Do you think he's TWO or what?

So, it's been a while since I posted. But since I note an appalling lack of comments from readers, I feel no guilt about this-- well, maybe a teeny bit, but not much. Somehow I found this very amusing blog-- http://borrowedlight.blogspot.com -- okay, let's face it, I was probably blog-stalking or whatever it's called. Anyway, I noticed she has the following page element below her list of archived posts:

"If You Choose Not to Comment...
...that's fine - just be aware that I may die. Really. Because every person who reads without commenting kills off another little piece of my SOUL. I just wanted you to know. So you can, you know, have a clear conscience at my funeral. Which might be soon. No pressure though. "

I considered adding it to my blog, too, but I guess that's plagiarism. Anyway, you get the point, right? But, no, I didn't comment on her blog, because she already gets 30+ comments a post. I don't think she's going to die any time soon.

Okay, to the title of this post. The kiddo turned two on Saturday. I decided not to have a party with guests, invitations, decorations, etc. because I realized that I would only be doing it because that's what I think the "Perfect Mother" would do. I also realized that it would be a lot of effort and expense, not to mention the STRESS on his perfectionist Mommy for something he will not remember in the future. It was also Youth Conference weekend, so between that (their parents serve in the youth programs) and vacations, most of the few kids he knows wouldn't be able to go.

So here's what we did. I decided to try to fill his day with lots of his favorite things.

• His Gobby, the light of his life, was here.
• He got to wear his Michigan shirt.
• We sang to him.
• We took him to Storytime at the Library.
• We had Pizza for dinner.
• We opened presents. For the first time, he REALLY enjoyed this and knew exactly what to do. He calls it "opening packages." :)
  
• We went to the grocery store. Yes, he does love this. I'm not even joking.
  
• We listened to Buddy Holly.
• We read stories.
• He got to eat a cookie.
• On Sunday, we had his cake. He LOVED the chocolate frosting, and put his hands in it before we even got the candles on.
• On Monday, we met Daddy at Cold Stone Creamery during his lunch hour and shared his free Love It size "Signature Creation." If you have a Cold Stone in your area, you should really sign up for their birthday club. YUM.
  

He seems to have enjoyed all of his gifts, but his favorites might be the magnetic numbers and the faux MagnaDoodle that I bought for 88 cents each. It doesn't take much to make them happy at this age.

EXCEPT-- that every day since then, Kiddo has had at least one tantrum. He doesn't like what I give him to drink, there's (gasp) veggies on his pizza (as there always has been, mind you), he wants cookies for breakfast and we don't have any, he doesn't want his diaper changed, he wants Daddy to come home from work NOW, he can't listen to the same CD three times in a row, he doesn't want to go to bed, his Gobby went back to her house, the food is taking too long to cook, we returned his favorite DVDs to the Library.... the list goes on. Evidently, Kiddo has a mean, mean mommy. And don't get me started on his reaction to having his fingernails and toenails cut. I swear, our neighbors must think we torture the poor kid. Nope, he's just asserting his desire for independence. So, I'm really tired these days. And to think I wanted him to hurry up and be a toddler because they can talk and are more interesting... where has my placid little baby gone? :(


Well, if I can recall where I put my camera, I'll try to post some photos. Right now I think I need a nap.

MOMMY TAG!

MOMMY TAG: I saw this on some random blog (I am quite the blog-stalker) and I thought it was one of the best TAGs I’d seen so I’m pretending I’ve been tagged and that you are all dying to know the answers to these questions. I have a rich fantasy life, no?

1. What time do my kids wake up? It varies, but usually between 7:30 and 8:30. It’s also hard to tell because he likes to lay in bed for a long time and talk to himself and his Elmo.

2. On a good night, what time do my kids go to sleep? 8:30

3. How many years have I been a mom? 2 on Saturday!

4. How old was I when I became a mom? 29 (sigh).

5. What's my favorite kids’ show? Sesame Street, no doubt about it! (“Longtime” readers are not surprised!) My second favorite, at this point, is Signing Time. I watch it with him so I can learn something useful.

6. What's my least favorite kids’ show? I swear, I am a kids’ show NAZI! No “Big Comfy Couch” for you! If he EVER sees BooBah (a.k.a., TV for the lobotomized child) or Teletubbies, it will NOT be in my house! There are more that I despise, but I cannot remember them at the moment.

7. Favorite chore? Is there such a thing? I guess I enjoy organizing and recycling. My husband says I could win a dishwasher-loading competition, if there were such a thing.

8. Favorite meal to cook? Deirdre’s Chicken. It’s quick, easy, and tastes delicious.

9. What's the meal cooked most often? Hmm…. Spaghetti, maybe?!?! It’s my other favorite.

10. What's my kid’s favorite meal? PIZZA! PIZZA! PIZZA!

11. What's my favorite thing my husband does with the kids? I just love watching him with Kiddo, whatever he does. But I so appreciate it when he takes “Dinner Duty.” I swear, that kid eats way better for anyone BUT me.

12. What are 5 things that make me smile while being a mom?

Only 5? There’s way more than 5!!! Oh, alright, I’ll limit myself…

+ When he sings with me. It’s too, too sweet.

+ His prayers: “Dear Heav’ly Fadder. Thankee this day, beautiful weather we got. Name a’ Jesus Chwist. Amen.”

+ Checking on him while he sleeps. He looks like an angel.

+ Hearing him parrot what we say to him. For example, when he was playing by himself and pretending to feed Elmo and Elmo said, “thank you” in a high, squeaky voice, and Kiddo replied, “You’re welcome!”

+ When he spontaneously hugs or kisses us.

13. Where do I want to take my kids someday? To the MTC (and the Temple)! I also hope he’ll love to go to museums. I do so love museums. My husband just likes to zip through and go home. I want to see everything. I also hope we get to go to Lesotho several more times. And I hope we’ll always go to the…..LIBRARY, of course!

14. When was the last time my husband and I went out without the kids? Oh boy. The last time my mom was here, probably. That’s the only time we go anywhere without Kiddo.

15. Name one thing you said you'd never do as a mom—but now you do it! How about more than one?!?! First of all, I never thought that the answer to #14 would be what it is. I was gonna have lots of date nights, dash it all! I also must confess that I have smacked his little hands, and I feel horrible about it. I was not going to let him watch TV until age 2, and I was most certainly going to nurse him a full year.

16. Favorite past time with my kids? Reading, going on walks, and singing.

17. Favorite quality that my mom has? She knows something about everything. Whenever I don’t know the answer to a question, I almost always think, “I should ask Mom. I’ll bet she knows!” I also love that she’s forgotten what a cheeky little madam I was as an adolescent and still thinks I’m wonderful!

18. Advice for new moms? It will all work out. Unless you feel you REALLY need to, don’t read the baby development books. They make me paranoid. I’d rather believe he’s perfect the way he is! Oh, and sing to your child every day, even if you don’t feel like it or if you have a lousy voice like me. It’s true—they really do love it! And most importantly, you don’t have to be the fictional “perfect mom!” She doesn’t really exist!

19. What's a scary or heartbreaking moment that you've had as a mom? When he didn’t walk for 2 ½ weeks, that freaked me out. Also, suffering depression so deeply and thinking he’d be better off without me, that was terrifying.

20. When was the last time your kids said I Love You? I think I forced him to say it last night. Good Mommy, huh?

I’d like to tag all my fellow Mommy bloggers, and any other Mommies who read this. You could email it to me, if you don’t have a lovely blog—which you should. All the other Mommies are doing it! ;) I am too snarky for words, eh?

"This is my day...

The Elders, my sister Heather, my niece Emily, ME, My Mom

... My Baptism Day!"

14 years ago today, on Father's Day, I was baptized in Mansfield, Ohio at age 17 by Elder Anthony Farnsworth of St. George, Utah. I was then confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Elder "Giph" Snelgrove of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. It was a powerful spiritual experience for me, and perhaps the best choice I ever made. Almost every blessing in my life has either been because of, or enhanced by, that decision and I am grateful for it every day. I don't know where these two missionaries are today, or Elder Steve Savage and his various companions who first taught me, but if I could, I'd like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, for your service and example. I feel thankful beyond what I can express for the blessing of the Gospel.

I can't help it...

... I just think these are too cute to keep to myself. Please pardon our messy house. It's really not always this bad... although, sometimes it's even worse! I should plan better when I'm going to film a video... but it's so hard to get Kiddo to do his cute little things for the camera that I just grab it whenever it seems like he's willing-- and it's so hard to keep his stuff off the floor and furniture. On a related note, I've been asking him what he wants for his birthday, and whenever I ask him if he wants any new toys, he says "No." What?!?!?! We've speculated on this. Does he know we're poor and feels we should save our money? Does he really prefer books, clothes, and music? Does he think our taste in toys is pretty lame? Or does he already feel frustrated that he can't ever find all of his toys unless we let him leave them all out, strewn all over the living room floor? Who knows? I guess we should just enjoy the indifference to new toys while it lasts!

Anyway, the first video is a brief update on how Kiddo's geography skills are evolving and expanding. He is like his Mama-- he loves "big" words; thus, he seems to favor the countries with the most syllables in their names. I just get a huge kick out of his pronunciation. And, yes, I know it's horrible of me to have him say he's smart. I hope I don't turn him into a little monster!

The second video is to show it's not all book-learnin' around here. We also like to ROCK, albeit to the relatively mild, but still legendary, Buddy Holly. From the first time I played "Peggy Sue" for him, he's been hooked. I'd really love to get a video of him singing along, but he somehow mysteriously forgets the words when he sees the camera pointed at him... It's pretty trippy to see your toddler singing "Think it Over" or "Maybe Baby." We highly recommend Oldies music for babies. Maybe we could market it to Baby Einstein or something... ;)



Final note: the main reason Kiddo is not on YouTube is that we, especially Daddy-O, value our privacy-- and we're very afraid of weirdos. Kiddo probably already has enough material to take to his future therapist, anyway. Also, I notice that YouTube-ers sometimes post the nastiest comments, even on videos of sweet, beautiful, innocent children. For instance, Lilly Gaskin isn't the only map-lover on YouTube. There are a few others, and I'm guessing their parents, like Kiddo's, had never even heard of her when their kids displayed their own love for geography. They probably just thought, hey, this is amazing and kind of quirky. Let's share how cute our kid is. But some people have written comments like, "Lilly is way better" or "This map is way out of date." I don't want anyone to slam Kiddo that way. So, if you want to share Kiddo's videos with friends or family who would enjoy and appreciate them, that's okay. We don't mind. We just want to shield him from the nasty people who think they can write horrible things to people they don't know on the internet.

I apologize that I added so much commentary. I had meant for these videos to pretty much stand for themselves. What is it that they say about the best of intentions?

He's a funny one!

I've been meaning to post this for a few weeks now, basically because I just think it's very amusing. I should explain a few things first:

• The tapping/pounding/knocking sound in the background is from the roofers. (We are all very thankful that they've finished their job. This was actually when they were almost done, so it's not nearly so bad as it was...)
  
• It was my bright idea to tell him what a motorcycle says. I think their sound is sooooooo loud and annoying, so I guess that's how I tried to portray it to him. Nice job, Mommy!
  
• When Kiddo first learned his animal sounds, he took it quite a bit more seriously and his sounds were at least somewhat realistic. Now they're just plain goofy.
  

We hope you enjoy this little glimpse of Kiddo's wild and crazy personality.

Two Years Ago Today....

... I looked like this. My silly doctor, and her equally silly nurse, were just sure that I wouldn't make it to my due-date (the 19th), but Kiddo evidently had other plans. 5 days after this photo was taken, I was induced because my blood pressure was getting too high. I sometimes wonder how much longer I would have had to wait if my BP had remained stable. But I am grateful I didn't have to find out, because at this point, I felt I truly understood the expression "great with child!" Unfortunately, I made my poor mother wait an extra three weeks for me, and even then, the MD had to induce her!

Anyway, these are the last photos I have of me as a pregnant lady. I don't know if my sisters have any of me taken later than that or not. As Kiddo's birthday rapidly approaches, I find myself thinking back to those days before his birth when I wondered what he'd look like, what kind of person he would be. I could never have anticipated what the last two years have brought me, but I feel so amazingly blessed to get to be the mother of this adorable little boy.

"Fathers Are So Special...."

One happy Daddy-O


My handsome guys


Daddy-O, Kiddo, and Ntate


Little me with my Daddy, big sisters, and Grandpa Martin

My husband asked me not to put a picture I took of him and Kiddo this weekend on the blog, although I thought it was adorable. But, technically, I don't think he asked me not to post ANY pictures of him, so.... In honor of Father's Day, I just want to say that he is such a great Daddy to our Kiddo. From Day One, he has jumped right in and cared for Kiddo in every way. Because I was in such bad shape after Kiddo was born, I don't think I changed a diaper for the first 4 or 5 days! After my doctors ordered me to sleep through the night, he was the one who ALWAYS woke with Kiddo for middle of the night feedings for 2 or 3 months. He takes Kiddo on walks, reads to him, sings with him, plays with him, prays with him, stays in Nursery with him when he cries, takes him to the Library, gives him baths... the list goes on and on. And there is NO ONE who can make Kiddo laugh like his Daddy-O! I am so grateful to have such a kind and loving father for our sweet little boy.

It was a bittersweet Father's Day for us, as it's the first one since my husband's father passed away. My father, unfortunately, died long before the age of digital photos, and I can only post this one that I have scanned that has both of us. But I am thankful for both of our fathers, who loved us unconditionally and always believed in us. I am grateful to have known both of them, however briefly, and look forward to the day when we will all be together again.

My Little Quack

Over the weekend, our little guy FINALLY decided he wanted to start walking again! Hooray!! He'd been standing, and making slight attempts for a few days, but his first real go at it was walking from the parking lot into the grocery store on Saturday evening. Once inside, he just kept walking... and walking... and walking all through the produce and over to the baby items until finally he wore himself out and rode in the cart. I was so happy I was sniffling and wiping away tears in the middle of Meijer! I didn't even really care if the other shoppers thought I was crazy!

My husband and I had debated for the previous week if Kiddo needed to go back to the doctor. Daddy-O thought something was seriously wrong, but I had been observing the little invalid very closely and became more and more certain that he wasn't in pain any more but was just scared. Mother's intuition, perhaps?

When my son started walking again, I felt a lot like the Mama Duck in Little Quack, which, coincidentally we checked out from the Library last week. I don't know if you've read this cute book-- Kiddo really likes it. The illustrator came to one of the schools I worked at in Ames, but I missed it because he showed up early, before my scheduled hours! :( Anyway, Mama Duck invites all her little ducklings to come paddle with her in the water, but they're all a little hesitant. One by one, they each get brave enough to jump out of the nest-- except Little Quack. I believe he says to her, "I can't, Mama. I'm just too scared!" Mama tells him, "You can do it! I know you can." Of course, he finally musters up some courage and splashes in to the water, crying, "Look at me, Mama! I did it! I really did it" and the Mama replies, "I always knew you could."

Even though I knew my little duckling could walk again, I am so grateful to finally get that confirmation! Now we're back to Independent Kiddo, who wants to walk through the neighborhood for hours on end and cries when it's time to come home. It's sure good to have him back, even if he is a little pill! :)

From BBC Online -- World News

Lesotho gardens relieve food crisis

As delegates at the UN food summit in Rome tackle concerns over food production, the BBC's Peter Greste visits Lesotho, one of the countries most at risk from climate change and global food and fuel price rises.

"Keyhole gardens" may have saved Mahaha Mphou's family from starvation

Lesotho's vast highland plains are spectacular places for tourists. Broad and treeless, they offer stunning views of the mountains looming over shimmering gold grasslands.

But they are terrible for farmers.

Decades of intensive agriculture have stripped the land of trees, and exposed soils to wind and rain.

Erosion has created countless miniature canyons that split the plains everywhere you look. The already thin mountain soils have lost virtually all their productive nutrients.

According to the Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Efraim Lehata, a typical farmer in Lesotho's maize belt would be lucky to squeeze half a tonne of grain from each acre of land.

They should be able to produce more than 14 times that.

Global forces

The minister bemoans the fact that his country, which used to do well out of farm exports to neighbouring South Africa, now depends on food handouts from organisations like the World Food Programme.

He admits that a lot of the blame rests with the country itself. But with a population of about two million, tiny Lesotho is barely the size of Belgium.

The forces now shaping global food prices are way beyond its control.

"The last summer season, most of our tractors couldn't go to the fields because of the cost of diesel. Now that the price has doubled, we're not expecting any to be able to go," Mr Lehata said. "It is very difficult."

In many respects, Lesotho is a microcosm of the problems facing so many parts of the developing world.

The mountain kingdom in southern Africa sits on a plateau mostly above 1,800 metres altitude, so the growing season is short and its vulnerability to climate change is acute.

With the country struggling with one of the world's highest HIV prevalence rates, many of its able-bodied workers have either died or been crippled by disease.

And in what is one of the poorest states in Africa, even the slightest increase in the cost of food or commodities hits painfully hard.

Keyhole gardens

But Lesotho cannot wait for the UN food summit in Rome to come up with ideas, so it has developed some of its own.

Mahaha's family has three keyhole gardens

Mahaha Mphou does not know much about global economics, but she does know how to grow vegetables.

She and the rest of her family of 10 have become some of the most enthusiastic evangelists for a home-grown idea that has almost certainly saved them from starvation.

They are now thriving on what have become known as "keyhole gardens". They are round gardens of about two metres in diameter and raised to waist-height to make them easy for the sick and elderly to work.

Inside, the garden-beds are layered with tin cans, mulch and ash which together provide the nutrients to make the gardens extraordinarily productive.

Ntsie Tlali from Care, the non-governmental organisation behind the gardens, believes they are revolutionary.

Lesotho sits on a high plateau and has a short growing season

"As you can see, (Mahaha's family) has three keyhole gardens and that's more than enough to supply all 10 of them with all the vegetables they need, and with some left over to sell. It's changed their lives."

Because they are protected by the stonework, the rich soils are safe from erosion.

They retain moisture far more effectively than land farmed by traditional farming methods, and they are compact enough to turn the tiniest plot of land into productive agriculture.

'Food is life'

Mahaha says they have also transformed the family's diet: "We're growing so many things, from beetroot to spinach, onions, tomatoes, carrots - everything."

Mr Lehata acknowledged that the gardens alone will not transform Lesotho, "but we've been really surprised by just how well they've worked," he said.

"We expected them to disappear after half a season, but you can see that although we have such cold winters, they are productive all year round. It's been really helpful to our people."

Even so, the one thing the minister wants from the Rome summit is urgent action on the cost of basic farm supplies like fuel, seed and fertiliser.

"Food is life," he said. "If we can't afford that, we're finished."

Page last updated at 12:01 GMT, Tuesday, 3 June 2008 13:01 UK

(However, I don't know who the exact author was, so I can't credit him/her.)

Funny (at least I think so)

When we got back from our trip to Lesotho, my sister asked me what the most exciting part of the trip was. This was kind of a difficult question for me. Of course, it was probably meeting my husband's family and friends after 6 years of wondering about them, but I didn't say that. After I thought about it, this was my reply (and it is a true story):

When we were in Mantsonyane, the town in which my husband grew up and where much of his immediate family still lives, we attracted some attention when we drove around in our rental car, often bringing along as many of the kids as we could fit in the back seat with us. One day, a guy standing by the side of the road called out to my husband excitedly in Sesotho. My husband burst out laughing, so of course I asked immediately what the man said. My husband, still laughing, replied, "He said, 'So, you're the guy who's driving around the Chinese Lady!!!" Huh?!?! Evidently, the man must not see too many women with my complexion, but there is a Chinese family who owns a store in Mantsonyane. That is definitely the first time anyone has ever mistaken me for being Chinese!!!

Update on the Little Guy

Kiddo seems to be feeling fine these days, from what I can tell. Well, he still isn't that interested in walking, but yesterday he finally started pulling himself up to standing again, and he took a few steps holding my hands. I asked our little patient if it hurts to walk, and he answered, "No." So I told him if it doesn't hurt, then he should be walking! He's not totally convinced, although he did cruise the coffee table. I told the Daddy-O that one way we can encourage him to walk is by going around turning all the light switches off. For some reason, Kiddo likes to have as many lights on as possible, and when I've turned them off, he has pulled himself up to turn them back on. Whatever works, I guess!

One funny thing I forgot to mention about our trip to the Pediatric Ortho clinic was that all this pain and trauma didn't keep our guy from trying to meet cute girls. Sitting in the waiting room he saw a little girl who was at least 7 or 8 (I am a terrible judge of age), and he called out, "Hello, baby!" She did turn around and say, "Hi," but she didn't respond when he asked, "How are you?" Is he quite the ladies man or what? And yes, so far, he is only interested in "older women!" :)