Happy 3rd Birthday, buddy!

G turned 3 on June 24th.  We threw a party on the 25th since E had to work on the 24th.  Then on the 23rd E decided to take the 24th off.  Since G and I were going into town to get groceries for the party anyway, E tagged along.  Awhile ago we'd talked about taking G to see Cars 2 when it came out, which just happened to be on the 24th.  So we also did that when we were in town.  G did really well, much better than I thought he would do considering he can't sit still to save his life.  He did get antsy a time or two and he had me take him to the potty twice (the 2nd time was a fake!).  But overall he did great at his first movie!!! 

I will admit, though, that mostly he did great because of the endless bag of movie popcorn (the boy loves his pawcown) and soda.  Without those two things (which left me $13.65 lighter - holy crap!) things might not have gone as smoothly.  He was a great boy in town too, even though we had a lot of errands to run!  E sat the cake in the cart a little too close to G and next thing I know he's telling me, "Momma dat num!"  I saw that his finger was covered in frosting.  He'd helped himself to his cake!  I can't say that I blame the boy, it was a birthday cake...for him and on his birthday.  Too bad it was for the party the next day!

On the 25th we had almost 20 people come over for a BBQ and birthday party for G.  It was mostly adults but our neighbhors down the highway did bring their two little girls.  G was so excited to see them!

G's birthday shirt:

After eating lots of BBQ type foods I brought out the cake.  When we went to sing Happy Birthday to him he started to scream and cry and tried to run out the side back door.  He's never liked having that song sung to him so I had a feeling he'd do that and I caught up to him quickly.  Once he saw that Daddy had lit the candles on his trian cake then he was willing to hang out since the singing was done.  He could have cared less about the cake anyway, he just wanted the little train decorations I used on it!

Sitting him down to open presents was a crazy adventure.  After the first few presents (there was a lot, he's such a loved little monkey) he was D.O.N.E. with the present thing.  But I made him sit down and open them for each of the guests (they all brought him something) and then thank each person.  We'll work on and send out thank you notes before too much longer.  I was surprised at what people brought and touched by it.  I just wanted people to come and have cake and ice cream and dinner with us but they were generous and wonderful.

He got a Tonka grader and a Cat loader that makes lots of noise.  He got the Little Tikes backhoe and excavator (super cool).  He got tons of stuff from Cars, including some of the new characters from Cars 2!  My favorite was the Cars book that includes some little cars and a mat to drive them around on and act the story out!  He got a stomp rocket which he paid no attention to but I'm dying to take out to play with!  He got "hoppercoppers," otherwise known as helicopters.  He got the obligatory cops kid toy, a lights and siren blaring truck.  Hm, what else was there, I'm thinking.  Oh, a giant water pistol (ooh, watch out Daddy, we're coming for you!) and a super cool PlayDoh shapes thing.  I got him a bunch of cool books, including The Big Book of Trains, which he poured over before bedtime.  And then of course there's the awesome socks and undies from Nana.  All kids should have to get socks and undies or clothes from their nana's, just because it's funny.  He also got Toby the steam tram, which he's been talking about for awhile, a Little Tikes mechanics tool bench and motor workshop and a balance bike.  I think I listed everything?  Some might say spoiled but like I said, loved.    

Something I need to commit to memory...

Life is not a race - but indeed a journey.  Be honest.  Work hard.  Be choosy.  Say "thank you", "I love you", and "great job" to someone each day.  Go to church, take time for prayer.  The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.  Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper.  Love your life and what you've been given, it is not accidental - search for your purpose and do it as best you can.  Dreaming does matter.  It allows you to become that which you inspire to be.  Laugh often.  Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them.  Some of the best things really are free.  Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming.  Forgive, it frees the soul.  Take time for yourself - plan for longevity.  Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know.

Happy Father's Day, G's Daddy!

I'd like to say that I let him sleep in but I'd be lying.  He let me sleep in because he knows a happy momma = a happier household.  I wish I was a morning person like him and G but if I was, I'd never get the alone time that I get by being up half the night, even though it's not so much alone time as quiet time to get my work done I still value it tremendously!!! 

Oh wait, that's not what Father's Day is about, I'd better stop my rambling. 

The night before I went ahead and tried a new recipe for breakfast Father's Day morning.  This should have been gift enough for E since he's the breakfast master around here.  But don't worry, I'm not quite that cheap.  I made him this, feel free to steal it since that's what I did!
Oven baked pecan french toast

1/2 inch slices thickly sliced bread
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup pecans chopped
8 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
zest of one orange
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine melted butter and maple syrup.  Pour into large, deep cookie sheet or baking pan and sprinkle with chopped pecans.  Mix together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and salt. Soak bread slices and place on top of maple syrup mixture.

Pour remaining egg mix over the bread. Sprinkle with more chopped pecans. Cover and place in fridge overnight. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and puffy.

Then after a nice, filling breakfast G gave him our gift (one hadn't shown up on time thanks to the jackholes at the FedEx), which was simply a new Timex exactly like the one he's had for years which has been falling apart for awhile.  It wasn't easy to find that style but I managed to pull it off thanks to my master search/shopping skills.

A friend of mine had made a super cool card for her husband for another holiday and when I saw it I asked her if she could make one for G to give to E.  She had me send her a pic of the uniform that E wears and she made this card and sent it to me!  G did a lovely job of decorating the inside of it, don't you think?

Sometimes I wonder if E enjoys being a daddy again as much as I enjoying being a momma for the first time.  I know this Father's Day stuff is old hat for him and he can probably remember lots and lots of cheesy gifts from his first two kids from over the years.  Since they don't always call to say Happy Father's Day I just make the plan to make it extra sweet and special for him, from us. 

A big part of that, I think, comes from not having my Dad here for Father's Day any longer and needing to pour all my love and attention into E so I don't cry about the fact that I can't show my Dad how much I love and apprecaite him.  I miss having someone to buy stupid, corny, raunchy t-shirts for but I just can't buy them for E since I don't want to be seen in public with a dude wearing those kinds of shirts.  My mom deserves kudo's for putting up with my dad's for so long!  I know, you've heard me whine before about how much I miss him but yes, even the semi-cheesy holidays hurt just a little more than the every days because it's very in my face that he's no longer here.

I wish everyone treated their Dad's with love and respect and kindness.  I wish everyone took a minute out of their day on more than just a Sunday in June to call their Dad just to tell him that he's loved.  I wish everyone would realize that one day their Dad might not be here.      

It's clicking!!! It's clicking!!! It's clicking!!!

I hope I don't jinx myself by blogging about this but I think the potty learning is really clicking for G!  The other day him and I were in the office and he stood up and said, "No pee pee in the office!"  I started to say, "That's right..." and I turned around and saw him grabbing himself.  I said, "Oh, we'd better go to the potty!"  We did and he pee'd.  HUGE as that's the first time he's actually expressed anything about having to potty without being asked first and the first time I've ever seen him grab himself to indicate it!!!  The same day he walked by the office and I heard him in the bathroom.  I walked in behind him and said, "Do you need to go potty?"  He said, "Yeah, I go pee pee."  I said, "Maybe you need to poop too?"  "No, I go pee pee!"  I had him sit anyway and wouldn't you know it, he pooped in the potty! 

Another time he got out of the tub during bathtime (I was working and Ed had stepped away for a second to let the dogs outside), sat on the potty and pooped, then got back in the tub.  Mind you a few days before that he didn't bother and he pooped in the tub (welcome back, Mr. Tub Shitter) but this was another HUGE deal in my book. 

Today I again heard him go into the bathroom and I tip toed in there with the intent of catching him messing with the toothpaste (it's a regular thing).  I watched as he pulled his stool up to the potty, stepped on it, pulled his own britches down and pee'd in the potty!  Ah-mazing!!!  Later we came inside from playing outside and I said, "Hey buddy why don't you run and go potty for me, please?"  He went into the bathroom and did his thing.  I went in shortly after him and I saw him messing with toilet paper.  I was about to get on his case for that when I realized he was wiping the seat off.  He had accidentally pee'd on the seat since he had a case of sticky weiner.  I'll have to talk to E about teaching him to hold himself and point.  G has to be the only male I've ever known that doesn't spend much time "getting to know himself" if you know what I'm sayin'.  

Tonight before bathtime E found G in the bathroom (assuming he was messing with toothpaste yet again).  E found that G had pooped a little in his pants, taken his pants and underoo's off in the bathroom and sat himself down on the potty to finish the job.  So twice today he realized he had to go and took care of it himself.  This is the boy who has to be reminded all day every day so this is a huge step!!!

My goal was to have him potty learned by his third birthday...which just happens to be in 6 days!  He won't be 100% potty learned by then but he'll be awfully close I'll betcha!  I'm gonna be both mad and excited if I end up with a whole package of size 6 diapers since we're halfway through on pack and an unopened one is in his crib (sans the box it came in so non-returnable).  I'll have to look up information on a women's shelter I could donate them to?  Or maybe an old folks home for little people? 

I wonder if I'll be this proud at his college graduation?  I wonder if, when he's in college, he'll be able to get online and read all about the time he pooped (or poot as he calls it) in the potty on his own.  I wonder if he's going to hate me for blogging about all the details of his young life.  Too bad, mister!   

I never win anything...

...but that doesn't mean I have to stop trying to!  A blog that I regularly follow is written by a woman who lives my dream - she's got 5 sons!  How much fun must her house be, filled to the brim with dirt and noise and bugs and farts, etc.  I'd settle for just 2 boys but heck, G is like 2 children in 1 package so I'll get off that topic. 

Anyway, one of the giveaways caught my eye because it's for a set of Thomas themed Megablocks.  We all know what a train lover G is and he has also been getting into building things so Megablocks and Thomas in one?  That would be a big hit at this house!  That giveaway is located here: http://www.raisingmy5sons.com/2011/06/thomas-friends-megabloks-review.html

Don't worry, you can join in on the fun, I don't mind a little competition. 

As part of the entries for the Megablocks I had to check out the other giveaways on her blog and enter one of them.  That's how I found the adorableness of Lulu's Lids!  G would definitely wear one of those sock monkey hats this winter.  If I don't win I wonder if I can get Nana to make him one.  That woman can make/sew/crochet anything.  But check that giveaway out as well!  If nothing else I could always pick a newborn girly hat (like the black and pink owl) for a photo prop for little baby B who will be here in about 3 weeks!!!  The link for Lulu's Lids giveaways is: http://www.raisingmy5sons.com/2011/06/photography-event-lulus-lids-giveaway.html and the link for lulu's lids is: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lulus-Lids/145480938849960?sk=wall

Pretty simple so join in the fun!!!

As if right on cue, considering my recent post about telling our kids we don't like them...

I GOT IT! ♥ I GOT IT! I FINALLY GOT IT! As
I was putting G to bed tonight I whispered, "I love you." And he whispered back, "I wuv you momma." That was beyond awesome and totally worth the wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then I sent him out to the living room so he could tell E that he loved him and he did it.  I thought E's face was going to break in two, that's how big his grin was.  Of course I was expecting a reaction more along the lines of:
This may seem silly to some, but this is a big deal to me.  I've been waiting and waiting for him to say this to me.  I know he loves me but it sounds so sweet coming out of his mouth.  I wish I could bottle that up and keep it so I don't forget how tiny and adorable his voice sounds right now.

I can't see myself saying, "Son, I don't like you"...

But I guess I do understand what the article is saying...http://moms.today.com/_news/2011/06/09/6820864-why-you-should-tell-your-kids-you-dont-like-them

Parents these days coddle their children, yes, and it may seem excessive to some but I don't think that's necessarily true.  Don't most people say, "I want to parent my child this way, not how my parents did it."  So does that maybe mean that we were the opposite of coddled?  I don't think so, I think my generation was ridicul0usly coddled. 

I wouldn't call G coddled by any means and yes I can admit freely that he gets spanked as last resort in the line of discipline.  I think I would say to him, "You're not my favorite person right now but I still love you," or, "I don't like the way you're behaving or the choices you are making so I don't want to be your friend right now."  Not that parents should be their children's friends anyway but that's a whole other rant for me.

Anyway now I'm just rambling.  Read the article, it's a good read. 

Balloons & The Great Pancake Debate

Oh balloons, I detest thee.  For some reason G is in the midst of a major balloon obsession.  He sleeps with them in his hands (and he's a mover at night so this is fun).  He is convinced they are going to "flew away up in da cwouds (clouds)."  He wants them in his hand when he's getting dressed, when he's going potty, when he's eating and even when he's playing with his trains.  I can't wait for them to lose their helium so that I can throw them away.  In fact today he didn't want to go outside to play in case the wind blew his balloons away.  What's this?  G doesn't want to be outside?  Pure craziness. 

E threatened G today that he was going to take his balloons outside and let them go so they would fly away because G was misbehaving (i.e. being 3 years old).  I told E that it'd be kinder to just pop them than to feed into G's fear of his beloved balloons flying away.  E is a meanie.  I was going to get some balloons for G's birthday but now I'm not sure I want to start that over again after these ones finally give up their floatiness.

And thanks to our time at Mongo house we've discovered that G loves pancakes.  E said, "Buddy I'll make you pancakes for every meal every day if you'll eat them.  At least I know you'll be eating."  Ooh, that should make for an interesting battle shortly.  Or maybe it'll be like when you catch your teenager smoking and you make them smoke a whole pack?  It gets old really quick?  I can only hope because, quite honestly, I despise pancakes.  I wish this boy would eat without it being a battle.

And God love those of you who want to call him a picky eater.  He's not really a picky eater, he just doesn't eat.  Wait, I take that back, if it's booty he'll eat.  We expose him to all sorts of food and we make him sit down at meal times and eat with us, etc. but what's the point, really, in forcing him to eat just for the sake of eating?  He is obviously not underweight or malnourished.  I read an interesting article awhile back about so-called "picky eaters," so feel free to read it too before feeling the need to tell me what I'm doing wrong.

http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/picky-kids-smug-parents/?scid=preschooler_20100831:2&pe=2UoShEa

My son, the comedian

I should have known I would birth a comedian.  I deserve a comedian child.  Now that the talking is coming along nicely, the comedy has begun.  He's just now started to figure out "funny."  He likes to get right in my face when he's laughing and say, "Dat funny," or, "Darrett funny," while laughing like a looney.  When he finds something funny on TV he has to find me wherever I am and stop whatever I'm doing and he has to show me the funny.  But it's not just the things that he does that are funny, it's the things that he says.  Take, for example, two conversations that G and I had today:

Me: Son, do you want some eggs to eat?

G: No tanks.
Me: How about a pancake?
G: No tanks.
Me: Well, what about some oatmeal?
G: No tanks.
Me: When did you get so polite? I like it!
G: Momma pooted.
Me: I take that back. And I did not poot!

Or there's this one.  I had walked into his room and the smell of poo almost knocked me over.  He still had his night diaper on so it was "okay" in that I knew I wasn't going to have to clean poo out of the carpet or clothes or anything.
Me: "Garrett, did you poop?"

G: "No."
Me: "Well somebody sure pooped."
G: "No poot."
Me: "Um, do you not realize I'm wiping poop off your fanny?"
G: "Wook, a poot ghost! I get him! Come back poot ghost!"
Me: "There's no poop ghost, now tell me the truth. You're not in any trouble, it's okay, you just need to say yes that you pooped because you did.  Now, tell momma, did you poop?"
G: "No tanks."

Now E tells me, "It's your fault."  What's my fault?  "You're the one who wanted him to talk and now he won't shut up."  I hope he almost never shuts up, I love that he's a chatterbug.  Now the first time he accuses the dude in front of us at Costco of pooting I might wish he had a little more discretion but come on, that's just funny when that kind of thing happens.

Sicky G

G is so rarely sick that I almost forgot the signs of a sick G!  He started to get a runny nose and cough the other day and then on Tuesday he woke up with a fever and he was a little lethargic (for him).  Before naptime he was in his room and he'd gotten a little quiet, which is very strange for him.  I went in his room and found him under his covers just holding on his balloons (I'll explain that one later) and looking at the ceiling.  G, still by choice?  Odd indeed.  Crash crawled up there and snuggled up to him and then Siren decided she couldn't miss out in that so she jumped up there too.  It was too cute not to photograph of course :)

Ten on Tuesday

1. What type of phone do you have? Do you like it?

Um, it's an LG something.  Like the newest version of the EnV but it goes by a different name.  It serves it's purpose.  If we didn't live in boontooleyville I'd have an iPhone.

2. How old were you when you got your first cell phone?
In my 20's.

3. How many cell phones have you owned since your first?
I'm kind of hard on cell phones so I know I do at least the new every 2 years thing.

4. How much is your average monthly phone bill?
Right now it's somewhere around $70 and to me that's too much considering how often they get used. 
5. When you were a kid/teenager, were you allowed to have a phone in your room?
Yep, it was green to match the colors in my room.  And it was corded and the buttons were on the phone, not on the receiver.  And it had a LOUD ring.
6. Do you like talking on the phone or do you despise it? Or somewhere in-between?
I hate it.  I'd rather message someone online or text.  Mostly it's because I've become "that mom" that has to yell at her kid while on the phone.  I hated talking to people who did that and look at me now!
7. Do you text a lot? Is texting/talking while driving illegal where you live? Are you guilty of it anyway?
I text when I'm in cell range, which isn't very often.  I believe that texting/talking while driving is actually illegal in town but it's not in Idaho.
8. What sort of texting keyboard does your phone have? Touch screen, slide out, or something different? Do you care?
Um, it's the kind you flip open and it has the full qwerty keyboard.  I love typing out the word qwerty.  It's kind of a fun word.  I wonder if it's in the dictionary?

9. Look at the last call in your call log – who is it? What were they calling about? Who calls you the most?
My hubs.  He wanted me to pick up a 2 gallon weed sprayer type container while I was at Walmart.  Bet you can't guess what he's doing on his days off this week?  Poor dandelions...

Who calls me the most on my cell phone?  Uh, no one really.  I guess it'd have to be the hubs though.
10. What is the longest phone call you can recall having?
Egads, who knows.  I try to keep them short and sweet.

Our Poky vacation

We took awhile getting down there, leaving our house at about 10 am and getting there at like 8:30 pm.  I love meandering though!  We made as many stops as we wanted and G got out to stretch plenty.  He did pee his pants within like the first hour of the trip but oh well, we tried.  It's such a lurvely drive that I don't mind getting to enjoy it.  Want to know what was doubly nice?  Pulling the camper with our "new" truck.  It was so nice to not worry about blowing out the transmission up mountain passes.  Heck, we hardly even knew it was back there!  I love taking it places with us because it means I don't have to use restroom pottys.  Yeah, I'm a priss like that, so sue me.  Just south of Darby we saw a huge group of bighorn sheep and they were right on or just off the highway.  E was kind enough to stop and let me get some pictures. 

The next day we didn't do much of anything other than hang out at Mongo house.  E got put to work fixing a few things there since he can't sit still and he's a general handyman.  He doesn't mind doing stuff like that though.  G loved their backyard because they have a good grandparent set up going on, a few slides and swings, lots of room to run, etc.  In fact G swung on a regular swing, not a baby one.  He's such a big boy, that's the first time he used one of those even though we have a few on his swing set at home.  Of course me being me I was waiting for him to let go and send himself flying but he didn't.  I think he might have actually liked it too! 

G & Uncle Mongo watching Daddy fix the pond.   

Look at my boy on the swing, so grown up.

He loved playing on Uncle Mongo's super cool swingset/fort! 

I took G to my former workplace.  For some reason he had a massive meltdown, which just made me feel bad all around.  It was so nice to see all my pals though and have them see the magnanimous reason I left (i.e. G).  These are the people who were there throughout my whole pregnancy and the first 10 months of G's life, they saw him more often than the rest of my family did and they haven't seen him since we left in May 2009.  They were shocked to say the least and for some reason even with his screaming and crying they still loved seeing him.  Later we left G with Mongo for a few hours and we ran and did some errands.  I heard G got introduced to what Mongo deemed, "The Naughty Chair," i.e. G was strapped into a high chair.  Confinement is a form of punishment for G but he got the clue really quick.  G got to play with Ava since she came over, she's a year older than him but of course he's bigger than her.  We had steak for dinner and it was heavenly. 

On time out for throwing rocks in the pond.

Thursday was Bri's graduation.  It was a nice ceremony at the Arena but holy wow it was hot in there.  Listen, I'm overweight and it's June and there were a few hundred people in there so yes, I sweated.  But mostly that's because we had to keep G occupied during the ceremony and he decided one second, "I want mommy."  Then the next minute it was, "I want daddy."  He stepped on my toes so many times that I wasn't sure if that was sweat or blood I was feeling.  Whenever people would scream and holler for their graduate G would scream and clap his hands too, it was super cute.   

I had to hold back tears when they called Bri's name so I can't imagine how it felt for her parents.  I remember this cute little girl who liked us just because we were her daddy's friends and then when she turned into a teenager she liked us because we were cooler than her parents (because what teenager likes their parents, right?).  Now she's this beautiful girl with so much life ahead of her.  I remember being there.  It really wasn't all THAT long ago.  Time sure flies.  I almost had a panic attack because I flashed forward and imagined myself in 15 years hearing G's name be announced at his graduation.  I cannot imagine what my life will be like without him in it every day, without him needing me or even liking me.  I want him to succeed and be independent and all that jazz but I know the time will come when our relationship changes and that makes me sad.       

There was a big BBQ party for Bri after the ceremony but unlike the day before (and days after) it was not a nice day.  It was frickin' COLD!  G was outside playing with all the other kids that came over and everyone was wearing coats.  I thought for sure he'd catch a cold but he didn't.  That boy never gets sick but I'm very thankful for that because it means I don't get sick either!  G was the only little boy there and so all the little girls kind of ganged up on him but true to his easy going nature, he just let them.  I stood back a little ways and did as I was instructed, letting him do his own "conflict resolution."  Someone please tell me that gets easier because it was really hard for me not to smack some of those little girls being mean to my baby! 

Ed on BBQ duty 

G and his beloved line of trains, he is rarely without it!

 

The girls kept taking parts of his train and running away from him.  When he'd catch up to them (he's a fast little turkey) they'd throw his train as far as they could.  I could tell he cared but at the same time he just wanted to play with them.  I guess that's a girls idea of playing...

Then on Friday, hmmm...what did we do on Friday?  Oh yeah, we went to Ming's.  I miss that place, the food is so good.  We have yet to find a Chinese restaurant that is comparable.  We also took G to the park and he had a good time running around.  Sadly there were no other kids there so he played by himself, something that I wish he didn't have to do so much.   

Daddy, G and Uncle Mongo

He loved Uncle M0ngo's dogs, especially both the bloodhounds.  He tried to ride Danny like a pony but Danny wasn't having any of that.  And he tackled and wrestled with Libby and she just laid back and took it.  I love how at ease he is with dogs.

On Saturday we packed up and came home.  Poor Uncle Mongo had to chase G down but Robbie stepped in to help him with Dr. Destructo duties too while we loaded up the trailer.  Ever since we left we've been hearing, "I go back Mongo house?"  He even cried more than once because he wanted to go back.

G, "Briananana" and "Wobbie"

G & Uncle Mongo 

Robbie wrangling the Dr. for us

Mongo keeping an eye on and entertaining G and the dogs

G & Daddy at a very swollen creek on 43 just before the top of Lost Trail

I miss our dear friends, a lot.  I hate that we're so far away but I'm still glad that we made the decision to move up here.  Since G is such an easy traveller, as he gets older maybe we can make some more trips to see lots of people we love.