tarts..does my honey know me or WHAT??

My autographed card from Owen:

Goofing around outside

The guys showed up with dinner!! First Cooke's of the season!

A walkway surprise from Owen:

It was a wonderful day, and special thanks to John and Dad and Sue for making it so wonderful for me! Pity it is only one day a year, isn't it???
:-)

Let's give it another whirl...

2008-05-07T19:52:00.013-05:00

Let's try to share some vacation photo's with our adoring public, shall we, Blogger?

The morning of the monster trip, and my 2 guys, just kickin' back.

Let the games begin!!

It's not a REAL vacation til we break out the Orthopedic chair rides! WHOOOO-HOOO!!

This red squirrel found it's purpose in life..to drive Owen absolutely INSANE, all he wanted to do was catch him and "hug" :-)

The obligatory nature shot:

What a beautiful little boy...ontop of Cadillac Mountain

Sweetie and Me

This was so cool..a huge whale sculpture advertising a Whale Watch..so easy to impress me

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

Checking out the Lobsters..

And he sleeps...

Back from Hiatus..

2008-05-05T18:58:00.004-05:00

We went up to Maine to do some visiting..We had a fun time, and we reached a landmark of sorts..Owen actually did terrific on the 6 hour car drive!! On the way up, we only stopped once and on the way home? NONE!! Have I mentioned how wonderful he is?? And he slept on an air mattress, in our room. For the most part, he did really well and stayed in it all night. One night John woke up because he "felt" someone just looking at him and there was Mr. O at 4am, just staring at him, not saying a word. John brought him into bed with us, and he slept til 6:30 that morning.

I will upload photos, but Blogger seems to be having an issue with uploading at this time.
Have a great day!

Why it is good to be Owen, Part II

2008-04-23T18:26:00.004-05:00

These photos are courtesy of S&D's camera card, all from today!! Hopefully at least I will get a good night's sleep out of him! This kid is some busy!

We begin our day by meeting the demonic cat, Maggie.

We then hit the beach, and check out sand between our toes

Seriously? Someone needs to call GQ for me.

Getting down and dirty

Then we move on to a bit of landscaping...

A little R&R in the hammock (with mower in tow, of course!)

No rest for the weary, back to work!

Next we move on to prepping the boat to put in the water

The day wouldn't be right without a tractor ride with Pops!!

Finally, we end our day with hard earned fun at the neighbors!

I don't know about you, but I am exhausted with this kids energy level!

Why It is Good to be Owen...

2008-04-20T12:14:00.002-05:00

Swimming all alone!

More swimming!

Tractor riding

Does this kid know classics or what?

Peek-a-boo!

I have quite a few more pics I wanted to upload to this post, but blogger is having a wee temper tantrum right now and keeps having errors everytime I try to upload. Guess that will have to hold you over for now!

Did I really make something this perfect?

2008-04-13T19:54:00.004-05:00

Honestly? He is just perfect. He's handsome, well-spoken, sleeps thru the night, etc etc. Makes me wonder how when I feel so messed up and crazy sometimes I had enough normal in me to make him. Especially with John's crazy southern genes..he really is a miracle.

A big Happy Birthday to John tomorrow! Love you!
and happy birthday to my Grammy Sal. She would have been 88 today.

MWAH!

He went there.

2008-04-10T16:55:00.001-05:00

Today was a beautiful spring day. After picking up Owen from daycare, we immediately went outside and were playing for close to an hour. I needed to go to the bathroom, so we needed to come inside.

He informed me, once inside, that "Don't LIKE you."

Multiple times.

It has so just begun...

Time Out Reprise

2008-04-09T19:57:00.004-05:00

So the day following our first, immensely traumatizing time out (for me, anyway) We came upon another very valid reason for a TIME.OUT. He was having lunch, and threw his plate filled with mandarin orange wedges all over the floor. The is a valid reason, right? Right.

I advise him that because of throwing the oranges, he is in time out. He cries a bit, throws a bit of a fit. Then? Nothing. He is quite content to sit at the dining room table, looking out the slider and waving at the trees. 2 minutes was up, I told him it was ok to get out of the chair and he says to me "No thank you". No thank you??!! He continued to sit there for another 15 minutes, just talking and blurting things out randomly even tho I compulsively told him it was ok to get down.

It does get easier every time!

Time out

2008-04-03T17:06:00.003-05:00

So how do we all feel about time outs? I felt pretty good about them. Until today.

Owen, a very rambuncious now 2 year old, and I were playing, tickling, hugging,etc. He began to bite my leg. I told him STOP, that hurts mommy. (he laughed) I was able to distract him into something else. Then the booger bites me again. Again, STOP, or you are going to have a TIME OUT. (laughter)

About a nanosecond later, he just came up to me and bit me again. I plopped his butt on the couch, said TIME OUT, and walked away. And...here comes the screaming waterworks that instantly became velcro on my leg. I put him back on the couch, and walked away. To that end, he sat and screeched, cried and put on a good show. After 1 minute, I went over, hugged him, told him I loved him, and that had to happen because he hurts when he bites.

And to just ignore him when he is screaming and not understanding why he is being punished? Oh, just rip my beating heart out of my chest. That might hurt a little less.

MOTHRA Attacks! (maybe)

2008-03-26T20:05:00.005-05:00

So get this~~ John's ex called him and wants to "talk about the situation"..Can you even stand it?? The woman who didn't tell John his daughter was put on a very serious medication (along with many, many other BIG things)now wants to discuss things. He is going to meet with her (at the local food court) and has already laid out the guidelines that he will not discuss anything legal with her, as that is in the hands of the lawyers.

Can't wait to see what this is all about. Can't help but wonder what she has up her sleeve.

PS- Thanks for the advice and guidance, dad!!

Wednesday evening photo session

2008-03-26T19:57:00.008-05:00

This is from tonight, right before bed. He was having some raisins after a tubby, and he put his hand on the camera case (which is never far away) and said "PIC-TURE". So...I took some pics of him. I think his middle name should be changed to H.A.M...
Enjoy.

I asked him to act "surprised"...and this is what I got.

He certainly looks angelic, doesn't he??

Hope you all have a great day tomorrow!

PS- A very happy birthday to JLG!!

It's official

2008-03-22T12:59:00.009-05:00

We now have ourselves a 2 year old. Where the HELL did 2 years just go? I feel like I have 2 compartments in life: 1 is with Owen, the other is all the other crap. Of which, there is more than enough to give me blog fodder for decades..and that was just what happened this week!
Anyway, on to the positives:

~Owen is sleeping from 8:30-6:30 straight thru.
~Owen is not food phobic yet, and will try anything. He may immediately spit it out, but at least he tries.
~He is very vocal, and has an incredible vocabulary. Makes conversing with him MUCH easier than figuring out the screaming.
~His laugh is beyond infectious, and it comes from deep within the belly (altho, he doesn't have much of a belly, it must come from his hollow leg)
~The way he says "I LIKE IT" in Ed McMahon fashion to anything that is candy, cookies, or cake.
~He has no fear
~I'm his favorite :-) for now, anyway!

Here are some pics from this morning at the playground, snotty nose and all:

Getting ready for the adventure of the twisty slide:

WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Braving the Big Slide for the first time:

The Periennial Favorite, the Swing:

I just love how his hair looks in this one!

And this was just about 22 months ago....

A recent conversation with Owen:
Are you Mommy's baby?
~NO.
Are you a big boy?
~NO.
Are you a little boy?
~YES.

So that explains where my little baby went.

The Perfect Storm

2008-03-20T17:03:00.003-05:00

...of germs, that is. Saturday was the Boy's 2nd birthday party, Sunday he had a raging cold, and by Monday afternoon, so did Mommy. All the little kids that were there were lucky enough to take home more than the John Deere Tractor Gift boxes.
:-)
Where's my NyQuil?

Book 'em, Danno

2008-03-16T21:36:00.003-05:00

Today, for the first time in my *ahem* many years, I witnessed an honest to goodness drug deal. I was innocently at the neighborhood convenience store to grab a newspaper and it went down right infront of me. A young man got out of one car, and into another parked car. They exchanged baggies and a wad o' cash. Right there! In front of me!! And the best part? They were parked right infront of the stores doors, which are videotaped. What are those awards that are "given" to the idiot criminals called? The Darwin Awards? Yep, I would like to officially nominate those 2 boneheads.

I know drugs are out there. I know they are EVERYwhere. But COME ON!! at the local store? That just isn't right. It is less than a mile from my home, a very busy place, and closer than the other stores located on the same street. Well, after todays visual/legal/moral offense, I can safely say I will travel the extra .8 miles to not see that again.

Birthday Gala!

2008-03-16T20:56:00.012-05:00

Pre-party set up:

The delicious cake:

The Birthday Boy trying to take it all in:

Still working on getting into it:

His favorite "gift"-the Tractor Cake Topper that he just snatched right off the cake...His favorite until we got......

THE TRIKE!!

Note to self: Goodness he is perfect!

He also received a great rocking Moose, which he mastered and just about tipped over in a few minutes~

It was a wonderful day, and thank you to everyone who joined us and made it so special!!`

Out of the mouths of babes comes this gem..

2008-03-12T06:56:00.000-05:00

When I walk into a room, and Owen needs his "private time" (read:Take a poop) he waves his hand and says "BYE-BYE". If you are dense enough to not leave, again he says "BYE" and will add "RIGHT BACK".
He is so damn cute. I can't wait to recount these little conversations when he is 20 with him...

Just checking in

2008-03-09T12:53:00.003-05:00

What a beautiful day!! After the torrential downpours and epic floods we experienced yesterday (I had so much water in my front yard, for the first time in my life I had waterfront property!) The crocus' in my yard are blooming, I have the uncontrollable urge to open all the windows and let the house air out (but, I live with a southerner, and that would freeze his little veins off..) I am a Winter weather junkie (insert eye-roll HERE) and still feel as tho we didn't get as much snow as I would like, but it was better than last year anyway. I do love winter, but I love spring, too. Not as much as winter, mind you. But still. :-)

I just mopped my kitchen floor and the house is filled with the smell of original Pine-Sol (can't beat that smell!) and thinking of what else I can do before Owen's big birthday party next Saturday that will save me some time next weekend. However, I only come up with one thing: Toilets. Gotta clean the toilets. But, will have to wait til stepson leaves, as he has such a problem with aim. Ewwwwww....

Hope you had a great day!

In Memorium or Morbid?

2008-03-08T10:08:00.003-05:00

I need thoughts on this, as I seem to fall in the middle somewhere.

My mother in law was killed 3 years ago today in a horrific accident. She was young, energetic and full of vim and vigor, so to speak. It was completely devastating, and it started a chain reaction of terrible things in our lives.

Fast forward to today. Every year, my husbands family wants to get together, make her recipes, and remember her. We don't get together to celebrate her birthday, she is always generously remembered at all holidays and family events. She is very much still a very present driving force in our daily lives.

So, my question is this. Is it an honor to gather on such a solomn occasion (even tho, in all fairness, it is peppered with funny stories, good food, and focus on the positive things that have happened). Or is it rather morbid to remember such a horrific day?

Me? I understand gathering and remembering. But we do that EVERY TIME we are together for the most part. I personally would rather spend the time with my immediate family and tell them I love them, value them..because you just never know when it may be ripped away forever.

So..I guess the floor is yours now.

Simple Math

2008-03-08T10:07:00.001-05:00

3 good friends+ridiculously delicious cocktails+obscene amount of yummy food?= A great night out.
Thanks A and K!!
Love you!

To Catch a Skunk..

2008-03-02T14:41:00.005-05:00

So, here's the scene. 10:45pm on a Tuesday night. Lying in bed, waiting for sweet, sweet slumber to take over. Almost there....
Then. Our baby cat, Midnight (aka Itty Bitty 2) jumps up on the bed, as usual. That is when it hit. Such a strong, overpowering and unmistakable odor. He had been hit by a skunk.
Thankfully John sprung into action and sequested us in the bathroom and began to run the tub. Do you think we had tomato juice on hand? Nah, never touch the stuff. All we had was a can of stewed tomato's. That wasn't going to fly. So, we crossed our fingers and toes and hoped Owen's baby wash would work. It did!!! (there is a whole new market out there~!)

The cat was great once the water stopped running, and relatively calm. We washed, washed again, then rinsed a few times. And wouldn't you know it? Baby fresh smelling cat. As a quick footnote, in the 14 years I have had cats, never has one of them been tagged by a skunk. Until Tuesday night, that is.So much for the perfect track record!
God Bless You, Johnson&Johnson..if this baby wash line doesn't work out for you, I know a whole new marketing angle you can take....

Plague of '08

2008-02-12T22:15:00.002-05:00

Has hit our house. HARD. It all started with me on Saturday, and it lingered well into Monday. Then, poor John got it today and actually left work (he never does that!)John's son got it today, too..and poor Owie has a sore bum, so that means it can't be far behind...

Let the good times roll. Roll? who needs a new roll of toilet paper? Just bought the econo-pack, as we went thru another econo-pack in 3 days.
Yea. Great.

Oh. My. Heart....

2008-02-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

they lost.

I wonder if my Tommy needs consoling....

Pft.

So much to say, no desire to say it.

2008-01-27T07:40:00.000-05:00

You know when there is just so much going on, and you want to catch people up, but don't even know where to begin? Yeah. That's where I am right about now. So, I will stick with the happy stuff because I don't think my very fragile psyche can deal with rehashing all the bad.

Owen is linking together 2, 3, 4 words to make some choppy sentances. It is SO very nice to be able to communicate with him, and give him what he wants most of the time! We have fascinating discussions.

Me: Do you want peanut butter and fluff for lunch honey?
Owen: No.
Me: Sure you don't want peanut butter and fluff?
Owen: No.
Me: How about a peanut butter and fluff sandwich?
Owen: ok.

See? Easy as that.
ANother fabulous developement is we have gotten him to enjoy the bathtub again. For a while, he only wanted to take showers with us. My cousin Jenna and her almost 24 month old son came down a while back and that was the trick for the tubby. Fun stuff. He begs for tubbies now, and enjoys showing off his "swimming" skills. For Christmas, my parents signed him up for Water Babies at the Y. He (and they) have a blast!

We are still going thru a thing in the middle of the night when he wakes up, wants a bottle, and will go back to sleep. That is pretty annoying. At least he goes back to sleep...a nice benefit is that he sleeps later in the morning. Except of course, when we have to be out of the house early. That usually doesn't end well with me having to wake him up.

For the past few months, I have had a small training potty in our bathroom for him to use and get used to seeing. It has become a pit stop for toys. Last week, he spontaneously decided to use the big boy potty!! He actually went several times. I have been trying to get myself in the habit of asking him frequently if he needs to use the potty. Usually, he does and usually we get a few trickles in the potty. Very exciting stuff. I have decided against trying to use the small training potty, and bought a padded Elmo small toilet seat that fits over the big toilet. We have had some success! Quite fun. I hope the rest of potty training goes this easy. Hey, I can always hope, right???

And now, with him potty training, and loving to take tubs, I have decided it is finally time to finish off the upstairs bathroom. I would like to repaint it (currently it is the color of a faded manilla envelope). I have some really cute accessories from the Under the Sea theme, and just need to buy a matching shower curtain. A bit of paint, a cute border, and Owen's bathroom will be complete!

We have already decided on a John Deere tractor theme for Owen's 2nd bday party in March. How is that even possible? For him to be TWO? Crazy. One of my coworkers had a baby in November and she brought her in the other day. It really seems like he was just that size recently..I've never been one to have a great memory, but sheesh...

I guess that is about it. The crap stuff will have to wait.

Eyes Wide Open

2007-12-18T03:44:00.000-05:00

And I mean that quite literally. It is 3:44 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

Owen continued his never-ending assault on my sleep tonight. He was up at 2am. He has come down with a cold, and earlier on Monday developed a slight fever. Fine. I can handle that. He had some water, a little bottle and back to sleep. Me? Not so lucky. I was awake long enough for all the thoughts running thru my mind to keep me awake.
Among these earth shattering thoughts? Let me give you a sample:
1. John needs to mail out a package we have had since OCTOBER to our friend in Wyoming (It is an Xmas present for his son).
2. I need to call my primary for a referral to take care of my right elbow/arm pain.
3. I need to mail my new patient questionnaire to facility I am being referrred to for above.
4. I need to do Food shopping.
5. How am I going to physically make it thru work tomorrow night until 9:30pm?
6. How do I verbalize, in a politically correct way, to the lawyer and his client that she needs a monstrous bitch slap?
7. I need to get more tampons&pads tomorrow because this period is out of control.
8. And Motrin due to above.
9. I have to get to my second job at some point this week to get some hours in.
10. We need to pay the mortgage.
11. Damn this house is cold at this time of night.

SO, that would be a glimpse into my gray matter. Nothing earth shattering, but enough to get my brain whizzing around. *sigh*.

Insomnia has never been a problem for me. I used to get it maybe once or twice a year, and that was it. But this? Ugh. I have had it now 3 nights in the past week. It is not like I can take a sleeping pill because of Owen. Amazingly, John NEVER hears him crying. Isn't that just the darndest thing? The baby monitor is literally on our headboard between the 2 of us and he NEVER hears it!! I guess I can add that to this list of Things Keeping me Awake. It is so frustrating. Why am I the only one to get up with him? Just once I would like him to beat me to the punch. Even if I end up awake, at least I know he would get the baby and address whatever he needs. But no. He snores soundly thru it.

Well, it is now 4am. Will have a glass of water and try to lay back down. Try to salvage some part of sleep this evening.

One word for you....

2007-12-13T09:50:00.000-05:00

SNOW!!!!

yay!! finally!! we are due to get about 6-8" of snow today, with the possibility of more on Sunday. For you winter haters out there? PFT!!! I am doing the snow dance, and keep looking out my window every 10 seconds to see if it has started yet...

:-)

Short, not so sweet.

2007-11-29T21:36:00.000-05:00

Life has been a bit topsy turvy around here.

We had a lot of fun in New Hampshire! Spent some great time with my parents, and Owen loved having them at his disposal, as well as having a "trac-tor" right outside the door. He learned a new word-"mount-nan". It is just the most adorable pronunciation...He got to see snow, took long walks around the woods, and rode the ATV til his little heart was content. And, I might add, he slept in a double bed with me and was pretty reasonable. The first night wasn't especially restful since he was up and down and then fell off the bed (onto pillows and a big blanket) then resumed sleeping-on the floor. I didn't get much real estate in the bed since he prefers to sleep horizontally. It is challenging enough sleeping with him in a King bed, let alone a double! The second night was MUCH better. I only had to push his legs away a few times and he slept til about 7:30. Such a treat!

Did minimal Christmas shopping-cash flow was a bit of a problem so that dulled my Shopping spirit a tad. But, I am happy to report that I will be able to do some shopping this weekend to make up for it! Also, I am going to decorate the house. We will get our tree next weekend. In the meantime, I have to figure out what the heck to do with Owen's overflowing toybox, since that is where we put the tree...oh the dilemma's.

In other news, John's ex-wench has decided after more than a year of putting us thru pure hell and turning our lives into a circus in which she is the Ringmaster, that she cannot make it financially up here on the Island, and wants to take the kids and move to Florida. Does the crap EVER end? It is so stressful. Would love to see them go, would hate to see them go..y'know?

Time for a Tylenol.

'Tis the season my ass

2007-11-18T19:41:00.000-05:00

Hmph. What a crap weekend. The Boy was fine, altho he wasn't feeling all that well. Never had a temp or anything, I just think he had a stomach bug. Poor bebe. Hopefully he is on the mend.

The crap part has to do with my husbands son (what else is new!!??). Essentially, I threw an 11 year old out of my house. Yea, feeling pretty proud about that. I don't necessarily regret it, as it seems to have shaken his father into some type of action to help this kid. But, we'll see. We'll see.

Thanksgiving is in a few days. Escaping with the Boy, the Parents, and cousin J and her son up to New Hampshire the day after. Will be a lot of fun. Always nice to get away.

That blog sadly just sucked any energy I had left. As Owen would say..."night night".

Hangin' with my Babe..

2007-10-21T19:08:00.000-05:00

Today, even tho Owen is all stuffy and runny, we managed to squeak out a fun day. John had alot of chores to do today, so he could watch all the sports this afternoon guilt-trip free. (YAY PATS!! Go Sox!!) So, while he was pulling out the AC's, going to the dump, going thru the garage to get stuff together for next weekends yardsale..Owie and I went to the playground!

My past experience with this particular playground is not so good. The very few times I have been there, the other mothers have been MISERABLE. I feel like I am back in high school, trying to gain the confidences of all the cheerleader snobby girls (not that they are all attractive-some are just downright worthy of being a nine bagger!). Anywho, but this morning was totally different I am happy to report. Somewhat pathetic, but I was happy no one else was there this morning. Then, a boy and his father joined in and he was very friendly, and his 3 year old son played so well with Owen. So well that when it was time for him to leave, he gave Owen a hug and a kiss!! It was so sweet!! So, thanks to Luke and Demetrios for salvaging my opinion of this playground!

After that, we came home and commenced our surveylance of the neighborhood. Owen took his trusty mower and we walked, and walked and walked. Then? When that was all done? We walked MORE. Now, I am snickering to myself thinking that with the cold, and 3 straight hours of playing, running, and walking, I would get a good nap in return. No dice. 1/2 hour. That sucked. I was hoping to be able to get more things for the yard sale.

My cousin, Jenny was visiting with her brood from Texas. That was one visit that was just not long enough!! It was so much fun spending time with her, and getting to know her kids. Gosh, they are just so cute and she is a fabulous mother.

This is Big D....

And Lil' D..he is 10 days younger than Owen

Jenny and me

In other news, I have resumed work full time. I am ok with this, but the extra hours really do seem to crawl. The only day Owen is in daycare is on Thursdays. Postively love my provider..she is amazing and Owen is completely relaxed at her house..well, except for naptime, that is the only thing they disagree about! Other than that, I am confident and know he is in good hands. See? his first day!!

A very happy anniversary to S&D-celebrating 23 years of bliss (their term, not mine!)this month!! Love you both!!

How much is a picture worth again?!

2007-10-06T19:57:00.000-05:00

I'm no Betty Crocker, but...

2007-09-30T18:04:00.000-05:00

..my honey has a sweet tooth. We,in fact, had nothing in the house since I neglected to do food shopping this weekend. So, John shows me a bag of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies and says "these will do". Fine. Now, John is talented in so many ways-he has an unbelievable technical/mechanical mind, he has a great eye for design, and he is very intelligent in general. Those are just a few reasons I love him to death. However, in all the years I have known him, never once have I seen him bake. Cook, yes. Grill, yes. Bake? nope.

So, he follows the instructions to a "T"..except the one about the size and placement of the cookies on the cookie sheet. He made gorilla sized cookies. That all blended into something that resembles an oatmeal chocolate chip pancake. They smell delicious, and they are nicely browned around the edges. But, they are distinctly squishy and flat in the middle.

Well, not everyone is perfect,right?
:-)
Thanks for the cookie attempt, sweetie. I love ya!

Planes, Trains and....Tractors?

2007-09-24T20:04:00.000-05:00

Holy crud..I can't believe how long it has been since I've blogged. Baaaaad blogger.
Well, Owen is officially 18 months old. And along with being 18 months, I fear we have started the dreaded "terrible twos" a tad early. As I believe I may have mentioned previously, one of his most favorite words is NO. He uses it liberally and frequently. Honey, do you want a drink? NO. Sweetie, it is night-night time. NO. Lovey, get off the dining room table. NO. OH! and temper tantrums? He is so good at them. Generally,tho, I am even better at ignoring them.

The only other word that could possibly come close to how many times he says NO is trac-tor. He loves tractors. (Tractor meaning a ride on mower..)My dad has logged so many miles on his ride on that I think I should start contributing to the gas for it. Honestly. He goes on multiple rides all over the neighborhood throughout the day. It is so funny to watch him ride it, too. He goes into this zen-like zone where he completely focuses on the noise and the vibration.

In other breaking Owen news, his sleeping has SUCKED for the last week and a half. He goes to bed at the usual time with no problem. Then, at any time between 1-3am, he begins Screechfest. He won't settle himself down. The only thing that appeases him is being in bed with us. BAD HABIT. As soon as we get him in bed, then he begins to demand a ba-ba. Then the screeching resumes. It is getting to be a really old, tired habit, let me tell you. Any suggestions? Actually, let me tell you what we have tried to do before you answer-Benadryl before bed? yep. Let him cry it out? yep (he went on for 1.5 hours people! tried moving him back into his own bed after he has fallen asleep in ours? yep. So, now I am open to suggestions!

Last weekend John and I took Owen up to NH for a little "us" time. You can only imagine what we spent our weekend doing...can't guess? allow me to give you a hint.

It was a fun weekend, and nice to be able to reconnect and just focus on Owen, and not all the other assorted crap in our lives at the moment.
Here are some other pics from last weekend:

Owen's 1st encounter with a Ribbon Snake, courtesy of Dad (No moms were harmed during this photo shoot)

Ready to Roll!!!

Oh! and one other thing I wanted to share with y'all..a few weeks ago, we went out on my parents boat to cruise around and enjoy the beautiful weather. Firstmate Owen FELL ASLEEP WHILE STANDING UP AND DRIVING. See?

Seriously, have you seen anything more adorable than this??

Dang it! She tagged me!!

2007-09-03T19:15:00.000-05:00

Tag : "3 things about me".

Three things that scare me
1. Big, furry, fast racing-stripe, flying spiders (ie:the Wolf spider)
2. Being alone suddenly (losing spouse in accident)
3. Clowns

Three people who make me laugh
1. Lewis Black
2. Karyn
3. Ron White

Three things I love
1. Owen
2. Winter
3. Spice smelling candles

Three things I hate
1. Beets
2. Maliciousness
3. Emptying the litter box

Three things I don't understand
1. Math
2. Mortgages, IRA's, etc..
3. How neighbors let their dog poop in a shared area with children around and NOT CLEAN IT UP!!!

Three things on my desk
1. Camera
2. Diet Pepsi with Lime
3. Cordless phone

Three things I am doing right now
1. Smelling my cinnamon-apple candle
2. cracking my fingers and neck
3. looking at all the dishes I need to do

Three things I want to do before I die
1. Travel
2. Say the things I want to say to certain nasty people and just WALK AWAY
3. Be skinny again

Three things I can do
1. Make a really mean pizza
2. Snowmobile like a crazy lady (and even the boys have a hard time keeping up!)
3. Shop

Three things I can’t do
1. Play an instrument
2. Fractions and percentages
3. have just 1 piece of bread

Three things I think you should listen to
1. Your gut
2. Music
3. Rain

Three things you should never listen to
1. Others with questionable motives
2. Religious Zealots
3. liars

Three shows I watched as a kid
1. The Price is Right
2. Creature Double Feature
3. Brady Bunch

Three people I tag
1. You're
2. All
3. Tagged

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

2007-08-26T17:02:00.001-05:00

My food-phobic step son actually TRIED something I made for dinner (A 1/2 cheese pizza for him, and 1/2 pepperoni and fire roasted peppers for us) and HE COMPLIMENTED ME on how good it was.
Gotta take the small things when they come, right?

What a Goddess does in her spare time...

2007-08-23T19:08:00.000-05:00

Just because I know you are all DYING to know.
It is 8pm. Bebe has been in bed for 1/2 hour after a phenomenal day. We had a blast. We even bought a training potty. He is fascinated by it, sits on it and says "pee pee!". I am happy with that right now.

Dinner has been made, consumed and cleaned up. 4 monster loads of laundry done and put away. Kitchen floor swept. Photos are being uploaded to Snapfish as we speak. Kitty litter box scrubbed and clean. Coffee is ready to go for tomorrow morning. I even volunteered to work tonight from home helping out the permanent placement division, but haven't heard anything back yet. Oh well. So...that only leaves one dreaded chore. Coloring my hair. This time, the color is truffle. I could have put if off for a while, but I am getting my haircut tomorrow morning, and don't want my stylist to be alarmed at how gray I really am. With my hair in the shorter style, it is much easier to conceal the gray. I guess that is one positive.

My good friend K and I are getting treated to see Lewis Black next Friday~I saw him last year and what a manic riot this guy is. S&D (parental units) are treating us to a girls night out. What a time it will be!! We were even discussing getting a new outfit to wear that shows lots of cleavage to get his attention. Such little ho's we be!!

Next Saturday (how is it possible that it is Labor Day Weekend next week?) Honey and his band have a gig. Parents are keeping Phin for an overnight. I haven't been out late on 2 consistent nights in EONS. I never have been that much of a night owl anyway. :-)

PS-from now on, I think I am going to use Russell and Phineas real names..hereafter christened John and Owen, respectively.

Summer is still here??

2007-08-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

Why can't it just be autumn? Overall, a much more pleasant season. Sweaters that aren't so heavy you look like a bean bag chair, slimming jeans that nicely hide the cellulite, and the house can smell of cloves, cinnamon and pumpkin pie. I am sick of smelling the gardenia's, sparkling lemons and rose of Morroco's. Time to spice things up!!

Thoughts of throwing a bunch of stuff into the ole crockpot and letting it just sit for hours is far more appealing than cooking on the grill. Plus, there is just something so satisfactory in having dinner completed by 9am.

Blankets! I want to have a nice heavy blanket over me when I snuggle into bed at night. I hate just sleeping with only a sheet over me, and moving my feet around every few minutes trying to find a cool spot.

Perfume!! I want to break out all of my "heavier" fragrances. Enough with the body mists, I want good old fashioned foo foo juice. Bring on the Tuscany, Tresor, and White Shoulders. I have never felt right about wearing perfume in the summer that is more than a body spray. Don't ask me. Some people have food rules, I have body scent rules. Of course, I have some food rules too, but that is for another post. Just real quick tho? I saw an ad for some restaurant with STEAK on a salad. Wrong,wrong, wrong. I am totally fine with chicken on a salad, but not steak. That just made my stomach turn.

Enough with me whining about wanting the summer to end. Let's move onto Phin progress. Holy crap can this kid TALK! In less than 24 hours, he has learned several new words (chicken, light), he climbs up the stairs one foot infront of the other (none of this crawling up on his belly stuff), and, he is 17 months old TODAY. How did that happen? Still working on molars. He has had a really tough past few days. But, hopefully we are getting over this spell real soon. I don't think I can take it much longer.

ps-Oh, and Phin? yea. We got him fitted for shoes and I was informed that he was restricted as to which types we could get for him because he has FAT FEET. Fat is just one word that has NEVER been used to describe any part of him!! That just blew me away. But I'm over it. Honest. Fat feet? Pft. Whatever.

BLOG TAG!!

2007-08-02T07:46:00.000-05:00

Here it goes!
Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.
The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog. **

1. I must fall asleep on my left side, with at least a sheet up to my neck.

2. Everything I do must be "even". For instance, when I tickle Phineas under the left armpit, I must shortly thereafter tickle his right armpit.

3.I have to be at least 5 minutes early for work, or I feel late and discombobulated all day.

4.I really enjoy watching Sesame Street, and find myself glued to the tv when it is on.

5. I am the only grandchild without ADD.

6. My favorite job of all time was at a gas station.

7. If I could relive only 1 night of my life, it would be my 10th high school reunion.

8. My most treasured material item is my Louis Vuitton steamer trunk, that was my great grandmothers.

Not too exciting, is it? I would tag eight people, but K already tagged everyone I would feel comfortable tagging. So the buck stops here.

A smattering of stuff...

2007-07-29T19:05:00.000-05:00

First, before my friend Mimi comes up here and kicks my ass, IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU MEEMS!!! She came up some time ago and we had the chance to hang out for a bit. It has been too long, girlfriend....We can't let that amount of time without seeing each other happen again!! I have a great photo of Mimi with Phin, but can I find it? Anywhere on my hard drive?Noooooo....Will post when I find it.

So, with my head now off the chopping block after taking care of that, what else is going on? Phin is talking like crazy now..we have perfected "Elmo" and "NO" (along with the vigorous head shaking from side to side..where does he learn this stuff??!) He has also been teething alot this past week, so Ibuprofen and Benadryl have become very good friends to all of us. :-)

Last night had the wonderful opportunity to go over to M.s house to hang with friends from yesteryear, Jeanne and her husband, Rick. They are just terrific people. I always thought when I come back in the next life I wanted to be one of my pets, but I think I am going to change my mind. They are such solid, happy people. See?

K. was there also, and was a very good sport putting up with quite a bit of teasing. I have a beautiful picture of her, but she doesn't like it. Hmph. I guess my loyal readers (all 4 of you, who know K. IRL) will just have to suffer, and not see it.

Phin and I had a fun playdate with cousin and her son. It was hot and humid as Hades~but still fun.

I know this isn't a great photo, but kinda funny, yes? Poor Jonathan was in meltdown mode, and Phin wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation. He just continued to play with his truck, while Jonathan completed his temper tantrum. (This was at the very end of the day, and both boys only had about a 15 minute nap..I would be rather grumpy too, I guess!)

Russell and I went out shopping today for a laundry list of things for the house. And when he says he wants to go shopping, I make sure we are out of the house in record time. Even if it is just stuff for the house, it is still shopping!! Here is one of our purchases..a lame attempt to keep our trash-hound baby of out the Dumpster diving habit. Didn't work. He was so busted.

Not much else happening..so here is a MEME for y'all

2007-07-25T18:08:00.000-05:00

Do you still have tonsils? - Yes

2. Would you bungee jump? - Are you kidding me? Heck no

3. If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be? -Tropical Resort reviewer for a magazine

4. How many tattoos do you have? - Four

5. Your favorite fictional animal? - Scrat...

6. One person that never fails to make you laugh? - Too many to name-Karyn,Sue,John (most times, anyway)

7. Do you consider yourself well organized? – I used to think I was, but realizing I am really not in the least.

8. Any Addictions? - Nasty Tobaccy

9. From what news source do you receive the bulk of your news? - Internet

10. Would you rather go to a carnival or circus? - Carnival. Only because there are crazy ass-gravity defying rides.

11. When you were twelve years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? - Awful, but I can't remember! maybe an anthropologist?

12. Best Movie You've Seen This Year? - Ice Age II, the Meltdown

13. Favorite alcoholic drink – Digging the Cosmos.

14. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? - Retrieve the bebe

15. Siblings? –Brother

16. What is the best thing about your job? – Flexibility and Money

17. Have you ever gone to therapy? – Yes indeedy!

18. If you could have one super power what would it be? - The whole mind-reading / bending thing. (good answer, K!)

19. Do you own any furniture from Ikea? – No.

20. Have you ever gone camping? – Yes

21. Gas prices! First thought? - Why did I get rid of my compact again?

22. Your favorite cartoon character? - Wild E. Coyote. Poor sucker couldn't catch a break.

23. What was your first car? – Gold Honda Accord Hatchback. that thing was INDESTRUCTIBLE!

24. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual? - No

25. The Cosby Show or the Simpsons? - Simpsons

26. Do you go to church? - For Weddings and Funerals.

27. What famous person would you like to have dinner with? – Living or dead? - Living: Russell Crowe. Dead:Princess Diana. ( I am SO SHALLOW!)

28. What errand/chore do you despise? – Putting laundry away and emptying the litter box

29. First thought when the alarm went off this morning? – I wish I had the opportunity to hear the alarm-baby was up before then.

30. Last time you puked from drinking? – Eons.

31. What is your heritage? - Italian/Irish and a smattering of others.

32. Favorite flower? – Stargazer Lillies and Peonies.

33. Disney or Warner Bros? - Going to go with Disney

34. What is your best childhood memory? – Sleepovers at Jenna's

35. Your favorite potato chip? – Ruffles. Gotta have the ridges.

36. What is your favorite candy? - 3 Musketeers.

37. Do you burn or tan? - Tan nicely, thank you!

38. Astrological sign? - Taurus

39. Do you own a gun? – No..but I know people who do and know I can be an excellent shot if need be. Ahem.

40. What do you think of hot dogs? Love em. With Gray Poupon mustard.Grilled Bun. Oh dear.

Ever have one of those days?

2007-07-21T16:23:00.000-05:00

...when you think you have every moment booked with friends, activity, and plans? And then it just gets flushed down the drain? Yep. That would be my today. Nothing panned out, and I am actually LONELY. Phin is with my parents. Russell is in NH. All friends are MIA. Hmph.

Well, at least both the kids closets got cleaned out, all the laundry is current and up to date. Dishwasher emptied. Dusted. Vaccuummed. Mopped.

I am going to dinner at my parents house. I guess I will save my free coupon for a Phin sleepover at Nana's til I night I will actually need it.

The Sound of (Almost) Silence

2007-07-21T06:24:00.000-05:00

My, my..what a busy month July turned out to be! My mother came down for a week to visit with Phineas. That is always an adventure, to say the least. We still do that little dance where I play Phin's mother, and she plays indulgent grandmother. That can be a very blurry line. It has definately improved from when I first had him, and I had zero confidence so I let her do everything. Admittedly, I learned a lot by watching. However, some things I just didn't want to do and it took some time for me to work up to actually telling her that. But, all in all, not bad. Gearing up for the August visit!!

Our friend M, hosted a birthday party for K. and made a delicious dinner. That was a good time. It was so much fun, and my body actually hurt from all the laughing that went on. It was nice to feel like a kid again!!

Finally, I got to connect with my cousin from Switzerland!! Once we spoke in complete honesty and I told her not to back out or make excuses (her mother and aunts were giving her a very hard time about seeing me) It was all better. I guess my little pep talk about being only concerned for her and her son gave her some courage and she spoke up. J and I were able to spend several days together with our boys and just catch up. It was so exciting that I finally got her to see my house and just hang out. She is on her way back to her mother's for about 2 weeks, then will be back on the Cape. YAY!! I miss her already, but I guess I can wait to see her again.

Hubby Russell went up to New Hampshire for a boys weekend. He is going to ride his ATV with his friend and just try to chill out. He has been under such immense stress and hope this will help him get some distance from it all. He needs it!

Lastly, we have adopted another cat. It is our very good friends cat, and he is moving, so best to give the cat a good ,stable home (and he picked ours??!) Anyway, the cat is adjusting nicely. Our older cats are actually ok with it, and there have been minimal hissing fits. If I can figure out to post his picture in the right place in the post, will let you see what he looks like!!

Not much to say...

2007-07-03T16:37:00.000-05:00

...so might as well say it with a few photos!

**DISCLAIMER:By the way..as I look at these photos, I realize he is wearing the same shirt in all the pictures. It just so happens he is very fond of Cookie Monster, and that happens to be his favorite. Honestly, I can bury it in the drawer and he will dig it out. I do put him in other clothes. Honest.**

Pirate's Booty

2007-07-01T07:25:00.000-05:00

The past few days I have considered myself very lucky to haul a Pirate's bountiful booty-I got to spend some unexpected time with my good friend, K. We went on a mission the other night to find a new summer bedspread and found a beautiful one (SCORE!) and she hunted high and low to find matching shams that go with the spread, since I was too cheap to spring an extra $80 on the shams that actually go with the spread.

Then, the very next day, we went food shopping together!! I know it doesn't seem like a huge deal, but we laughed and had a great time. It was wonderful spending time with her. She is going thru some serious crap now, and I feel like that is all I can do for her is give her my time.

So, that's it. Hopefully in the near future, we can have more adventures. Even if it is just food shopping. It makes such a tumultuous task a lot more fun when you have a conspiritor along for the ride~

Is it over yet?

2007-06-23T08:09:00.000-05:00

This month has been pure craziness..

Today is the last of the big things going on this month..it is Russell's family reunion, and thank goodness it is being held right down the street from the homestead. It starts this afternoon at 2pm, and should be a fun time. Lobsters, grilling, and seeing everyone (82 at last count!). But hopefully things will be calmer in July. It was nice to get away as often as I did in June, but I am ready to put down my roots again and be a homebody. I missed everyone and felt like I was always gone. I did have a pleasant time with my mother, it was odd at first spending so much time with her, but the uneasiness went away and we just had fun.

I hope to, in the month of July, reconnect with my cousin, J, from Switzerland. My schedule has just been so packed, I haven't had a chance to see her. The good news is we talk everyday, usually multiple times. It is so good to talk to her. We have been able to talk kids, dirty diapers and strategies that worked for us. Good times.

Phineas had his 15 month appointment this week and the doctor said he was perfect *insert BEAMING here*. He is 33" long, and weighs 23 lbs 4 oz. 40th percentile for weight, 93rd for height. He is right on track for words and a little bit ahead of schedule with teeth (ELEVEN!). So, that was reassuring to know he is doing perfectly.

Well-that would about wrap it up for now. It was a good month, after a crap start. Bring on July!!

39!!

2007-06-16T20:31:00.000-05:00

Shamelessly ripped from Jeanne and Karyn:

Thirty Nine Things About Yourself

[one] what is your natural hair color?
Medium brown

[two] where is your default picture taken?
Technically, on the porch. But can I figure how to post the dang thing? noooooo...

[three] what's your middle name?
Beth. But, I took my maiden name as middle name when I got married

[four] your current relationship status?
Married, working very hard on happily, but solid.

[five] does your crush like you back?
Do tell of this crush!!

[six] what is your current mood?
Exhausted!

[seven] what color underwear are you wearing?
Black with little white polka dots

[eight] what makes you happy?
Phineas, Russell, shopping, relaxing, having time to read

where is number [nine]?

[ten] if you could go back in time and change something, what would you change?
I would have gone to school for a totally different subject

[eleven] if you must be an animal for one day, what would you be?
A whale shark-they are amazing. And not just because I most closely physically resemble them, either!

[twelve] ever had a near death experience?
No

[thirteen] something you do a lot?
Change diapers

[fourteen] the song stuck in your head?
"Living in America" by James Brown...Russell is watching Rocky IV!

[fifteen] who did you copy and paste this from?
Jeanne, but originally saw it on Karyns

[sixteen] name someone with the same birthday as you?
My uncle Terry, and a guy I used to see, Nathan L.

[seventeen] when was the last time you cried?
Tuesday June 12th

[eighteen] have you ever sung in front of a large audience?
Ahhh...no.

[nineteen] if you could have one super power what would it be?
Flight

[twenty] what's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Collarbones and eyes

[twenty-one] what do you usually order from starbucks?
I ordered one thing from Starbucks (hot chocolate) and after my 1st sip threw it out. So, nothing. They won't get any further business from me.

[twenty two] what is your biggest secret?
And I would tell you that WHY?

[twenty-three] favorite colors?
Purple and green

[twenty-four] when was the last time you lied?
Gosh, besides socially acceptable white lies? I can't even remember

[twenty-five] do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows?
Yep

[twenty-six] what are you eating or drinking at the moment?
Diet pepsi with Lime

[twenty-seven] do you speak any other language?
No....

[twenty-eight] what's your favorite scent?
Clove and freshly cut grass

[twenty-nine] if you could describe your life in one word what would it be?
Complex

[thirty] when was the last time you gave/received a hug?
About an hour ago

[thirty-one] have you ever kissed in the rain?
Yes!!

[thirty-two] what are you thinking about right now?
Gotta refill the cat's food bowl to get Felix to be quiet

[thirty-three] what should you be doing?
See above...

[thirty-four] what was the last thing that made you upset/angry?
Crap with step kids and MOTHRA

[thirty-five] how often do you pray?
A few times a week, but haven't been to church(besides weddings and funerals) in a LONG time

[thirty-six] do you like working in the yard?
yes, wish I had more time to do it!!

[thirty-seven] if you could have any last name in the world, what would you want?
Crowe. *wink*

[thirty-eight] do you act differently around your crush?
Please tell me about this crush!!!

[thirty-nine] name one song that reminds you of an ex?
Pour Some Sugar on Me (get your minds OUT OF THE GUTTER, Ladies!!! not at all what you think!!!)

This n that meets MOTHRA

2007-06-14T06:24:00.000-05:00

Gosh, I know I have been a bit neglectful of the poor blog, but I didn't realize I haven't written anything since the end of May!! I hope my 3 fans will have pity on me.

There has been so much going on, I just don't even know where to start. I guess I should probably give a Phineas update, since this is what this blog is supposed to be about, huh? Well, we have survived a molar, folks. For the first time in my limited parenting career, I actually called the Doctor's office on a Saturday. He had been crying and screaming uncontrollably all night and was just in pain. That is the stuff that just cuts me to my very soul. I never thought I could hurt so badly and not be in physical pain myself. But, alas, it was a molar. We were instructed and advised to give him Benadryl, so we could ALL get a good nights sleep. I *heart* Benadryl!! Bring on the rest of the molars!! we are now armed and ready.

The next really fun thing is he is attempting to talk more, and sometimes his words are amazingly clear. My friend, K, was coming to watch him for me, and I said to him:"Phin! Auntie K K is here!!" and he said, albeit slurry, "Ke ke keke". It was so cool. He is very clear now on "ba" and "bye". He is even beginning to wave at the right time!! Normally he waved after the person left, now he is doing it when they are actually leaving. It is so amazing to see the little changes.

Something I am not crazy about is a new skill he has acquired that he climbs on the chairs to get onto the dining room table. Yea, not liking that at all. But, he is rather good at it. Must be those Southern genes he inherited. Altho I have been told by both my parents he comes by it honestly from me. Moi? Never. I don't believe them.

Went away last weekend for an Estrogen filled girls weekend in New Hampshire, minus one very important friend, K. I understand why she couldn't come, but still. We painted our toenails and fingernails!!! Good food, way too many carbs, boardgames and gossip. Fun times, fun times.

Today I am leaving to go to Mohegan Sun for 2 days with my mother. This should be interesting. My mother and I haven't had one-on-one time in YEARS. Our relationship has improved vastly since Phineas debuted, but still. This should be quite the little lab experiment. Wish me luck.

There is a boat load more stuff going on with Russell's kids, the ex-wife, blah blah blah. I have talked about it so much, and just don't have an iota of energy left to write it all out. All I can say is the ex-wife(whom from this time forward shall be referred to as MOTHRA) sucks. She is a bitter, nasty person and seems to be passing those qualities onto her kids.

Well, time for Phin's breakfast. Talk to you all later!!

Am I the only one who thinks this way?

2007-05-30T18:00:00.000-05:00

Now, don't get me wrong. I know Phin loves me, and when all hell breaks loose, I am the GO TO person. I take pride in that, and I love it.

However...does anyone else think that their baby likes everyone else, instead of you? This is a very difficult thing to explain. It just seems like there are days when I go from being center of the universe, to NOTHING. NADA. Momma who? He loves Daddy all the time, loves grandparents, loves aunts and uncles, and close friends. Always smiles, laughs, and does great. Then I have to take him home. He lets me know with his silence he is anything but pleased. For example-today I picked him up from a very good and social day with his grandparents. He was silly, giggling and eating. I load him into the car seat, immediately the tears start flowing. I can understand that. I am taking him out of a fun situation. However, when we get home, he almost IGNORES me. I try playing with him-NO. I try to play "catch the baby"-NO. I try giving him a bottle-NO. I try snuggling and kissing-NO. But, as soon as I get the hint and start doing something else that doesn't focus on him (like making dinner!) He is ALL OVER ME. Sigh.
Am I the only one who thinks their kids like everyone but them?? Please tell me no!!

2007-05-28T06:52:00.000-05:00

This weekend was HOT. So, while focusing on keeping Phin cool, I of course went ballistic with the camera..someone really needs to stop me. He isn't going to recognize me without the camera infront of my face!! At this rate, the poor thing will be on the therapists couch by the time he is 5.
Gotta love nakkie baby bums, though!!

Tarot fun

2007-05-28T06:44:00.001-05:00

Shamelessly stolen from Jeanne and Karyn:

You are The Wheel of Fortune

Good fortune and happiness but sometimes a species of
intoxication with success

The Wheel of Fortune is all about big things, luck, change, fortune. Almost always good fortune. You are lucky in all things that you do and happy with the things that come to you. Be careful that success does not go to your head however. Sometimes luck can change.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Old School Fun!

2007-05-27T10:29:00.001-05:00

Last night, I had the unexpected pleasure of just hanging out with my good friend, A. A moved 'over the bridge' about a year and 1/2 ago, and it just hasn't been as easy to see her. Previously she lived .8 miles away!! Anywho, we did some errands after Russell came home and took charge of a very cranky Phineas. We did some shopping (can I just tell you how great the sales are at KMart recently?!), then we just drove around and talked. We visited all the filthy rich areas around where we live, and oogled at the big houses. In fact, I was oogling so much I almost took out of of the filthy rich peoples cars that was parked on the side of the road. D'oh!

In the near future, A and her husband are going to be moving back to the Cape. It will be nice to have them close again!
Love ya, kitten!

Well butter my biscuit.

2007-05-25T20:36:00.000-05:00

Whoa. Big happenings going on here. The most important of which is GUESS WHAT??

Yesterday, as I was feeding Phin his lunch, I was again overcome with the urge to contact my cousin I told you about in this little doozy of a post...
http://chroniclesofaboy.blogspot.com/2007/05/openly-hostile-letter.html

So, I picked up the phone and called. SHE ANSWERED. After getting over the initial shock of hearing her voice I found out what had happened. I don't want to get too into it, and violate her privacy, but HUGE medical issues resulting from her pregnancy which was very difficult. It caused her to essentially lose a year of her memory, and not to mention, she is now legally blind as a result of complications. She is also suffering from severe post partum depression, and post traumatic stress disorder. She is getting the help she so desperately needs thru medication,supervision, and therapy.

Surprisingly, I have let go of all the anxiety, stress, anger and hostility. I believe her. And I am just so thrilled to have her back. I realize that it may not be the same, and it may take a while because she has so many other things going on. But that is ok. She's back.

And I am happy and content with that.

I admit it. I am an Addict.

2007-05-24T06:09:00.000-05:00

Hello, my name is Sara and I am a photo taking, album making junkie. I developed this habit on March 20th, 2006. That was the first time I used the camera, and immediately got this instant high that I just try to keep recapturing. I love the instant gratification of a digital camera, to immediately see what I just saw with my own eyes, albeit thru a lens. And the pure adrenaline rush of visiting Snapfish, placing the order, selecting fun borders, adding text...it is overwhelming. The ultimate high, tho, comes when I get those precious blue envelopes in the mail. Now, THAT is pure delirium.

Yesterday I arrived home from work, Phin in tow, and saw the brown box sitting on the porch. I could not at that exact moment reach to get it, as I was weighed down with 2 armfuls of stuff. After safely depositing child and other miscellaneous crap in house, I rushed out to collect the goods. FOUR overstuffed envelopes of glorious, glossy finish photos.

I had to wait til Phin retired for the evening to organize all the pics chronologically and prepare to place them lovingly in their albums. Well, let me tell you. This set of pics (all 289 of them) essentially only cover THREE days. Of course, these days are very important-his birthday, his birthday party and his first haircut. I FILLED TWO ENTIRE ALBUMS. Phin is 14 months old, and has 12 albums to commemorate his first year.

Yep, I got myself an addiction.

All's well on the Mommy front

2007-05-20T06:43:00.000-05:00

It has been a very busy past few days-May is a very busy month in my family as we are bombared with birthdays..my Dad, stepmom Sue, and myself. Not to mention, Mother's Day is thrown into the middle of the chaos.

But, this year, my birthday was WAY low key. And that is the way I like it! We all got together on Friday night, ordered Chinese and had cake and ice cream. They don't get much better than that. I hate being the center of attention-I remember when it was time for my wedding shower. There were a grand total of 4 of us that went to dinner and a movie. It was just perfect. The baby shower was a bit bigger, but still controllable. My friend, K, threw it for me with a rubber ducky theme. It was so much fun. No games were played, just a silly hat to wear and good friends.

Mother's Day was amazing...Russell surprised me with a trip to the local garden store and informed me we were ripping out the huge, nasty, overgrown bushes on the left side of the house. They were ok until we got walloped a few years ago with a nasty snow storm that killed 1/2 of one of the trees..See? The pictures are at the top of the post because I haven't finished my coffee and can't figure out how to put them in the right place. I think it looks good, no? We still need to seed new grass, and lay some mulch down, but that should be a cakewalk compared to the trauma (physical!) it was getting those trees and roots out...

I love May!!

Happy happy, joy joy!!

2007-05-14T19:47:00.000-05:00

I just have to brag a bit..I worked until 3pm today, then went over to my parents to pick up Phineas. He was sleeping. He woke up happy, albeit disoriented (he is like mommy and takes a while to wake up!)
We got home, and this kid was ON FIRE. He was laughing, smiling, giggling and doing a lot of talking. He was a pure pleasure to be with. I just love days like this, and makes me wish bedtime wasn't 8pm...but anything beyond that is just pushing it..It took me a while to find the perfect balance of spending time with him, and over doing it. Glad I found it.

PS-honest, my nose isn't THAT huge..bad angle!!!!

A Gentle Man Lost

2007-05-12T09:15:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, May 10th, the world lost a first class human being. His name is Chris, and he was killed in a horrible accident. He was my dear friend Andrea's best friend, to the point they were each other's health care proxy's. They lived together for years, and he was a constant presence in our friendship. He helped me move on a moment's notice, when no one else could help me. He could tell you anything you ever wanted to know about fires, firetrucks, trains, fish, working at a hospital-everything. In fact, when I was admitted to the hospital to be induced, he came out to meet me, and get me settled in the maternity ward. He was wise beyond his years, but still mischevious.

We could not see him for a long stretch of time, but when we got together, it was like no time had elapsed. He was a quiet presence that had a terrific laugh, and an equally terrific bellow. He was a patient at the dentist office I used to work at. He was in my husband's Boy Scout Troop.

Our lives, altho somewhat distant physically, seem inexplicably intertwined. My husband and I have been married for 2 1/2 years, and that time has been filled with immense loss-my mother in law, father in law, husbands grandfather, and 3 of our beloved cats. But this is different. This is someone our age, we grew up with him. In fact, my older brother got into a world of trouble in his early teens for teasing Chris and his cousin relentlessly. Mortality has unfortunately hit our family in huge rogue waves, but this. This is just different.

I apoligize if this is just rambling and strung together-but it is difficult to type when my face is burning with the tears. Don't know when his services will be, but hopefully he will get what he always wanted-a firefighters funeral.

He was a rare, special person that forever will leave a pit in my heart. Out of all of our friends, he is definately on a fast track to heaven.
Rest in peace, CWH.

An openly hostile letter

2007-05-10T16:41:00.000-05:00

Please excuse me while I digress so early in the blogging process, but I JUST CAN'T LET THIS GO!!
Background: Cousin who grew up with me and was someone I considered my best friend, lived in Europe for several years, had a baby 3 months before me. Came for a visit in June 2006-had plans to meet up-NEVER HEARD FROM HER AGAIN despite numerous attempts. (She has a history of just ignoring people if she is upset/hurt/angry, and in this case, LIED to.)
So, please entertain me. I'll get back to Phineas after this. It is now coming up on a year since our last contact. There was no argument, no screaming. There was nothing. Just silence.

Dear J;
I SO hope you get your ass, somehow, someway to this letter. I am so upset that I get these waves of need to speak to you. Just when I think I have put the matter to bed, wiped my hands of it, BAM!! it comes and smacks me upside the face. It is very unsettling to be "dropped" by your own family. Honestly, I could care less what the others think, they are hypocrites who engineered this whole thing. It is sad that I still hold onto a glimmer of hope that when I open my email, there will be a note explaining everything. Perhaps you have been taken prisoner and brainwashed. (Folks, that is a serious suggestion. This family is frickin' nuts). I know you were very weak emotionally and physically when you returned home. Your illness while pregnant, and then dealing with an infant was very difficult. I am sorry that people you call your family took advantage of that and cut you away from me. Especially during this time when we could have been enjoying each other, and trying to figure out what these little humans want. We could have traded different techniques, advice and stories and taken our friendship to a whole new level. BABIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, NOT RIP THEM APART. In this whole twisted scenario, I feel pity and sadness that you are depriving the kids of each other, and that you obviously can't think for yourself and pick up the FUCKING PHONE, write a letter, drop an email-Nothing. Your silence stings, your absence in my life has created a black hole of sadness, hostility, and confusion.

I really need to find a way to stop thinking of this. And I really need to get over it, and move on.
Suggestions???

Let me introduce myself....

2007-05-10T06:49:00.000-05:00

Hi there to all in the Blogosphere-

I am Sara, 35 years old, and married. We have a son, who for the sake of privacy we will call Phineas(I have always loved that name,and my hubby immediately rejected that name when we were trying to come up with an appropriate name) who is 14 months old and the light of our lives. My husband will be called Russell(as in Crowe...think Gladiator, folks!), and is a service manager at a car dealership. Russell has 2 children from his first marriage, a girl who is 14, and a son who is 11. They are the subject of a whole other blog, but this one will focus on Phineas.

I never thought I would have kids, to be honest with you. I just couldn't visualize me being THAT responsible..funny, as now I can't see my life without him!! I have several friends that keep asking when I am going to have baby #2..Pretty easy answer..NEVER!! I feel good with one, and that is that. I feel no pressing desire for another. In fact, I took the bold step of ridding my house of all of the baby gear he has already grown out of. I am so ruthless!!

So that is about it. We'll see what happens next!!