It's been a long day. Whining, crying and fussing galore from both boys - I finally got Port to sleep so I could make dinner and Kiddo started in. First he threw a chair for no apparent reason. And when I calmly told him that we do not throw furniture and to put it back where it was he made this ornery rebellious face and shook his fists at me. I sent him to time out - told him to face the wall, etc. He knows he is not supposed to play with toys or yell or make any noises. Of course first he starts yelling that he is tired; it gets louder and louder and so I walked in and as calmly as I could told him he needed to hush and face the wall. More muttering under his breath - I ignore it and walk away.
We go on like this for a while, each time I have to go into the room to correct the behavior he gets more time in time out. But it wasn't working so I moved up a notch and told him that if I had to come in again he would get a swat.
This usually corrects the behavior pronto.
Not today. I found him on the floor playing with toys and when I told him to get back up on the stool he shouted "NO" at me.
*sigh*
I had to follow through. Punishment administered. Oh the crying.
I let him calm down and came back in to talk like we always do. He comes to me, puts his little arms around my neck and wraps his lags around my waist.
I breathe him in and we talk about what happened and why. He seems to understand. And just like all the times before I hugged him tight and told him that I loved him.
And he said
"I don't love you Mommy"
Until,
D
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
I Won't Back Down
Big day today. Big. Day.
Early to rise, while everyone was still asleep I got up to pump. Kiddo woke up next and a while later Hubby emerged from our room with a bright eyed Port. We ate a quick breakfast, loaded up and took off.
For a week or so now we have made this journey multiple times. We've wound through the narrow passageways, we navigated the different regions, we've sampled the offerings. We made a plan and the excitement built this morning as we drove to the parking lot. Pulling in we noticed we were not the first, nor the second or third, instead we were among another 20 or so families who had made the same early morning plans.
We split into two teams; the flat bed with Hubby and Kiddo, and the bucket with Port and I. Each team planted themselves at an entrance.
They opened the doors to my entrance at 8:30. By then I had maneuvered myself and Port very near to the door and the other players were nipping at my heels.
Doors open and we rush in. Twisting and curving and spinning; running, sliding and gritting of teeth we made our way through the difficult maze that led to an eatery. Half the group split off to get a free breakfast as Port and I glided up to another restricted area.
First at the barricade the employee looked me straight in the eye and said:
"We don't open 'till 9 ma'am"
[Well duh Zippy.]
We stood and waited; and I realized that my heart was pounding. This was ridiculously exciting. At first, people filed in behind me, calmly waiting and giving each other breathing room. The lady next to me studied a store map and casually browsed a catalog. The gentleman next to her read The Catcher In The Rye. No one seemed too concerned about anything.
Hubby and I were worried about him being at the other entrance. Technically the exit, he would have to maneuver his way backwards through the check out lines in order to get to our destination, and with an event like this he was afraid the check-out police might block his path. I realized when I got to my gate that likely wasn't going to be the case, so I called Hubby to make sure he was holding his ground.
He wasn't. He was behind me.
DOH!
Ah well, we would make the best of it. As the clock ticked closer to 9, the people behind me became more and more restless. The gaps between people got smaller and smaller, and soon I was getting irritated at the folks seemingly breathing down my neck. Finally, the gatekeeper released us and we burst forth like so much hot lava out of the top of an erupting volcano. People were pushing and shoving and racing through the store as fast as they could. The woman that had been next to me was courteous and kind, and I tried to be so as well to her. When we rounded the final corner, I saw it.
They had indeed let people in through the "exit" door.
DOH!!
I was the second or third in our group to get to the destination, but the 10th or 11th counting the others already there. There was no way I could get close to the merchandise. Thankfully, Hubby and Kiddo came screaming around the corner and my big muscle man shoved (politely) his way through the masses and used his bulging biceps to collect and carry the 35 pound boxes, 4 at a time, to me and the kids and our waiting carts.
We scored!
But there wasn't enough. Promises from employees said that more was coming; there would be plenty for everyone.
They lied.
It became glaringly obvious by the pained expressions on employee faces that something was amiss. The crowd sensed it as well and from then on out stockers could only get so far before having to abandon their load where the crowd stopped them. The crowd migrated to and fro throughout the store. A pallet would go down and they would swarm; arms and legs flying. Packaging swirling through the air. Hubby would emerge, as if coming up from the waters for air, with as much as he could carry. Tempers flared and waned and soon enough it was over. There was nothing left.
Sold out in 30 minutes flat.
Then to the lines we went; the cashier police counting boxes and piles. 25 only per customer. Never mind the family of four with preteens each claiming a cart and holding a credit card. This was war for some. Angry voices were heard everywhere; "but I drove 3 hours!! How can it all be gone??!?"
We had our loot. Pseudo friendships emerged between shoppers kind enough to give when greed overcame the masses. We chatted with each other in line; marveling at all that was witnessed.
We loaded up the vehicle. It sat LOOOOOOW on the tires.
Do you know what this is??
This my friends is my new wood floor!!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! This is for the living room, dining room and hallway.
This is the kitchen color.
And at 49 cents a square foot, I owe my eternal gratitude to my favorite store in the whole wide world.
IKEA.
Until,
D ;)
Early to rise, while everyone was still asleep I got up to pump. Kiddo woke up next and a while later Hubby emerged from our room with a bright eyed Port. We ate a quick breakfast, loaded up and took off.
For a week or so now we have made this journey multiple times. We've wound through the narrow passageways, we navigated the different regions, we've sampled the offerings. We made a plan and the excitement built this morning as we drove to the parking lot. Pulling in we noticed we were not the first, nor the second or third, instead we were among another 20 or so families who had made the same early morning plans.
We split into two teams; the flat bed with Hubby and Kiddo, and the bucket with Port and I. Each team planted themselves at an entrance.
They opened the doors to my entrance at 8:30. By then I had maneuvered myself and Port very near to the door and the other players were nipping at my heels.
Doors open and we rush in. Twisting and curving and spinning; running, sliding and gritting of teeth we made our way through the difficult maze that led to an eatery. Half the group split off to get a free breakfast as Port and I glided up to another restricted area.
First at the barricade the employee looked me straight in the eye and said:
"We don't open 'till 9 ma'am"
[Well duh Zippy.]
We stood and waited; and I realized that my heart was pounding. This was ridiculously exciting. At first, people filed in behind me, calmly waiting and giving each other breathing room. The lady next to me studied a store map and casually browsed a catalog. The gentleman next to her read The Catcher In The Rye. No one seemed too concerned about anything.
Hubby and I were worried about him being at the other entrance. Technically the exit, he would have to maneuver his way backwards through the check out lines in order to get to our destination, and with an event like this he was afraid the check-out police might block his path. I realized when I got to my gate that likely wasn't going to be the case, so I called Hubby to make sure he was holding his ground.
He wasn't. He was behind me.
DOH!
Ah well, we would make the best of it. As the clock ticked closer to 9, the people behind me became more and more restless. The gaps between people got smaller and smaller, and soon I was getting irritated at the folks seemingly breathing down my neck. Finally, the gatekeeper released us and we burst forth like so much hot lava out of the top of an erupting volcano. People were pushing and shoving and racing through the store as fast as they could. The woman that had been next to me was courteous and kind, and I tried to be so as well to her. When we rounded the final corner, I saw it.
They had indeed let people in through the "exit" door.
DOH!!
I was the second or third in our group to get to the destination, but the 10th or 11th counting the others already there. There was no way I could get close to the merchandise. Thankfully, Hubby and Kiddo came screaming around the corner and my big muscle man shoved (politely) his way through the masses and used his bulging biceps to collect and carry the 35 pound boxes, 4 at a time, to me and the kids and our waiting carts.
We scored!
But there wasn't enough. Promises from employees said that more was coming; there would be plenty for everyone.
They lied.
It became glaringly obvious by the pained expressions on employee faces that something was amiss. The crowd sensed it as well and from then on out stockers could only get so far before having to abandon their load where the crowd stopped them. The crowd migrated to and fro throughout the store. A pallet would go down and they would swarm; arms and legs flying. Packaging swirling through the air. Hubby would emerge, as if coming up from the waters for air, with as much as he could carry. Tempers flared and waned and soon enough it was over. There was nothing left.
Sold out in 30 minutes flat.
Then to the lines we went; the cashier police counting boxes and piles. 25 only per customer. Never mind the family of four with preteens each claiming a cart and holding a credit card. This was war for some. Angry voices were heard everywhere; "but I drove 3 hours!! How can it all be gone??!?"
We had our loot. Pseudo friendships emerged between shoppers kind enough to give when greed overcame the masses. We chatted with each other in line; marveling at all that was witnessed.
We loaded up the vehicle. It sat LOOOOOOW on the tires.
Do you know what this is??
This my friends is my new wood floor!!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! This is for the living room, dining room and hallway.
This is the kitchen color.
And at 49 cents a square foot, I owe my eternal gratitude to my favorite store in the whole wide world.
IKEA.
Until,
D ;)
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Silence
Would you believe that I have been blogging all week long, and just haven't gotten to a point in any post where I feel comfortable hitting "publish"?
Yeah.
Well, I have been blogging all week, and each day I get through about half a post and something distracts me. By the time I get back to it each night I am so tired it is all I can do to stay awake while I am pumping - there is no way I can complete a thought.
But trust me, I am still here. And I have lots to talk about.
Not that anyone is reading anymore...
Until,
D :)
"Silence" by Sarah McLachlan
Yeah.
Well, I have been blogging all week, and each day I get through about half a post and something distracts me. By the time I get back to it each night I am so tired it is all I can do to stay awake while I am pumping - there is no way I can complete a thought.
But trust me, I am still here. And I have lots to talk about.
Not that anyone is reading anymore...
Until,
D :)
"Silence" by Sarah McLachlan
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Swallow The Moon
Port's 6th month check up was yesterday. He's 19 3/4 pounds and 27 inches long. Mercy! Unfortunately it is time to transition him out of the infant carrier (it tops out at 20 lbs) and into a rear facing infant/toddler car seat. We thankfully still have Kiddo's seat that we can use, but I am nervous about how it is all going to work in the van.
I discussed with the doctor Port's eating habits - or lack thereof I guess. I'm sure I mentioned that we started him on cereal and other first foods a while back; well things haven't been going so well. He pretty much refuses to eat anything I prepare for him, but he still wants everything on my plate! He will be good with baby food for about 3 bites and then he will either gag on it or turn his head away when I try to feed him. Dr. C suggested that I put his food on my plate with my food and just feed from the same plate, but I've tried that a few times and it just doesn't work - he's too smart for that I guess. The Dr. also said that teeth are highly overrated, so if there is something I wanted to give Port that was considered "adult" food it was ok to give him as long as it was slightly mushy. So, that's what I decided to do. When we got home from the appointment Port and I shared some cold fried chicken (breading picked off of his of course) and mashed potatoes, and for just him I had some apple Puffs and avocado. He LOVED it. Especially the chicken! Please don't throw "bad mommy" things at me - I really don't know why I shouldn't be able to give him small pieces of cooked chicken. So much for the traditional introduction of one food at a time...
That afternoon I decided to let him have his first go at a Biter Biscuit and he had so much fun! It was a complete déjà vu moment (I've been having those a lot lately!) tied to when Kiddo had his first biscuit experience
[this is Kiddo, circa February 2005]
- so I took out my camera in the hopes of getting some similar pictures of the occasion.
Ah, anyway, I am hoping to do some more formal photos of Port at 6 months, but for now these will have to do...
The overhead light was too yellow and unappealing, so I pulled out my speed light for the rest of these...
I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it. ;)
Until,
D :)
I discussed with the doctor Port's eating habits - or lack thereof I guess. I'm sure I mentioned that we started him on cereal and other first foods a while back; well things haven't been going so well. He pretty much refuses to eat anything I prepare for him, but he still wants everything on my plate! He will be good with baby food for about 3 bites and then he will either gag on it or turn his head away when I try to feed him. Dr. C suggested that I put his food on my plate with my food and just feed from the same plate, but I've tried that a few times and it just doesn't work - he's too smart for that I guess. The Dr. also said that teeth are highly overrated, so if there is something I wanted to give Port that was considered "adult" food it was ok to give him as long as it was slightly mushy. So, that's what I decided to do. When we got home from the appointment Port and I shared some cold fried chicken (breading picked off of his of course) and mashed potatoes, and for just him I had some apple Puffs and avocado. He LOVED it. Especially the chicken! Please don't throw "bad mommy" things at me - I really don't know why I shouldn't be able to give him small pieces of cooked chicken. So much for the traditional introduction of one food at a time...
That afternoon I decided to let him have his first go at a Biter Biscuit and he had so much fun! It was a complete déjà vu moment (I've been having those a lot lately!) tied to when Kiddo had his first biscuit experience
[this is Kiddo, circa February 2005]
- so I took out my camera in the hopes of getting some similar pictures of the occasion.Ah, anyway, I am hoping to do some more formal photos of Port at 6 months, but for now these will have to do...
The overhead light was too yellow and unappealing, so I pulled out my speed light for the rest of these...
I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it. ;)
Until,
D :)
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Let's Wait a While
Bodily functions and wardrobe malfunctions - welcome to my weekend.
Last night Hubby and I took the kids to a local park so that we could work on our speed light skills and get some images of the kids in the process. Port turned 6 months this past week, and I really need to get some good photographs made of him. We ventured out a bit later than planned, but made it to the park just as that amazing sun set light was washing over the area.
Unfortunately, my camera never left it's bag, and I don't even know if Hubby got anything in the few shots he took. We stayed for a little while exploring the park and letting Kiddo play on the playscape and then realized that hunger was setting in so we left for dinner. We wanted to go to a nearby TGI Fridays - mainly because it is one of the few restaurants around here with an outdoor patio. Hubby LOVES outdoor patios at restaurants. He loves them. Did I tell you that he loves outdoor patios at restaurants?
He loves them.
Anyway, when we got to the Friday's, it was pretty crowded and there were several people smoking on the patio. Not wanting to subject the kids to second hand smoke, we opted to go over to IKEA to browse for a few minutes and let the evening dinner rush crowd thin out.
I love IKEA. Love it. Have I mentioned my deep, deep love for IKEA? It's just one of those stores you either love or hate. I fell in love with IKEA around the time I got married. A new one had opened up in Houston, and being a young newlywed with not a lot of income but a desperate need for furniture that wasn't made up of cinder blocks and 2x4s, IKEA became a salvation. My love has not waned much from then, but I do have to say that over the years things at IKEA have changed somewhat. The couch we bought there 10 years ago is about half the size now and the same price. I think they are making furniture for the little people these days, because I feel like the Jolly Green Giant every time I go in the store now.
But I digress...
I know I told you about the IKEA that opened up here in our town two years ago. I don't get out there much, but when I am up that way I have to stop in and have a look around. And since we needed to kill some time, a trip through the IKEA maze was a good way to do it. We managed to get about half way through when I had a moment of déjà vu smack me right upside the head. I was holding Port who had gotten cranky in his infant carrier when the front of my shirt suddenly felt warm and wet. Then I heard the sound of liquid dripping on to the display room's laminate flooring.
Apparently the fluid threshold in Port's diaper had been surpassed. And the surplus was all over me, him and the lovely IKEA floor. Leaving Kiddo and Hubby in the kid's rooms section I rushed Port over to the restrooms to change him. I think it was the first time I have ever been prepared with a spare outfit in his diaper bag - too bad I didn't have one for me though. Once I had him cleaned up, I draped his receiving blanket across my front to cover the wet areas and carried him out. We briskly walked through the rest of the maze and made our way out and over to the restaurant.
Once there, we snagged a great table on the almost empty patio and had a lovely meal. Port decided to make a nasty poopy diaper while we were there, but thankfully it didn't blow out this time.
Sunday morning we went to church. For the past few weeks we have been sitting in the Family Room during the service; after months of me roaming the halls with Port while Hubby listened to the sermon in the sanctuary we decided that the family and worship time together in the Family Room was worth more than the disadvantage of the uncomfortable chairs and noisy kids. But this Sunday there was a special child dedication service and the Family Room was closed. About 10 minutes into the sermon I left with Port to roam the halls. Almost as soon as we got out there I once again felt that warm wet sensation and found that once again his diaper had leaked all over the front of me. This time, the wet spot was strategically placed where it looked like I had wet myself. Joy.
Thankfully I had remembered to change out the spare outfit for Port so I was able to change him again into a clean outfit. Once again I had to drape the receiving blanket across me to cover the wet spots and pretend I couldn't feel what was seeping through my clothes. To make matters worse, the shirt I was wearing had issues. The top and the bottom button did not want to stay fastened, and so I was constantly flashing people either cleavage or belly. Not really a good look for church I'd say.
Until,
D :)
He loves them.
Anyway, when we got to the Friday's, it was pretty crowded and there were several people smoking on the patio. Not wanting to subject the kids to second hand smoke, we opted to go over to IKEA to browse for a few minutes and let the evening dinner rush crowd thin out.
I love IKEA. Love it. Have I mentioned my deep, deep love for IKEA? It's just one of those stores you either love or hate. I fell in love with IKEA around the time I got married. A new one had opened up in Houston, and being a young newlywed with not a lot of income but a desperate need for furniture that wasn't made up of cinder blocks and 2x4s, IKEA became a salvation. My love has not waned much from then, but I do have to say that over the years things at IKEA have changed somewhat. The couch we bought there 10 years ago is about half the size now and the same price. I think they are making furniture for the little people these days, because I feel like the Jolly Green Giant every time I go in the store now.
But I digress...
I know I told you about the IKEA that opened up here in our town two years ago. I don't get out there much, but when I am up that way I have to stop in and have a look around. And since we needed to kill some time, a trip through the IKEA maze was a good way to do it. We managed to get about half way through when I had a moment of déjà vu smack me right upside the head. I was holding Port who had gotten cranky in his infant carrier when the front of my shirt suddenly felt warm and wet. Then I heard the sound of liquid dripping on to the display room's laminate flooring.
Apparently the fluid threshold in Port's diaper had been surpassed. And the surplus was all over me, him and the lovely IKEA floor. Leaving Kiddo and Hubby in the kid's rooms section I rushed Port over to the restrooms to change him. I think it was the first time I have ever been prepared with a spare outfit in his diaper bag - too bad I didn't have one for me though. Once I had him cleaned up, I draped his receiving blanket across my front to cover the wet areas and carried him out. We briskly walked through the rest of the maze and made our way out and over to the restaurant.
Once there, we snagged a great table on the almost empty patio and had a lovely meal. Port decided to make a nasty poopy diaper while we were there, but thankfully it didn't blow out this time.
Sunday morning we went to church. For the past few weeks we have been sitting in the Family Room during the service; after months of me roaming the halls with Port while Hubby listened to the sermon in the sanctuary we decided that the family and worship time together in the Family Room was worth more than the disadvantage of the uncomfortable chairs and noisy kids. But this Sunday there was a special child dedication service and the Family Room was closed. About 10 minutes into the sermon I left with Port to roam the halls. Almost as soon as we got out there I once again felt that warm wet sensation and found that once again his diaper had leaked all over the front of me. This time, the wet spot was strategically placed where it looked like I had wet myself. Joy.
Thankfully I had remembered to change out the spare outfit for Port so I was able to change him again into a clean outfit. Once again I had to drape the receiving blanket across me to cover the wet spots and pretend I couldn't feel what was seeping through my clothes. To make matters worse, the shirt I was wearing had issues. The top and the bottom button did not want to stay fastened, and so I was constantly flashing people either cleavage or belly. Not really a good look for church I'd say.
Until,
D :)
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