A more deserving couple there is not

Very good friends of mine are hoping to adopt a child.

Please visit their website to learn more about them and their dreams of having a family.

I am asking you to spread the word...keep your eyes and ears open...contact my friends or I if you learn of a mother considering adoption.

They are everything that parents should be and more...

Sleep with me

On, Friday, June 3rd, Mommy put together your big boy bed. A full size bed with super cute truck/car bedding.

You were incredibly excited to see it and immediately climbed up and began jumping and twirling and singing.

On your first night, Mommy crawled into bed with you and read you two books. You wanted Mommy to stay. So I did. I woke up to you tapping my shoulder saying "Mommy, I woke up in my big boy bed, lets get up". It was 7:40am. Good job buddy.

Day two naptime came. I sat in your bed and read you a book and then told you that you could read and play IN your bed, but we need to have quiet time. I heard you horsing around for a bit but then it was quiet. You napped for 2 hours.

Day two bedtime was the same as the first night. Mommy woke up at 11pm and went in her own bed though, instead of staying with you all night.

Day three nap was not such a success. Daddy laid with you (mommy was out running errands) and said you were jumping all over him, so he left you to nap. An hour later, Daddy said you were wandering around upstairs. No nap.

Bedtime that night you were exhausted. So, bath time and then mommy laid with you for 15 minutes, read 2 books and told you that you could continue reading or playing IN your bed and I would check on you in a little bit. 5 minutes later I hear you padding around upstairs. You have to go to the bathroom. You use the bathrom and it's back to bed. I peek up 15-20 minutes later, your light is on. I open the door and tell you lights out, to which you reply "I'm reading and I need the light to see my book". Ok! Lights out when you are done with our book. I checked back in 15 minutes, your light was out and you were quiet.

Day 4, I laid with you for a few minutes and told you that you could read. You turned your light off after 15-20 minutes and were quiet. Naptime at the sitter, no clue how that went.

Day 5. Same routine only you were pretty wound up. You were jumping around and acting like a maniac for what seemed like forever. Mommy and Daddy left and I heard you padding around upstairs after just a few minutes. You had to pee. After your business, you went back to bed. 15 minutes later, you are sitting at the top of the steps calling my name. You want to show me the string you pulled off your jammies. I send you back to bed, only to hear you (fake) crying 10 minutes later. I come in and you tell me you need the yellow duckie from the hanging stuffed animal bin. I gave you the duck and left. I come up to bed at 10:15pm to find you awake with an enormous amount of stuff (everything else from the hanging bin) in your bed reading books. I turn out the light and tell you I am going to bed and not coming back in. You go to sleep. Or, at least I think you do. Sitter...no idea about the nap.

Day six...wound up, acting like a crazee, had to pee, want me to stay, etc. I left after 15 minutes. You screwed around until I came in at 10:15pm. You said you were afraid of the firecrackers. I crawled into bed with you and slept with you until 12:30am. You were up at 6:15am. Nap at the sitter...I think.

Day 7 - had to pee, acting crazy, insisted that I stay after reading. I stayed for 15 minutes. You were up there screwing around for quite some time, I was exhausted and couldn't deal, so I crawled into bed with you. At least that way I knew where you were. Sitter for nap.

Will someone tell me why it was so necessary to get him in a big boy bed? Was three and a month and a half really too old to sleep in a crib? Because we never had sleep issues in the crib. He has been a dream of a sleeper since he was 3 months old. And now I have to deal with this?

MEH. MEH, I say. MEH.

Before and After

Thank you Gus&Max for 3 great years of Mod Cube Bedding.

Thank you Land Of Nod for the next (hopefully) many years of Department of Motor Vehicles Bedding.

I can't wait to see my big boys face when he see's his new room.

Exciting and sad at the same time.

rambling. oh, and more rambling.

Phew! It was difficult, but I did it!

2 posts in June.

Pathetic.

So....there are many things swirling around in my head. Things I want, things I need, things I want to do, things I need to do. I'm a bit obsessed with thinking about these things, yet, I have very little motivation for the things that need to get done and not near enough money for the things that need to be purchased.

...new dishwasher (current one no longer *cleans*), front porch furniture, upstairs bathroom remodel, living room furniture, new mattress, mastopexy...garage door painted, picnic table painted, broken Adirondack chair fixed and both painted, back screen door painted, front porch painted, toys and outgrown clothes donated...

I have drawn 3 tattoos that I want to get, and am searching for a big colorful butterfly, or a group of them, too. I have to earn these new tattoos, by losing weight, and have joined Weight Watchers again (on June 9) and have lost 6.4 lbs in 3 weeks. I feel ok about that. It didn't come on overnight, it certainly isn't going to come off that way. At 20 lbs lost I can get my next tattoo. I am motivated by this. I am also motivated by having WW buddies this time around. I had buddies when I was successful and made Lifetime 5+ years ago. I have joined 2 times since the boy was born, and have failed miserably. I'm ready. I'm excited. I don't want to be uncomfortable in my skin anymore. My husband is so fit. SO incredibly fit. And even more so now that he does hard physical labor all day. We must look really silly together. Ugh.

I want to wear all of my skinny clothes. I spent a LOT of money on those clothes.

I want to go on a family vacation. Very much need to get away, but think travel with a rambunctious 3 year old boy will be more frustrating than relaxing. Plus, it would have to be fun for all of us, which is difficult when your child loves water, hot weather, being outside, etc. and mom hates all of those things. Ugh. Need to look for a place nearby that has something for everyone. I hate being hot...so it will probably have to wait until the fall. And then we'll have Zoo Preschool schedule to deal with. Ugh.

Need to decide what classes to take and get registered. Hello. Why am I procrastinating this?

Moving to our new office on the 17th. Exciting and scary at the same time.

There's more. I'm just very well prepared.

THUH-RHEE

Ok, yes, I love my son to pieces.  But...

The early stages of three are making me insane.  Where to begin?

The mornings...he will stand and cry until I pick him up and CARRY him down the steps.  He weighs 35 lbs and I have a friggin herniated disc in my neck!  Pain.

He eats breakfast in front of cartoons...which is fine, it's peaceful...but then REFUSES to brush his teeth.  I have to bring the tooth brush to him and practically SIT ON HIM to brush his friggin teeth.  Every.Single.Morning.  Exhausting.

Lately, he wants me to CARRY him to the car too.  UGH.

We were at a party a couple weeks ago, and all of the kids (ALL) were lining up and getting ready to take their turn at hitting the pinata.  My son stood in the middle of the kids and screamed at me, in the nastiest 3 year old tone ever, "Nooooo Mommy.  I don't want to stand in line...I just want to use the bat.  NOW!!!!"  Nice.

The time out chair does not seem to work anymore, so time outs are now taken standing with his face in the corner.  He hates it.  Maybe it will work.

He sobs when he doesn't get his way.  Sobs.  Huge tears streaming down his face.  Throws himself on the floor.  Gags and coughs like he is going to barf.

He also sobs when his feelings get hurt.  I feel sort of bad.  But not really.

The night time putting on pajama issues have settled a bit...because I decided I should start doing bedtime alone again.  Since daddy lost his job, we have been doing bedtime together...I think the boy felt the need to entertain us and see what kind of reaction he could get.  He was out of control and often times daddy would have to PIN HIM DOWN to get his jammies on.  Since I have been doing it alone, there is less craziness.  So, we're going to go with this.

He gets over stimulated/excited/whatever and acts like a complete jerk.  He gets upset when friends play with his toys, and sometimes even acts out by dumping a pail of sand on a friends head, or hitting a friend with whatever toy he is playing with.  It's ridiculous.

He wants to be the center of attention.  He cannot stand it when the world does not revolve around his every breath.

There is so much I don't like about three that I really can't put it all into words.

I love him to pieces and absolutely cannot imagine life without him.  I am hopeful that three will only last until four and not until five like some other parents have told me.  UGH.  

Three

Dear Zane,

The time has past so fast and I am amazed and awed by you on a daily basis.  Who would have guessed my little Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie would have turned into such a big boy so quickly. There's no way I could ever compile a comprehensive enough list of YOU, so here are just some tidbits I can think of...

*Vocabulary = incredible.  Our neighbor (an early education teacher of many years) claims that you have the vocabulary of a 6-7 year old.  I'm not sure I believe that, but you are awesome.

*You have an outstanding memory.

*You have started to spell a few words.

*You know your full name and birthdate.

*You were potty trained (pee) in 2 days, and about a week and half for the other.

*You are about 36 lbs, 39" tall.

*You wear a size 8 shoe.

*You are very excited that Daddy is home more and you want to play with him around the clock.

*When you are tired/hurt/sick/crabby, you only want Mommy.

*You are very nice and gentle with the kitties and they are now showing you how much they love you.

*You weren't afraid of Santa Clause, or the photographer who took our family pictures and your 3 yr portraits.

*You say cheese and look at me (usually) when I want to take your picture, which is a welcome change from you saying NO and running the opposite direction.

*You act like a wild boar when it's time to put jammies on for bedtime, but after 2 books, you still settle right down in bed.

*You are still in a crib although we have been talking about your big boy bed recently.  Grandma and Grandpa gave you big boy bedding for your birthday.

*You like to have your door open at night now, and you occassionally talk about monsters, but believe mommy when I tell you that monsters can't get into our house because the kitties would eat them.

*You love trucks, trains, rocks and dirt.  You are all boy.

*You hate time-out, but you continue to do the things that get you there.

*You like to use several different voices and like to make up your own words.

*You love when I use differnt voices when reading books and you always tell me to "talk like the truck/cow/kittens/car wash/slide, etc". 

*You are wearing mostly 3T clothes, but many of them are too short.  4Ts are huge around if they don't have an adjustable waist.

*You went to the dentist for the first time and acted like you have been there a hundred times.

*When mommy is acting silly by calling things in books by the wrong, or goofy, names, you either say "nooooo, it's a ____" or you look at me like I am crazy but you don't want to hurt my feelings and say "okay".

*You have recently started picking up your things when I ask you to...which is very helpful.

*You love to HELP with anything.

*You are obsessed with the hose.  You love to water the plants (you tell everyone..."I'm growing tomatoes by feeding them with the hose"), and the rocks in the back yard.

*You are still a great eater.  Sometimes it's hard to keep you in your chair, but you still eat well and a lot.  And you like most everything.

*You are still addicted to milk, and have never had juice or pop.

*You are a junk food junkie, but it appears you have your father's metabolism.

*Sometimes when I ask you to do something, you reply with "I can't, my back/neck/arm hurts" and it makes me feel terrible.

*You are very outgoing and will talk to anyone.  You very rarely act shy around anyone.

*You pout, and sometimes cry big crocodile tears, when you don't get your way.

*You say you don't need a nap anymore and cause quite a ruccus sometimes but you settle right down once we are in your room reading books.

*You love to snuggle under a blanket on the couch with me.

*You hate brushing your teeth and fight it almost every day.

*You love to look for bugs.  

*You collect sticks, rocks, leaves, grass clippings, etc. whenever we walk around the neighborhood.

*You love to talk on the phone and can actually hold a conversation (well, as much as a 3 yr old can).

*You love playing with your dad's tools.

*You love to push big trucks up and down the sidewak (and anywhere and everywhere).  You are a pusher.

*You are on the go...go...go, around the clock.

I have so much love for you.  People without children can never truly understand how much a child changes your life.  

I love you buddy,

Mommy.

What a Girl (Mommy) Wants

Mother's Day 2009

Sleeping in until 8:30am followed by a home cooked breakfast followed by a gift card to her favorite makeup store and a Zane original on canvas followed by Daddy and the Boy heading out to the park/woods/swamp to play for a few hours while mommy did whatever she pleased. 

Ending with dinner with Grandma and Grandpa, in which the boy was incredibly well behaved even after waiting an hour for a table.  

It doesn't get much better.