Umm, if you say so, Kiddo..

Most, if not all, of the people who still read this blog are mothers. So I know you are all familiar with the lack of privacy a Mommy of a toddler has, and can relate to the following:

I get into the restroom, close the door, and am attempting to do what's necessary in just a little peace when I hear knocking at the door and a sad little voice requesting to come in. Since he asked, "Please sweet Mama, may you please open the door?" I cave and reluctantly let him in. Kiddo's smiling face appears and he brightly says, "You are having SO much FUN in here!!!"

Uh, really? I hadn't noticed... I guess it's all about your perspective, huh? ;-)

Growing Fast

The good news is, both boys are healthy and strong. Little Squirt had an appointment with the pediatrician on Monday, and is up to 9 lbs, 9 oz and 22 inches long. It's crazy to see he's getting bigger so fast. He now has some chub in those cheeks, much like his big brother.

He's eating well, but boy do I wish I could more easily predict what his nighttime schedule was going to be. He wakes up at least twice to eat during the night, and then is often very lazy about it and we both fall asleep before he's done, and he also likes to be awake between 3 and 5 a.m. almost every morning. Daddy-O usually takes him after I feed him then, but we are both exhausted and desperately need more than our total of 4-6 hours of sleep a night (and that is not uninterrupted). The old adage to "sleep when the baby sleeps" is also well-nigh impossible when Kiddo is awake and wanting attention.

I keep trying to tell myself that this stage is temporary, but that doesn't mean it isn't really hard for me. At this point with Kiddo, I was in the hospital because of a complete inability to sleep and PPD and my Mom and Daddy-O were taking care of Kiddo. So I know I am coping better than that this time. But it's still been much harder than I thought it would be. I honestly don't know how so many women have the strength to do this several times, unless they have a lot of help. I guess we all have our limits, our own strengths and weaknesses, and this is just one of my personal inadequacies.

Cute, but not cute enough to tempt Kiddo

Kiddo may be a smarty-pants, but he is also extremely stubborn. He still has very, very little interest in using the potty. I thought he might be scared to sit on the big potty, and we recently discovered that our hand-me-down kid-size potty was missing an essential piece, so we went in search of a new potty while Kiddo was with his Gobby. We found this, which I think may be the cutest potty I have ever seen:

As you can see, when we first got it, he was pretty excited about it. He really likes that it's a frog. For a few months, we've been reading LOTS of books to him about kids using the potty, so he was sort of interested to sit on it (fully clothed, mind you) and read.

Then, quite suddenly, he was back to zero interest.

I am at a loss. I know they say not to pressure the child and stress him out, but he'll be 3 in June and I really was hoping that he'd be done with diapers before his little brother comes. I think I should have tried this a year ago, when he actually would tell us that he needed a new diaper. I think he would have been a lot more cooperative. Now he tries to hide it, in hopes that we'll leave him alone!

I've also tried asking him if he'd like to go get some big-boy underpants with Thomas the Tank Engine or Lightning McQueen on them, because he's insisting that he's NOT little anymore. He's BIG. However, he wants "Jay-Jay the Jet Plane underwear," which I don't think even exist. Jay-Jay is a character from a board book someone gave him long ago.

Any ideas? Oh, and he's NOT afraid of the flush. He LOVES to flush the toilet, so that's not his hang-up.

Why, oh Why, oh Why?

There's nothing like a Primary kid to make you feel good about yourself. Well, sometimes, that actually is true. I've had children tell me they love me on the first day I ever taught their class, or draw me cute little pictures for no apparent reason. On the other hand, they can also make you feel really stupid sometimes.

With the new year, I've received a new crop of CTR-7s (kids turning 7 this year), and I love them to pieces. They generally know how to walk in the hall, they don't demand treats like my last class did, they usually stay in their seats, and they're just so cute and sweet. But their questions, and sometimes comments, can really throw me off guard sometimes. Here are just a few gems:

* Yesterday, one girl looked at me and asked, "Why do you wear almost the same thing every week?" So I had to explain that, as she knows, I am pregnant, and I keep getting bigger and bigger and now most of my clothes don't fit. As a result, I have one maternity skirt, and about 3 shirts nice enough to pair with it. Do the math!!! No, actually, I didn't say all that, I'm not evil. I stopped after the first sentence.

* I asked the same child, whose mother has been very ill, how her mommy was doing. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" I pointed out that I hadn't had a chance to talk to her mother since her illness. "Well, she was sitting on the same bench as you during Church. You could have asked her then!" Touche! "Well," I said, "then, how are YOU?"

* The first week I taught them, one of the girls asked, "Is this a true story?" I replied that it was from the lesson manual, so I assumed it was a true story. "But how do you really know?" piped up another girl. Well, uh...

* We had a lesson in which we were supposed to say names that would be familiar to the children, and ask them what they thought of when they heard that name. Many of the names I suggested brought no real response, so I hastily decided to mention Abraham Lincoln-- positive response. So then I said, "Barack Obama." Note to self: BAD IDEA. While, yes, they all knew that name, one girl warned, "But he's BAD!" This upset the other children, who said things such as, "No, he's NOT!" or, "No, he's our President." I said that it wasn't really our job to decide if he's bad.

"No, he IS bad," she insisted. "He kills babies!!!!" Not surprisingly, this upset the children even more.

"He does not kill babies," I countered, trying to reassure the four other worried children. "He just has different ideas about..." Then I suddenly realized it is NOT my job to explain the abortion debate to a group of six-year-olds, and desperately tried to change the subject. But the whole situation still doesn't really sit well with me. I am absolutely pro-life myself, but I can't stand it when people make inflammatory claims that anyone who is pro-choice is a "baby killer." It's really NOT the same, if you ask me. But I was able to remind myself that I was talking to a six-year-old, who is likely just mimicking something she's heard someone else say. And even if she or her family honestly believe it, they do have the right to feel that way. It's not my job to change their minds.

Anyway, it was certainly the oddest discussion I've ever had with a Primary class. I've been terrified that my kids will go home and tell their parents, "'Sally' says Barack Obama kills babies. But 'Sister X' says he doesn't. Does he?" I can't even imagine what their parents would think of that! I'm still unsure how I should have handled it, other than to never have brought up the name of a current political figure... Any ideas?

Support Your Local Library

Well, it's no secret our family depends on the Library for a great deal of our entertainment. I know that when I moved here, I complained that our Library had a poor selection of Storytimes, Young Children's books, CDs, and DVDs. However, I have since discovered the joys of the Inter-Library Loan, unlimited holds, and some wonderful librarians who love our Kiddo and know him by name. They've increased their number of Storytimes, and seen a large increase in attendance, as well. After remodeling, they've added a number of fun new toys and books to the Children's department. The funny/interesting thing I've discovered is that many of the items I've requested for Kiddo from other Libraries throughout our region have recently been purchased by our own Local Library. I like to joke with the Daddy-O that they're tracking what Kiddo reads and watches to see what makes him so special, ha-ha-ha.

Anyway, I saw these two headlines on USA Today which made me really sad.
Country's oldest public library could close this year
U.S. libraries on borrowed time?

Even sadder are many readers' comments implying that Libraries are obsolete because of the Internet. I love being able to access huge amounts of information from my own computer, but for me it could never replace the feeling I get when I wander around the Library. Nothing is better than holding, and even smelling, a new book. And I just don't trust a lot of the information on the Internet-- so much has not been verified for authenticity or even general readability!

Hopefully the Libraries in your area are well-funded, well-used, and well-appreciated. I know that our town also has two small branch libraries, and it is likely those will close soon. So, just in case, make sure to go to the Library this week-- and take a child with you, so they can experience the wonders that can be found therein, too!

The Boy Genius Strikes Again... and Again... and Again!

I guess I haven't posted much lately about what Kiddo's been up to. But really, he's learning so fast that who can keep up with him? I am so amazed by his intelligence, and am as proud of him as I could be, but sometimes I think we're just dreaming it all. And I am becoming increasingly worried about his future education because #1, I am now pretty certain that he would be bored at regular school all day and probably get himself in trouble, and #2 I don't know how I could possibly keep up with him well enough to home-school long-term, especially now that he's got a brother on the way. That may sound like an exaggeration, but it's not. REALLY. Here's just a few reasons why:

I think I eluded to the fact that in November Kiddo showed us that he can read-- for real. He's moved beyond recognizing some sight words to being able to pick up a book he's never seen before and start reading aloud whole sentences, only stopping to ask for unfamiliar words. The first sentence I caught him reading? "I am not a happy pig." Thank you, Mo Willems-- I just love that! :) Now we have to be extra careful what we've got lying around because he's been known to pull our books or magazines off the shelf to read a random sentence or two before moving on to something else!

In December he suddenly became intensely interested in his US map placemat, and began asking us to tell him each state. Within 2 weeks, he knew them all. He can find them on the map, AND recognize the names of each of the 50 states in other contexts: "Daddy's bag says Colorado!" or pointing out "New York" on the title page of a book, etc., etc..

This month Kiddo's learning the state capitals, and already has them almost all memorized. He started with interest in Iowa and Colorado. I had pointed out to him Des Moines in the Road Atlas and told him I was born there. Then one day he pointed at Denver and said, "Is this Des Moines?" so I had to explain that it was Denver. Then we taught him Springfield, in honor of President Lincoln, and he began recognizing the capitals that are actually named after Presidents. Then he learned Topeka, which is an endless source of amusement to him-- who knows why. Then, for about a week, he had no interest in capitals and would say, "I don't want to know them. I want to learn the states." Or, he would want to learn the flags for certain states instead (also on his placemat).

Then in mid-January, Mommy accidentally found this book at the Library called "Celebrate the 50 states" and it has been his constant companion for a week or so. Each page has bright, colorful pictures of 2 states, and the capitals are clearly marked. One night, Daddy-O teasingly said, "I'll bet you don't know the capital of Colorado!" It was like you could see a light turn on above Kiddo's head, or as if he was thinking, "Okay, Daddy-- GAME ON!" because now he is busy learning them all. He actually asks us to say, "I'll bet you don't know..." so he can show us what he does know. If you've got a few minutes, here's a video of one of Kiddo's new favorite "games." I can't figure out why he likes to be quizzed, but maybe he's setting out to beat Ken Jennings' record on Jeopardy and thinks he needs an extremely early start!


By the way, "Scary Nevada" is a term he came up with the day before, all on his own. :)

But, lest anyone think I'm just trying to show off, I really don't take credit for his insane brilliance. Goodness knows the only part of it he inherited from me was just general nerdiness-- meaning that he often sees me looking at atlases and dictionaries and reference books-- NOT the amazing memory, huge brain capacity, or the incredible energy. I will also let you know that he still has ZERO interest in using the potty. I asked him over the weekend how old he thought he'd be when he starts using the potty. His reply? "Fifteen." I guess we're definitely gonna hafta home-school... ;)

He LOVES his "Pwezadents!"

I don't know what President Bush's approval rating has sunk to these days, but he might take comfort in this:

The other night, while sitting in his high chair, eating spaghetti, Kiddo turned to me and said, "We love our current President."

Startled, I looked up and asked, "We do?"

"Yeah!"

To clarify, I asked, "And who's our current President?"

"George W. Bush!" Pausing for a moment, he followed this up with, "I also wuv Wonald Wagon" (Ronald Reagan, of course).

Given that his FAVORITE President is Abraham Lincoln, do you think this means he's a Republican? If so, his Grandpa Martin must be so proud! :)

************************************************************************************
I was very lax about Kiddo's bedtime over the Thanksgiving break. Consequently, he was still awake when Barbara Walters' interview with Barack and Michelle Obama aired at 9 p.m. Because he has told me that he "wuvs his Pwezadents," I thought Kiddo might enjoy watching our President-Elect on television. I didn't really expect that he'd pay much attention, but I wanted to watch too, so we settled down in Auntie's living room to watch while Kiddo played off to the side.

Well, I don't know how much he actually listened to, but here is what my little boy took from the ENTIRE interview: "Scoop the POOP!!!"

You might recall that the Obamas promised their little girls a puppy after the election was over. Being a crazy dog lady, Barbara spent a good 5 minutes or so quizzing the Obamas about this important issue. One question that she asked was basically, "Will you expect your daughters to actually take care of the dog themselves?" The Obamas answered that Malia and Sasha will absolutely be tending to their pet's needs. In fact, they will even have to "SCOOP THE POOP!" This phrase made my toddler dissolve into laughter, and until he finally fell asleep-- close to midnight (he is a wild thing when it comes to going to sleep away from home) he repeated, "SCOOP THE POOP!" and giggled several times. I believe it may have even been the first thing he said when he woke up the next morning.

I don't know about your kids, but with my little guy, the more you request that he stop doing something like this, the funnier he thinks it is. So I decided to try to ignore it in hopes that it would lose its thrill. Within a day or two, we no longer heard the phrase. Hooray! However...

Last week at the Library, he asked to play with a group of children seated around a newer toy in the Children's department. They were older and friendly, and of course responded, "Sure!" It seemed to me that Kiddo was just playing away happily, when Daddy-O came over to me and whispered, "Can you hear him? It's so bad!"

"Why, what is he doing?"

"He keeps saying, 'Scoop the POOP! Scoop the POOP!' and he won't stop."

Evidently, the other kids just kind of looked at Kiddo funny, but didn't say anything. We left shortly after that, and on the way home, I recalled that I was pretty sure I had heard these children's mothers discussing their home schooling experiences. I hope they weren't thinking, "Gee, and this is why we don't send our kids to public schools!!!"

Anyway, I know our President-Elect is actually a gifted speaker, and I would like to give Kiddo some other of his more dignified words to remember him by, but currently all I can think of is, "Yes, we can" which is really not entirely original. Any suggestions?

"Oh, yes, they call him the streak!"

One of Kiddo's latest hobbies is deciding to "get a little bit more comfortable" by suddenly removing his trousers. He doesn't seem to let visitors inhibit his behavior, either-- he's disrobed in front of his grandparents AND my new visiting teacher. Thankfully, he hasn't done this in public YET-- his shoes seem to be a fairly effective deterrent. So far, he's still leaving his shirts on, but I think this is just because the size of his cranium prevents him from doing that alone!

Anyone else have crazy, wannabe-streaker kiddos?

altogether too pleased with himself!

If found, please return to:

Have you seen this guy? You know, the one who sleeps peacefully for several hours each night, and takes a nice healthy nap each afternoon?

The child who fell asleep on his own, sometimes so tired he could sleep in the oddest positions (yes, even after insisting we must not remove the shoes) and not even wake when we moved him?

It seems he has been abducted by aliens or something and replaced with this kid. You know, the one who leaves miles of messes in his wake? The one who wants to live it up all day, all night?

The child left in his place wants to party, party, party all the time and has no desire to let the Mama sleep!

This child has seemingly no end to his stores of energy and excitement. He is very cute, but more than exhausting. I am wondering if he has some serious demands, and he is trying to wear me down until I am ready to concede.

If you see my real Kiddo, the one who will cuddle a bit and then settle down and rest a while, please send him home! I miss him terribly, and I'm afraid his alien clone is going to send me to an early grave.

If you're wondering, this is the main reason I haven't commented on anyone's blog in a long time. I apologize. I'm just too tired for words. All I can think to say is to reiterate that you are all wonderful and your kids are beautiful. I hope they are all letting you get a good night's sleep, and maybe even a nice little nap here and there.

Australia?

I was checking my sitemeter today, and it said someone checked the Blog from Australia! I'm not sure who it was, but my Kiddo loves Australia! It's his "favorite country." We've taught him to say, "G'day, mate!" so he can fit in if he ever goes there. ;)

I've been wishing I knew someone who was going to Australia who could send him a postcard or even a cool little souvenir. But what do you do? Email everyone you know and say, "Hey, anybody going to Australia?" as though it's just another everyday activity? Well, I have actually thought about it!

So, anyway, if you're in Australia, post a comment and let me know who you are and if I can bribe you into getting a little surprise for my Kiddo.

Piece of cra-yup, Piece of cra-yup

Well, I'm not exactly sure how you'd spell my exclamation of choice if you were to make it a two syllable word... that's just my best guess. Any-hoo....

One kid from my Junior High days that I'm not likely to forget was a character named Nathan Holmes. I actually think we went to 5th and 6th grade together too, but my only real memories of him are from 8th grade English with the awesome Mr. Turner. Nathan, a short, unusual dude who sat behind me, had given himself the nickname "Swamp Frog" (but that is certainly NOT the reason I now like frogs!) and also decided that he was going to be my psychiatrist. I find the latter interesting, because at that time, I don't think anyone knew that my future would include actual appointments with actual "shrinks." Nathan would tell me he had scheduled sessions for me-- at "The Swamp." This "therapy" was always to take place at night. Was he sexually harassing me or just weird? I don't really know, although it was decided at that stage of my life that I was "not very good-looking," so I've always assumed he was just, uh, different.

So, anyway, the thing I remember most about him was that he would occasionally chant, "piece of cra-yup, piece of cra-yup!" Sadly, I forget the context in which he would say this, but I assume it was when something broke, didn't work, or was annoying. At least, in the many years since, I always think of that phrase in reference to things of mine that break easily, don't work, or are exceedingly annoying. Sometimes I even find myself muttering it, because I do seem to have really bad luck with my possessions.

For instance, today I was pretty close to insanely bored, and my grandmother's quip, "Only boring people are ever bored" came immediately to mind. In desperation, I decided to take Kiddo on a walk through the "neighborhood." Once you get about four or five blocks south of our place, you reach a lot of small businesses, many of which we've never explored. The first one we went to was a Kids' resale shop, and immediately Kiddo wanted to play. I handed him the first thing that I thought he'd like-- a yellow toy Hummer. He seemed to really like it, and it was only $2, so I was already considering purchasing it when I noticed he'd broken off a piece of it (the bumper?). Feeling guilty, I decided that yes, we were definitely buying it. Kiddo was happy; it is kind of cool, because both of the front doors open, as do the "trunk" and the "hood." Personally, though, I think Hummers just look like fancy station wagons propped up on enormous tires... So we went along our way, Kiddo holding tightly to his new treasure. Within two hours of our purchase, yet another piece fell off. I'm not sure that either piece had any real function but really, shouldn't it be more durable than that? "Piece of cra-yup, piece of cra-yup!"

The other thing that makes me want to scream is my stupid, stupid, stupid camera. Daddy-O bought me my first digital camera for my birthday five years ago, but after we had Kiddo, he realized that I was using it A LOT more, and that I might like to have one with more features and more mega-pixels. So, last year for Mother's Day, he bought me a new one, a different brand. I was SOOOOOOOOO excited, and began taking even more pictures. But within 5 months, I noticed something bad about this camera. It EATS batteries. It requires 2 'AA' batteries, which I initially thought was great because 'AA' are much cheaper than lithium-- well, theoretically... I go through so many 'AA' that I probably could have bought myself a new camera by now. For instance, in two and a halfweeks, it went through TEN batteries. Yes, TEN. I took, at most, about 280 pictures in that time period and maybe seven or eight minutes of "film. " I don't know what the deal is, but I get even angrier when the display goes from displaying a full battery to low battery in about 30 seconds, and less than a minute later the camera turns itself off completely. I would complain to the company, but I have had it for over a year now, and I have never found any documentation of a warranty. Dear Daddy-O, sadly, did not buy the extended service plan, either.

So, currently, I am silently cursing my so-called improved technology and thinking, once again, of good old Nathan. For,

no new batteries = no new pictures or video of Kiddo for who knows how long

Sing it with me, folks: "piece of cra-yup, piece of cra-yup!"

Any suggestions?

So I'm thinking I should change the picture that appears with my profile and/or comments. In many ways, Lucy is a great fit for my personality, but I'm not sure it's entirely "legal" for me to use her image. I thought I should forewarn those of you whose blogs I frequent, so that if you see a new image next to my name, you won't think it's some other crazy Rachael stalking you. It's just the same old weird Rachael.

And since I have all these fun scanned photos, and I was actually a cute little munchkin, I'm debating between the following:

Baby Rachael rocking out to some groovy tunes.

Kindergarten Rachael being told she has to take a rest period. Boy, have my feelings about that changed!


Toddler Rachael with her Koala.


Rachael and Henry dog enjoying an Iowa summer.


Toddler Rachael in her cool hat.

So far, I'm leaning towards the Henry dog photo, because you can see a little of my beloved Iowa in the background. But I do get a laugh out of Kindergarten Rachael every time I see that photo. I'm also using an edited version of that on GoodReads, so would consistency be a good thing? Let me know what you think... you know, with a COMMENT!!!!!

A Very Fine Mess

I have a problem, an addiction of sorts. Until recently, I've reassured my husband that it's a healthy addiction because it keeps my mind active, relaxes me, gives me something to talk about other than our kiddo-- and it's free. Well, now that only 2 of those 4 statements are true, I realize that maybe I need to work on this addiction. Have you guessed what it is yet?

I check out WAY, WAY, WAY too many library books at one time. I don't know why, except that there's definitely too many books to read and too little time in which to do it. I think I'd need a whole lifetime just to read everything I'm interested in-- not to mention that I rarely take time to reread my favorites! And I just can't admit I've bitten off more than I can chew. I just keep renewing them and renewing them until I can't any more. Then, if I still haven't finished something, I try to get it again the next time, or even put it on hold again if I know it's a popular item. I don't even care if they're kids books and I'm depriving an actual child of the joy of reading them first. It's sick, I know!

I've done this since childhood, and usually I do a good job of keeping track of all of my materials, even the DVDs, CDs, and books for Kiddo... (who currently prefers being called "Chief" or "Man," or even "Old Man!") Well, now I'm losing it, I guess. I left 3 Signing Time DVDs at my Mom's last weekend, and she had to mail them to me so they won't be overdue. Now I'm even checking out items on my husband's card when I've forgotten my own or when I've wanted more than the whopping 5 movies they allow you to check out. Today I realized that I've now accrued over $6 in fines on his card because I'd forgotten to renew those items, not to mention the fine I just paid off on my own card yesterday... So now he can't check anything else out until I pay for "his."

Meanwhile, my house is a mess, I still have to make a birthday cake and card for my husband, I owe several emails, I'm exhausted, and I still have the following to read for MYSELF:

• Digging to America, 277 pages, due 7/21, already renewed 2x
• The Green Glass Sea, 323 pages, due 7/21, renewed 1x
• The Heart is A Lonely Hunter, 359 pages, due 7/22, renewed 2x
• The Host, 619 pages (WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?!), due 7/23, doubt I'll be able to renew it
• Hungry Planet, 285 pages, due 7/23, doubt I'll be able to renew it
• These Is My Words, 384 pages, due 7/22, renewed 2x

+plus, on Daddy-O's card:

• Keeping Score, 202 pages, due JULY 1ST, can't be renewed because of fines
• Shug, 248 pages, was due JULY 1st, but now renewed until 7/24, 1st renewal

So far, I've completed 42 pages of Keeping Score. So, out of 2697 pages, I've got 42 down, 2655 to go. YEAH. Wish me luck... Anyone wanna come and baby-sit or clean my house? :) I'll be your best friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought not. See you next month or something...

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.

Seeking advice...

I was just wondering, if any of my readers have successfully potty-trained a boy. If so, how did you introduce the process to said boy(s)? How many weeks/months/years did it take? I used to babysit a boy while he was learning to use the potty, but that was only one day a week and it was stressful enough! I counted my lucky stars someone else got to deal with it the other 6. My little man-child is very interested in the bathroom, flushing, and usually comments that his old diapers are "'tinky." So I don't know, does that indicate interest in potty-training or not?

Are there any books, videos, websites, or pointers from others that were helpful to you?

Where is everybody?

Nothing echoes like an empty mailbox.
Charlie Brown

I've noticed lately that hardly anyone is posting comments on this dumb blog, with the exception of the wonderful Kaela, and occasionally my dear Mummy. Does this mean they're the only ones still reading? Have my incessant bragging about my son or my weak attempts at humor turned everyone off? I'm really getting a complex about this, and feeling less and less motivated to keep up the Blog.

If you are reading my posts, would you please, please, PLEASE leave a comment? Or at least send an email to let me know that you're reading. I could really use something to look forward to these days, especially with my birthday coming up soon. I truly dread and hate my birthday.

Why you can't post a comment on this blog

We-ell, I don't rightly know. In fact, I haven't a clue.

My uncle tried to help me out, but the changes I made didn't seem to make a difference for this dumb blog. I must have really messed this up somehow.

So, anybody have any advice?

Any ideas?

My husband just hates people talking about him. He's not really into sharing personal info. So I was wondering what I should call him on this blog. I've seen people use "DH" but that just seems so generic. And, you know, my husband is anything but generic!

My thoughts so far:

The Daddy-O

Mr. Man

He Who Shall Remain Nameless (HWSRN)

He Who Wishes to Remain Anonymous (HWWTRA)

or, maybe,

My Very Weird Husband (MVWH)?

What do you think?