What's Simple is True

This past week has seen some interesting developments in little Kiddo. He is becoming such a big boy, I can't even stand it. His speech has taken off and gone to a whole new level. He will hold a 20 minute, non stop talk-a-thon with himself several times a day! He used to parrot things a lot, but now it is just ridiculous. It is nearly impossible to hold a conversation with him, or anyone else for that matter because he repeats EVERYTHING you say, about a second after you say it. You know how sometimes on a cell phone there is a weird feedback that is your own voice, about 1/2 a second behind when you say something? Know how hard it is to talk when you have that in your ear? Every time I get on the phone with someone, Kiddo goes and gets our other cordless phone and puts it up to his ear. Then he walks around the exact same way I am, using the same hand gestures and expression and repeats everything I say! It drives me insane!! He coughs when I cough, laughs when I laugh, even makes the same faces. I was on the phone with a dear friend of mine and we couldn't even talk because he was so distracting. She was laughing at my "echo" and I couldn't think.


We are also trying to figure out this sleeping thing. I want him to go to bed earlier, but he really only sleeps about 10-12 hours a day. If he has a nap, he is up until 10 or 11 pm before he is ready to go back to bed, sometimes even later. If he doesn't take a nap he will only sometimes go down earlier than 10, but then we deal with a wake up at midnight or later. I think though that the no nap nights work out better. The downside is that from about 6pm on we deal with a major case of the grouchies.


And the grouchies lead to adventures in discipline. Joy. We've been using the "go to your room" technique combined with a time out chair. It seems to be working pretty well most days. A few days ago we had a particularly long round of acting out and punishment and he finally settled down and started playing. He went into his room and emptied out his clothes hamper and came out into the living room with it on his head.
It was pretty cute until he started bumping into things. Fearing he might get really hurt and just getting plain annoyed at having a big canvass Lightning McQueen fall on me every 30 seconds, I abruptly took the hamper away and put it back in his room. Kiddo came up to me and said "Mommy back room!" (Mommy, go back in my room) so I walked in there with him. "Mommy, sit in chair. Mommy not nice. Time out."


*sigh* Well, at least he is getting it.

We are also venturing into the world of potty training. Several times a day now he will ask me to sit him on the potty. Again he will grunt and strain and sometimes get a little tee tee out. As soon as anything comes out he says "Good Job!" and hops off to flush. Yesterday I tried to put a diaper back on him afterward and he refused. "No bopper Mommy. Big Boy." I explained that if he doesn't wear a diaper then he has to tell me when he needs to go and he really seemed to understand. He stayed nakey for about an hour (with me asking him every few minutes if he needed a diaper or to go sit on the potty) and then he asked me for a diaper. It was really strange. I honestly didn't think things would be starting this soon. He doesn't seem to care when he is wet or dirty, so I'm not really sure what the motivation is. I am trying not to encourage or discourage - if he does something we clap and dance and celebrate, but I am not about to pressure him into anything. This is going to be his decision entirely - not mine. (unless of course, he ends up being the only high school senior still in diapers! ;) )

But today we bought him some big boy, Cars underwear just in case!

In keeping with my self portraits, here is yesterday's entry. It's a bit moody/creepy, but I like it. I am currently involved in a picture-a-day project and have started a separate blog just for that. Several other photographers from around the country are participating as well. Please stop by and take a look - there is some amazing talent out there!

Until,

D :)

More Than Words

Not much to say today. I need to go give Kiddo a bath before he collapses. But, I have to show you my daily self portrait.

Ok, so I snagged this shirt from a pushy, rude woman at Target yesterday. She was practically shoving me away from the clearance rack and I grabbed it before she could get to it. I was feeling particularly saucy, so I rubbed it in. "Wow, only a dollar 98?!?! Oh, it's sooooo soft!" :D

I know, I am evil. But isn't it a cute shirt?

Until,

D :)

Little Red Maz-da!

Well my friends, the forces that be have been encouraging me to tell you all something. For about a week, every time I go out, I see many a special car. Not my favorite car in the world, but my favorite car that I've owned.

Almost 3 years into our stay in Arizona, Hubby and I decided we wanted to get a "fun" car. After a lifetime of cars we were given, cars we could afford and cars that we got a good deal on, we thought we might try to find something we really wanted. I had always wanted a convertible, and since we lived in Arizona - what better place to own one! We searched for several weeks and one day I happened upon an Ebay auction for the most beautiful little 1988 Mazda RX7 I'd ever seen. Now, we'd bought small items on Ebay before, but nothing the magnitude of a vehicle. So, as a joke, I emailed the link to Hubby to see what he would do. The car was for sale by a lot across town, so I told him I would go check it out after work. I got off work as soon as I could but got stuck in traffic on the way. I was about 5 miles from the lot, just to look at the car mind you, and Hubby called me on my cell. "Well, I hope it looks as good in person as it does online." he says. Laughing I replied "yah, it's a cute little car, I can't wait to see it." Hubby says "good thing, cause you now own it." :O

He won the auction.

Thank my lucky stars; 5 minutes later I rolled up on this...

Oh Yah! It was mint; absolutely perfect and stunning and showed no wear anywhere. At 15 years old, it had less than 60,000 miles on it.

I have never loved a car more. I have never cried so much over having to sell it a year and a half later. When we found out Kiddo was on his way, we made the decision to let it go. I still regret it.

There is so much I could say about that car, but I need to wrap this up. Tell me about your favorite car. Share your stories. I'm listening. :)

Oh yes, and my self-portrait for the day...

Until,
D :)

For Your Eyes Only

I always thought I had pretty eyes! Self portrait, January 6, 2007.

They do look tired though; and a bit red still. We are better today. Kiddo's affliction seems to be much less serious than mine. I feel like I am going to start coughing up lung here in a minute and he is fine. Hopefully I'll be over this soon.

Well, the latest on the Fry front is that it could be that Kiddo may start potty training soon. He seems to find flushing the toilet fascinating. I won't let him flush unless he does something - so every night before his bath he asks to be set upon the throne. He grunts, he groans, he pushes and strains until I fear he may do damage, then hops off and says "Good Job!" while reaching for the lid. I have to watch him and be ready to snatch him up quick or he'll flush the toilet several times in a row - oy vey my water bill! But night after night nothing comes out (except for a toot or two)- so I'm not quite sure he is actually getting it, you know?

Either way I suppose it is a step in the right direction.

Until,

D :) *cough, hack!*

Am I Blue

We are sick today. Self portrait for January 5, 2007.

Kiddo acquired my cough last night just before bed. Thankfully I had some meds to help him sleep. I was not quite as lucky. The reason my brain felt like mush yesterday is because it was simmering at a warm 101 degrees for most of the day. My fever I believe spiked a bit after I went to bed because not long after I hit the pillow I suddenly was unable to get warm. I had on my pj's, my robe, several blankets and still was trembling with chills. About an hour into my "sleep" I began hallucinating - some crazy dreams came out of that one! The good news is that when my fever broke I had sweat enough to get back to my pre-holidays weight. um. yea.

Surprisingly though, Kiddo and I both awoke to good spirits, and even felt up to a trip to Target (the last couple of illnesses we've acquired I believe have come from Target, so I figure I should give back, right? ;) ). Seriously, we had to pick up some contacts for Hubby so I really had no choice.

When we got back though, we both started dragging; my fever returned and we crashed on the couch together. It is seriously hard to take a picture of oneself while fighting off the heavy arms of a tired, sick induced nap. I had to roll off the couch on to the floor to get my self up and moving again. Kiddo is still asleep, and I am sorry to report that Hubby will not be getting a home cooked meal tonight. I don't think I have it in me. Perhaps I should get him to drive-thru somewhere on his way home - ugh. That sounds dreadful. Maybe it's a cereal kind of night.

Hope you all are healthy -

D :)