January 20, 2012 ~ Fu Manchu, Man. Fu Manchu

It's Purple Friday again, so forgive me if I go all out today. If you have a website and your team is still in the running, then by all means go ahead and dress it up for the occasion.


This morning I got Billy all dressed in his purple onesie. Daddy and I both had our jerseys on to go to work. We've all got purple fever.


On the way out the door I grabbed Billy's Ravens ball cap to take to daycare. Every Friday I stick it in his bag and put it on him on the way in to daycare. I would just stick it on his head, but he hates hats and rips them off once in the carseat. Today, he saw it in my hand and grabbed it from me. Ten he tried to put it on his head himself. I did it for him and he did a little dance for me he was so excited.


In the carseat the hat fell off while I was buckling him in. He threw a fit right there until I put the hat back on him. He was not going to school without Purple Pride.


At work today we took a photo of everyone wearing purple. Since I work in an art studio I decided to be creative today. Well, to borrow someone else's creativity is more like it. At the game last weekend I saw a lot of people wearing purple felt Fu Machu mustaches. If I knew where they had gotten them I would have gotten one too. Why? Joe Flacco, quarterback extraordinaire, has a Fu Manchu mustache. So, I made a paper Fu Manchu for myself for the photo at work.


Then I brought it home.

While Billy thought me wearing it was hysterical, apparently the fashion statement is just too painful for him to bear. Since he refused to sit still for a Fu Manchu portrait, you'll have to settle for the next best thing...



January 19, 2012 ~ Dear Dirt

Dear Dirt,

My name is Billy and I'm coming for you.

I see you in the form of leaf litter hitching a ride on Buddy's fur. You think you're going to come in where it's warm. I've got news for you. I can pick you up and throw you in the trashcan all by myself. And I will. If I see you on the floor you're as good as thrown out.

I see you left over pine needles from the tree. You think you can escape me because you are hard to pick up. But I have a Mommy and I know how to tell her that you need to be cleaned up pronto. Even if it means her breaking out the evil vacuum. Gulp.

I found you food crumbs and you can't escape me. If Mommy gives me a damp cloth you better believe I'm going to wipe you up off of my high chair. You'll never see me coming. Wham! My tray will be clean and you'll be all gone.

And you, dirty laundry. Yeah you. I am going to put you in the hamper whether you like it or not. You can't stop me. And if I find and holes in you socks I am going to be very upset. Very upset, you hear me?! I don't want to see you around here anymore.

So, be warned Dirt. I've got your number and I am coming for you.

Sincerely,
The Hygiene Enforcer (aka Billy)

Drawn In Thursdays: Binky Wars, Episode 3

Click to enlarge

January 18, 2012 ~ Content Blocked

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January 17 ~ Three Syllable Success

This morning was the first time- the very first time ever- that Billy calmed waved "byebye Mommy" when I dropped him at daycare. No screaming. No running towards me. Nope. He just waved at me and said, "byebye Mommy". Will it last? We'll find out tomorrow.

When I got home this evening I found Billy and Daddy cooking dinner. Billy was standing on his stepstool against the counter and supervising dinner. Daddy was stirring the pot, naked from the waist up, dress pants still on, no shoes, no socks, but sunglasses. He apparently didn't want to get his dress shirt, under shirt, socks or shoes dirty while cooking. It was quite a funny sight. Daddy is silly like that sometimes.

I had just been to the store so I had some goodies with me when I came in. I put Billy in his chair and gave him some goldfish. I'm pretty sure he's had them at daycare, but I can't be certain. All I know is that this is the first time I have given him goldfish. You would have thought they were made of pure gold.

Also on his tray was a banana from daycare. He apparently really wanted some banana. So much so that he specifically asked for ba-na-na. Not na-na. But actually asked several times for ba-na-na. This marks the first time he has intentionally said a word with three syllables.

Of course, once the goldfish appeared he didn't want any more ba-na-na. He started begging for caca! (cracker.) You try saying it without any r's.

January 16, 2012 ~ Doggy Dinner Billy Style

One of Billy's favorite family members it Buddy the Dog. Who wouldn't love the fuzzy and incredibly cute, mild-mannered puppy (of 11 years young)? Best yet, he barks and jumps up and down when Billy picks up one of his toys. Buddy is the best interactive toy a boy could hope for.

Well, Billy has decided he wants to help care for his favorite canine companion.

Now, since Billy could stand up he has helped me with putting Buddy out on the chain when Buddy needs to go out. Billy is responsible for looking out for the WackaWackas and the Zingaroos and to tell me if he sees one. Guess what? In all of the looking out he has done he has never seen one. Phew!

What really happens is Billy stands at the screen door while I go out to fetch the chain on the deck, allowing Billy to always be in my sight. It's a win-win.

Now Billy wants to help feed Buddy. Not just tossing his unwanted dinner from his high chair, but actually feeding Buddy his dog food. Poor Buddy who has to suffer the process of getting dinner from Billy. Here's what happens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ45OiYRIGg

January 15, 2012 ~ Grandma Got Run Over By Billy

If you read the post for Saturday you'll see that Daddy and I went to the game today. It was a big deal. Baltimore is a football town and it's rare that a play-off game is at home. It was a special day and the first real date Daddy and I have been on since Billy was born. We've been to dinner a few times and a few big events (weddings and such) but this was planned by us for us.

Grandma agreed weeks ago to watch Billy during play-offs. There was no way we weren't going.

I went to Grandma's last night to grab some winter clothes and prep her for a full day with Billy under foot. It's a monumental task to take on a toddler for a full day if you're not used to watching kids. Billy is especially active for a toddler, according to his daycare ladies. He runs circles around everyone.

When Grandma got here this morning I walked her through meals, gates, activities. It's a lot. Fortunately for Grandma, Billy has been extra tired and is prone to taking 3-4 hour naps when he is. I figured she'd get to watch most of the game before he woke up and then she would be able to half watch the rest of the game while she chased him around.

In a perfect world, we would have left at 11 while she was feeding him Second Breakfast. Then he would have played for an hour to an hour and then had lunch. Shortly after lunch he would have gone done for a 3-4 hour nap, so somewhere around 1-4pm. Perfect for a 1pm kick-off time. Then he would have gotten up and had a snack, followed by a bath. Then we would get home and it would have been a fabulous day for us and a fairly easy day for Grandma. We don't live in a perfect world.

We managed to get out of the house shortly after 11, but I didn't have Billy in his high chair eating Second Breakfast on the way out. He apparently refused to eat for her. She put him down for his nap but he only slept for 45 minutes. Then she tried to feed him again but he apparently wasn't hungry. Somehow, however, he managed to get Grandma to give him cheese and crackers- his favorite snack. He had no problems eating that. Grandma also went to feed him lunch, but she was so frazzled chasing him from one end of the house to the other that she couldn't find it in the fridge. It turned out she got confused with me telling her where his lunch was and me telling her where HER lunch was in the fridge. Lucky for Grandma, Great Aunt Sheila stopped over to help. Between the two of them they were so frazzled with a toddler running circles around them that they couldn't figure out how to get the gate installed, or how to turn off my ipod, which Billy had navigated off of the main screen. He snuck more snacks from Sheila and managed to steal her coke and try some- a feat never accomplished before. He's not allowed anything with caffeine, since the drug is dangerous for little ones and soda is very unhealthy for kids under a certain age. But he ran them ragged. They were very happy when we got home.

After Grandma left I figured out what was going on. I had gotten him dressed in a super cute sweater that I thought Sheila would like. It has a puppy on it. Now, I cooked the den up nice and warm for Grandma because she is always cold, and it was very cold here today. He was too hot. Therefore, because he was overheated, he didn't want to eat. Grandma said he was super thirsty all day long. He wasn't feeling good because he was hot, so he was drinking to hydrate. Also, because he was too hot, he couldn't sleep. I stripped the sweater off of him and he woofed down 2.5 times his normal dinner portion and ran around like a very happy toddler. He went to sleep, no problem.

I can't blame Grandma. These are the things that a mother might notice, but if you're not with the kid every day you don't see where the trouble is. And if you are cold yourself you probably wouldn't think that a little guy could be super warm. But my little man twice walked outside barefoot today and had to be dragged back in the house. It was so cold that the ice in my soda at the game never melted, so that my coke I bought at 12 was chilly and not watered down 4 hours later. Yeah, that cold.

But, no worries. After a few minutes he was back to his old antics. He was spinning in circles, pushing his cars around and singing. He even learned how to moonwalk! Yes, he moonwalked several times and was so impressed with himself. He also discovered that a napping Daddy is an awesome play toy. Daddy should never nap in Billy's reach. He might get attack hugged a few (ten) times.

Look, Ma! I put two binkies in Daddy's glass!

January 14, 2012 ~ Purple Impaired

Not once since I started this blog have I missed a post. Nope, not once. Well, until today. I apologize. All I can say is that I was Purple Impaired.

It's an affliction sweeping the town. Many are affected. It's all-consuming and you soon forget everything else except: Purple Passion.

It started when Daddy bought playoff tickets. Yes, that's right. The UBER rare home play-off game tickets. I didn't stand a chance.

Saturday was consumed with preparation. Hey, you can't stand outside in 30 degree weather for 5 hours and not be prepared. Daddy went off to the store to pick up supplies and I prepped Billy for a day without his parents. I made all of his meals and got activities ready for Grandma to watch him while we went to the game. After he went to bed I laid out every warm piece of clothing I owned.

I was so excited that I clear plum forgot to post. That has never happened. I even remembered to post on Christmas. Yup, totally Purple Impaired.

Sunday morning I had the jitters- equal to the jitters I had on the morning of our wedding. Yes, that excited and nervous for the game. It's playoff fever and I've got it bad. I love football, but play-offs? OH YEAH.

So, my apologies. The good news? There aren't any more home play-off games. The bad news? There aren't any more home play-off games!!!!

The Star-Spangled Banner, played just minutes from where it was written 200 years ago!

At the game, decked out in purple.

Here come the players...

GO RAVENS!!!

January 13, 2012 ~ Friday The (lucky) 13th

Lucky Billy!

Daddy got Indian for dinner- a Billy favorite. We made a picnic on the coffee table and all sat around in our purple (go Ravens!) eating Indian. Billy was shoving pakoras in his mouth like they were going out of style.

He loves spicy food. Bland is blah. It can't be too spicy, he has his limits, but he would rather his food be spicy. I sent to daycare white rice with butter and salt and pepper and he apparently didn't like it. They had to add more spice to get him to eat it. Can't blame him for liking things with flavor.

Or course, he refused to eat off of his plate. Daddy's didn't work, either. Only Mommy's plate will do. He ate most of my dinner- tiki masala. And during dinner he kept giving me big hugs and kisses and wanting to cuddle. It was very cute. And I have tiki masala all over my dress shirt now. Awesome.

He had a good day and now he's off asleep with a very full Billy belly.

I know a lot of people believe Friday the 13th is unlucky. Not in our house. It's always been a good day for us. Daddy and I had our first date on Friday the 13th of January many years ago. We also got engaged on Friday the 13th many months later. We laugh in the face of the fates.

So here's wishing you a lucky day!

January 12, 2012 ~ Don't Leave Mom!

Billy is in the clingy phase where he doesn't want Mommy or Daddy to leave. Now, he'll tell other people "byebye" when he's finished visiting with them...often long before Mommy and Daddy are ready for guests to leave. But every time I have to leave him, it's a fight.

Every weekday morning I drop Billy at daycare. This comes with the inevitable part where I have to leave. We've had to come up with a special routine at daycare to keep him calm. I bring him in and we say hello to all of the kiddies already there. Then I hand off his bag and coat to the ladies. At this point Billy knows what is coming and clutches to me with both his hands and his feet, shoes and all. He looks up at me and pleads, "don't leave me, Mommy!"

So, I sit on the floor and pull out some toys and we play on the floor, me in my winter coat with keys in hand. He clings to me, even when attracted by a toy. It takes multiple toys to distract him enough to pry myself from his fingers. Then, when he isn't looking I slip out the door. Sometimes, like today, he sees me and runs at the door screaming, "Mommy! Mommy!"

I always have an extra hug for him, but I can't prolong the process either. It disrupts the class and makes me late for work. I always promise to see him later, but today I had to work late so I didn't see him before bed. It's hard when I want to comfort him, but I also can't have him clinging to me all day and night.

Because he didn't see me this evening I'm sure he'll be extra clingy tomorrow. And I know as soon as I grab his coat in the morning to get ready to go he'll start crying, "don't leave me, Mommy!"

Drawn In Thursdays: Binky Wars, Episode 2

Click to enlarge

January 11, 2012 ~ A Bipolar Post (Not me, just the post!)

This is going to be a bipolar post, and you'll understand once you've finished reading.

This morning was another attack of the Terribles. Billy wanted my comb. Now, Daddy often lets him play with my comb and carry it around the house, which, of course, means that when I need to comb my hair I can never find my comb. I have one simple rule: it stays in the bathroom. Simple enough, right? Nope. I don't get it. Daddy loves my comb and steals it from me. Billy steals it from me- loving it for entirely different reasons I'm sure. It's an old plastic comb that Grandma bought for me long before I could drive. It's missing a tooth in the middle. And in this house you would think it's the Holy Grail of Combs.

Anyway, I didn't want it wandering so I took it away from Billy. He asked for it back and I told him no. I was holding him at the time. So, he ripped the binky out of his mouth with force and then tried to shove it in my mouth with equal force, I guess to silence me. It was actually quite funny. He still didn't get the comb.

This evening was more Precocious Billy. He tried to eat a handful of dog food. (Hey, if Buddy likes it, it must be good!) He hugged and cuddled with the kitchen garbage can. This is not an exaggeration. They cuddled. It wasn't cute. Thank God I keep the can clean. Yuck! Then I asked him to give something to Daddy. He hid it behind his back and ran away, keeping his back turned from Daddy. Yep. It was that kind of night.

And now to switch gears.

I read on facebook today about a friend of mine from college. She's not a friend that I've kept in touch with, but we are fb friends. I learned today that her infant girl died. I'm heartbroken for her. This woman is a sweetheart. I can't imagine the pain she is in. Her child was here long enough to fall in love and then to lose. It's terrible. But I haven't written to her and I probably won't. We haven't communicated since college and now is not the time. I wouldn't know what to say. Only that I shed a tear for her.

I just finished reading a book in which the author describes losing her baby sister. It's a true story. She talked about walking into the baby's room and the sheets still smelling of baby, of the empty crib, the toys that would never be played with again, the clothes laid out. I had a very difficult time reading those chapters. That baby was 1.5 yrs old and accidentally drowned. She talked about her mother losing herself into the bottle.

It's hard for me to comprehend the grief and I don't want to. I hope to never know. I hope YOU never know, either. But so many mothers (and fathers) do. So tonight I hope you will join me. Say a prayer, have a thought, or whatever you do. Send some prayers to the parentss who tonight have empty cribs and for their children who won't get the joy of growing up.

January 10, 1012 ~ Herding Cats

You may have heard someone refer to an impossible task as "herding cats". I bet herding cats is pretty difficult, but probably no where near as difficult as getting a toddler to sit still.

I wanted to get Billy to pose for some Christmas photos (yeah, I know it's the middle of January.) I need to take the tree down, so I had to get the photos in before I did that. It just wasn't on the priority list.

Anyway, I gave him a bath and got him all dressed up in his Christmas outfit so we could take some photos. But trying to get a toddler to sit still long enough for a portrait photo is a lot like herding cats. And trying to get a toddler to smile for a posed photo is well, like herding cats on speed.

The picture I wanted was a nice standing pose of Billy in front of the Christmas tree. Here's what I got:

Forget the cats. Sometimes it's like herding toddlers.

January 9, 2012 ~ Oh My Goodness, Daddy's Guinness

If you ask Billy, any bottle will do. In fact, anything that was originally Mommy's of Daddy's is clearly better than his. So, Daddy's (beer) bottle is clearly cooler than Billy's (milk) bottle.

A few months ago Daddy was foolish enough to sit his beer bottle down while he was grilling dinner. He turned his back for less than 30 seconds and Billy grabbed his bottle and tried to drink from it. Luckily, Daddy was right there and caught him before Billy got any. Daddy hasn't left any beer within reach since. Billy is also always after my soda cans. I don't drink beer. But he waits until I turn my back and goes straight for them. I guess he figures that if he can't have it, then it must be something good.

Daddy doesn't drink beer very often, but he had one tonight while cooking dinner. Of course, Billy wanted Daddy's bottle rather than his milk sippy or his water sippy. Since he was taking an interest in the bottle, Daddy decided to demonstrate how it can be a musical instrument. He took a sip and changed the pitch and tried again. Billy was fascinated by the strange noise, and a little trepidatious.

When it was empty Daddy gave the bottle to Billy to attempt to create the musical sound out of the bottle. Billy took the bottle and held it up to his nose for a long time, getting a good whiff of the former contents. Suddenly, he pushed the bottle away and turned up his nose.

After all that time of wanting Daddy's Guinness he finally had his hands on the bottle, only to realize he really didn't want it after all.

Our thoughts and prayers

go out to our Uncle Charles.

May you have a speedy recovery

and may your long road in the hospital pass quickly.

Much love from your family. 

January 8, 2012 ~ The Terrible (Not Quite) Twos

Well, I'm not finished yet with the Daycare Plague sent home to me over Christmas break and have been struck down again by another Daycare Plague. The stomach bug that caught Billy on Friday has now happily taken up residence in Daddy and myself. I keep asking the daycare to send home just the kid and not the plague, but we catch everything that Billy catches. For Daddy, when he gets a cold he gets the sniffles for a few hours and coughs for a day. I get it for at least a week. Billy too. Daddy woofed down Chinese food today with his stomach virus. I had toast. Lucky Daddy.

Because we weren't feeling good we put up the baby gate. It's a rarely used item that I bought only for just such occasions. Billy hates it. He is restricted to the kitchen and den, so that we don't have to chase him all over the house. This plus the stomach bug had him in a less than pleasant mood today.

By naptime Billy had already bitten me on the leg in anger. He didn't get his way. Normally, he just throws his binky on the ground and shouts, "Oh, no!" Sometimes he bites. Sometimes he hits. I cannot convince him out of any of these. Every time he bites I make him sit in the Naughty Spot for ten seconds. He's too young for time out, but I hope that the ten second Naughty Spot can evolve into time out.

He also decided to get into trouble with the dog water today, since he was trapped in the two rooms and the dog water just happened to be in reach. I found him in the kitchen with a collection of fridge magnets in the dog bowl. He had a spoon in his hand and was stirring the magnets like they were in a pot. I was laughing so hard (inside) that I had to get Daddy to come over and punish him. He knows better, but it was really hysterical to see him mixing up his bowl of dog-slobber color kid magnets.

In the afternoon we when over to Grandma's. Daddy was installing a new ceiling light for her. Billy, Buddy and I just went along to see Grandma. Of course, Billy was obsessed with the steps at Grandmas, particularly launching himself down them. He thought it was very funny as I grappled to keep him from falling. They are only a half-flight, so I was letting him practice some, and hold him as he fell down so that he could learn the consequence of jumping down the stairs. I don't think it worked.

But after awhile I kept him away from the stairs and this made him angry. He decided to head-butt me. Usually, I duck and miss when he tries this, but I didn't see it coming. He split my gum open and knocked my two front teeth loose. Suddenly, all that anger over not getting his way had real consequences, not just time out.

Back at home I explained to him how he hurt Mommy and why that's very naughty. He came over and gave me a big hug. I don't know how much he gets and how much is just the lovable little guy being himself. The tantrums are all the time now, and that lovable little guy quickly turns into a momentary demon. I'm hoping he got a big dose of reality today and might have learned to reel it in. Anger is part of growing up and having kids means getting some cuts and bruises along the way.

I was just hoping he might make it to two before the really bad tantrums started...

January 7, 2012 ~ Trikes and Chopsticks

After not eating much yesterday Billy started off this morning with a lot of food. Let's review:

2 waffles
5 mini sausages
cup of grapes
cup of raspberries
sippy cup of milk

I don't eat this much for breakfast.

After nap I took him outside to enjoy the unseasonable weather. I pushed him around on his Green Piece of Awesome, that trike he got for his birthday. He preferred pulling it around behind him.

We stayed out until dark playing with the trike. I had to drag him inside. If he had his way we would live outside.

But we had to go in because I wanted to take him shopping. First, all of his binkies are at daycare. This is a catastrophe of epic proportions. We have one binky, one back-up binky, on horrible binky that he hates (it's very cheap), and a broken binky in my pocket. Yeah, so we had to go get a pack of binks to get us through the weekend. Mark this in the "reason to quit" column.

I also wanted to get more pjs. All summer Billy wanted to sleep in just a diaper or a shirt and diaper. Even in the fall he would get too hot in more than a short sleeve shirt with sleep pants. And, all of a sudden he has outgrown half of the footed pjs I have. So, on the hunt for pajamas.

Binkies were not a problem. I know where to get them and I know they have plenty. But pajamas? The big baby store didn't have any in his size. ANY. It's not like he was the only baby born last year. C'mon people. So I went to another good place to buy baby clothes. They had only 2 pjs and they weren't footed- 2 piece only. So I bought one, just to have. It's kind of ridiculous. I was told to go online. Greaaaaaaaaaaat.

When we got home Billy had some rice for dinner.

That's right. He tried out chopsticks for the first time. He thought they were awesome and that it was just too funny to eat with sticks. He wanted rice only from Mommy using the chopsticks and not from the spoons.

After dinner he was sleepy so we played on the floor in the den with cartoons on the TV. He curled up on a pillow to watch the TV and I snuggled in beside him. He wrapped his arm around my neck and fell asleep right there.

There's nothing better than a Billy cuddle.

January 6, 2012 ~ Angry Billy Belly

Poor little guy. He's having a terrible day.

When he woke up there was a big mess. Let's just say...he was wearing footed pajamas. I"ll stop there.

At 11am I got a call from daycare. He threw up the entire contents of his belly. They sent home a bag of his soiled clothes. His shoes were in that bag. Yeah. That bad.

When he got home this evening he was not a happy camper. I plied him with crackers, cheese and a sippy each of milk, water and juice. What he really wanted was Cheerios. He pointed to the box until I got it down for him. Then he shoveled handfuls of the little o's into his mouth.

Normally, I push nutrition with the little guy, but I know when I'm not feeling well there are very few things that I can handle eating. Actually, I usually can only stomach Utz Ripple chips. Whatever works, right? So if Cheerios make him full and content, then I'm not going to worry about nutrition today. I didn't even bother with dinner. He ate so many Cheerios that dinner would have just gone to waste.

He was an unhappy camper, but it wasn't all bad. He laid on the floor while i rubbed his back and he giggled the whole time. I also coated him in kisses and gentle tickles and that got me smiles and laughs.

In college I was in a group called Clowns For Medicine. Maybe you remember the movie Patch Adams about a true story? The group was founded by a student of his. The motto: Laughter is the best medicine. I go with this theory. So when he doesn't feel good, it's my job to make him laugh. Doesn't matter how- tickles, toys on my head or teasing the dog. I got him laughing and by bedtime he was his old self and wanted to stay up.

I have no doubt, however, that Billy's belly is still angry with him. I just hope that it forgives him soon.

WooHoo!

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January 5, 2012 ~ Box of Buns

Billy started his morning by being woken up early so I could take him to the doctor for a wellness visit. Those are the routine check-ups every few months, in case you don't know the lingo.

He doesn't mind going to the pediatrician's office, he's been there so many times. But, he's learned. As soon as I stripped him down he started grabbing me like a monkey. He knew what was coming. The second I laid him on the table for the nurse to take his length measurement he started screaming, thinking that the later part was here. Nope. First, the doctor had to check up him out. He's in great health. Tall and skinny. Developmentally on track, more maybe a little ahead. But, we of course, have to come to the part he knew was inevitable: the shots.

It took two of us to hold him down so he could get his three shots. Poor guy. I hate shots. He has no idea what we're doing to him. I at least know what's going on when I get a shot. Must be so much scarier not to understand.

So the doctor told me that he should have 3-5 words. Let's review the words he knows and says:

Mommy
Daddy
Bubbub (Buddy)
Gammall (Grandma)
caca (cracker)
cock (quack)
duck
dog
cat
moo
baa
nana (banana)
juice
baabaa (bottle or sippy)
moon
vroom
truck
yay-yo (yellow)
hey-yo (hello)
bye bye
look
no/nein/nyet
yeah/yes
sock (learned today)

I think this might be a bit more than 5.

He also has a new word that I am not sure of the meaning. Manya. When he waves he sometimes says Manya. Comment if you have a clue what this means. He says it without prompting.

Daddy and Billy went to the grocery store after school so I was home before them. When they got home it was dinnertime so I immediately plopped Billy in his chair and gave him food. Daddy tried to get him to eat some pasta salad (he loves pasta usually). But he spit it out and gave his "yuck" face.

Ah, but Mommy has a plan. I showed him just how much I LOVED the pasta salad. Ok, it's a decent salad, but not THAT good. Nevertheless, I played it off. And what do you know? He decided he liked it and ate it up. Ha ha! Mommy 2, Billy 0 (Let's not forget the raspberries that are now his favorite, which he hated last week.)

After dinner I got him dressed for bed, including his new bathrobe (too cute!) and we played in the den. I brought in the box of his grilling set (grill not included) and set up a little plastic picnic on the coffee table. No Go. Nope. BUT... the box of buns was a big hit. No joke. A cardboard box filled with plastic hamburger buns. Yep. Not even the box the stuff came in- it's a clamshell shoebox that I repurposed. Apparently, nothing's more fun than a box of buns. When he accidentally spilled the contents, he laughed at himself, picked up the pieces and hauled around his box of buns some more.

Never underestimate a box of buns.

Drawn In Thursdays: Binky Wars, Episode 1

Click to enlarge

January 4, 2012 ~ To Bink Or Not To Bink?

When I was pregnant I was pretty much dead set against giving my baby a binky. I could hear my grandmother's voice in my head saying, "now don't go putting a pacifier in that child's mouth!" Unfortunately, those were her parting words to me and I cannot uphold her belief in anti-binkyism.

Despite my reservations on the bink, I insisted on buying one to have on hand, you know, just in case. I figured I would return it after the baby was a few weeks old and clearly happy with nipples and thumbs. I planned to toe the line of anti-binkyism.

But then again, there is the case of my dear friend. I went to see her when her baby was 4 days old. By that time her nips were so sore that she dreaded having to feed her sweet little girl. The little thing was just soothing herself and not eating, so she was constantly crying for the boob. Someone had given my friend a binky at her shower and I made her give that child a bink. It solved the problem and mother and baby were both happy.

Enter my own baby. He made it just fine in the hospital without the binky. After one day at home we could not stop his crying. We tried everything. In the middle of the night Daddy got fed up and stuck a binky in Billy's mouth. Problem solved. Well, symptom solved. It turned out I wasn't producing milk, so he was starving. So, by the third day home he was getting a binky and formula- two things I swore I wouldn't give him. C'est la vie.

Now, at 15 months Billy is throwing his binky in tantrums. The truth is that he doesn't need it anymore, except maybe to sleep. Despite the 12 or so binkies floating around our house we hide most of them from him and he spends the majority of each day without them. But...and this is a big but...when he is without his binky I often catch him sticking his thumb in his mouth. The binkies he has are designed to prevent needing dental work from sucking. Thumbs=braces later on.

So the question remains: going forward do we bink or don't we?

100th Post!

If you can believe it, this blog has been active for three months now and we have officially reached 100 posts. Readership is up and I look forward to a long and continued run with this blog.

Thank you for reading my blog!



You might have noticed some changes going on. I am constantly updating and adding new features. If you have a suggestion please let me know! Some new features to check out:

~ The Forum: Now you can make your own posts and join the conversation.

~ Links: You will now see links to blogs and sites that I like. If you have a blog or site that you would like to see listed, please email the link to me.

~ Email and Comment Form: At the bottom of the blog you will find the form. Want to send me a private comment? Submit it there!

~ YouTube Channel: Yes, there will now be Billy videos too.


Look for new features to be coming out, including a giveaway. :)

January 3, 2012 ~ Daddy's Devil Grin

If you've met Daddy, then you probably know that he has a boyish devil-may-care grin that let's everyone know he's up to no good. Now, when I say "up to no good", usually he's hatching a plan to go on an adventure, stir up some fun at a party or say something silly. It's the boyish charm that melts hearts and causes ladies to swoon.

Billy has his Daddy's Devil Grin and he knows how to use it.

This isn't a good photo of it, even if his eyes are "devilish". That little smirk comes and goes so fast I can't get it on film (or pixels...whatever.)

Today Billy would put on that Devil Grin and then throw food at Billy. We kept yelling at him to stop, but he decided he was just too gosh-darn-cute to stop. I have to admit, he was making me laugh so hard I had difficulty punishing him. He smile that smile, give a little giggle and then, "Whoosh!" Away goes the food.

In the bath he broke out the Devil Grin again. He wanted to drink the bath water by dipping his head into the bath and lapping it up. He thought this was just too funny and would come up laughing. I yelled at him to stop (mind you- not "yell" but "acknowledge bad behavior"). I kept trying to get him to stop, but he just knew that he was so cute and causing harmless trouble.

Great. Now, not only do I have to combat Daddy's Devil Grin. Now I have to avoid succumbing to Billy's Devil Grin too!

January 2, 2012 ~ Let's Haul Some Dog

No matter how much you love your kids, when they are whining their heads off for no reason at all you sometimes just want to kick their bum. Billy is still very tired and sick with the Daycare Plague. I think he may be working on a tooth as well, but there's no sign of it yet. Regardless, he was extra fussy today.

By mid-morning he started with his new habit of crying when I put him down AND crying if I hold him for more than a minute (squirming to get down to get a toy). Any rational adult will see that I cannot hold him for less than a minute without putting him down. After a half hour of this I explained to him that this is the kind of behavior that signals to me that he needs quiet time and took him to bed. It was too early for nap, but he got some quiet time with his lovies and was a happier baby for awhile.

Billy showed off his new love of bibs to Grandma when she came over today. He can now put the bibs on himself and insists that he be wearing one while in the highchair, even if eating something like cheerios that aren't messy. I wish I could say that it's him trying to keep clean, but really it's that he likes hiding food in the pocket.

In the late afternoon Billy, Daddy and I went to Wal-Mart to get some storage supplies. Enter the return of Fussy Baby. He got so angry that he threw his binky on the floor in a fit of rage and broke it in half. Yes, irreparably damaged. And...it was my favorite binky! Now I have to go to Babies'R'Us to buy a new one. He cried all through Wal-Mart, in the grocery store for a quick run, picking up carry-out dinner and the whole car ride to each of these places. Luckily, I brought a back-up binky and a back-up back-up binky so we managed to keep him quiet part of the time.

When we got home he got dinner and afterwards was happy as a clam with his new toy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBvdkS1gdKg

Billy, that's not really a toy. He hauled it around with two binkies and a dog bone for the better part of an hour.

Then Daddy had the great idea to put Buddy in the toy tote. Buddy gets a hug for playing along.

Then Daddy had the great idea that Billy should haul Buddy around in the giant toy tote.

Here's Billy hauling the 40lb dog in a giant tote. I'm impressed that Billy could pull that much weight. Daddy did have to help with a gentle push here and there, but Billy was able to do it on his own.

You would have thought with all of this exercise that Billy would be whipped and ready for bed, but he managed to stay up an extra 45 minutes past bedtime even though he was in his crib. He kept asking to go back to play and if not to cuddle. After 45 minutes I informed him no more cuddles, no more play, just sleep. He's sleeping. Phew!

January 1, 2012 ~ Sleepy Baby & Ravens Good Luck Charm

Until now, Billy has hated raspberries. I've tried, but he just doesn't like them. But at breakfast when he refused them again, I popped one in my mouth and showed them how tasty I find them. I didn't think he'd care and I was only giving him a few to continue to encourage broadening his taste buds. Apparently, the Mommy Seal of Approval meant that he now likes raspberries. He ate half of the container for breakfast and i had to put them away because he wanted more.

Today has been an exercise in exhaustion. Billy is over-tired and just wanted to either sleep or lay about. He laid on his back and played with his blocks while laying there. He watched the majority of Tangled sitting there, not running from one end of the house to the other.

Billy took two naps today- one very long one and a shorter one. We were watching the Ravens game together with Daddy, but Billy became very tired by the end of the 2nd quarter. So I put him down for the second nap. Then the Ravens started losing their big lead and weren't playing so well. By the fourth quarter I woke Billy up, against his wishes, so he could eat dinner. Then the Ravens started scoring again all of a sudden and playing well. Clearly, Billy must be a good luck charm for them. At least a fan, who knows the touch down symbol.

After the game Billy helped Daddy cook dinner, but he was so tired that he went to bed early. He didn't even complain, just straight to sleep. His first day of 2012 was certainly a sleepy one.

December 31, 2011 ~ Happy New Year!

First off, I would like to apologize for not having posted earlier. I was up all night, but unlike most people who were up all of last night drinking, I was up with a sick baby and I'm a sick Mommy too.

Billy is getting a new molar and is a miserable little soul. That tooth is torturing him. He also has the Daycare Plague, this one with a bad cough that keeps him awake, aka not getting enough sleep. So, he was very unhappy and fussy all morning. I didn't think that we would be going out at all for the evening's festivities given his mood.

He wasn't in a people mood, either. We had friends over for lunch and after awhile he started saying "bye,bye". He was trying to get them to leave. But, he got part of a burrito that my friend so kindly shared with Billy, and that changed his mind for awhile.

He did get a decent nap in and I made him take quiet time later in the day, hoping to improve his mood. Of course, I am also feeling miserable from the Daycare Plague. My version comes with nasal inflammation, so I cannot breathe and can't sleep because I can't breathe.

Well, he was in better spirits after dinner so we decided to take him to a party. They had a very lovely set up with piles of candles on the coffee table and bowls of food laid out. Of course, Billy tried to set a few things on fire, nearly knocked all of the candles over and basically found every bit of their house that isn't toddler-proof. Daddy and I didn't really get to enjoy the party because we had to chase or hold him the whole time to keep him from burning their house down. Once Billy's good friend, T, was tired though, we headed over to T's parent's house.

Our good friends invited us to come over for a much quieter party at their house for those of us with little ones. Their T is a very good friend of Billy's, and Billy is used to sleeping at their house because we are there often enough. The boys played until almost 11, wound up from the first party, excited to see each other. Billy is in awe of T, who is two years older. Billy wanted to do everything that T did. When we put Billy down for the night he didn't want to go and he could hear T playing and getting ready for bed. It took a long while to get him to settle.

We stayed until 2, ringing in the new year quietly, we parents. After enough partying, Daddy and I brought Billy home to sleep in his own crib. Only, the coughing fits started and he was up all night in misery. I couldn't sleep anyway, so I rocked him gently and soothed him. Here's to a quick end of this round of the Daycare Plague.

Happy New Year and here's to 2012!

2011 Holiday Photos

December 30, 2011 ~ The Chobani Spokesbaby

This morning Daddy took Billy on an adventure downtown. I got Billy all dressed up for his outing.

Had to make sure he was in Raven's purple for Purple Friday.

When I got home after lunch Daddy and Billy were back from their outing. Billy was crying in his crib and it was already close to 2. Daddy didn't realize he was hungry and needed lunch before nap (Daddy is hopelessly forgetful of these things even if he doesn't mean to be.)

I got him up and gave him his favorite food of all time. If he could eat it for every meal I think he would. He even knows where I keep it in the refrigerator and if I open the door he grabs it and runs. Yup, it's yogurt- specifically Chobani. He eats Chobani every single day without fail.

Today, he was doing a pretty good job of feeding himself with the spoon so I let him feed himself lunch. I turned my back for a minute and...

He ditched the spoon and went for the bare-hand method. Somehow, he managed to empty the entire contents using just one hand. With a photo like this, I am nominating Billy as the Chobani Spokesbaby. As spokesbaby, Billy says for everyone to run out and buy more yogurt- for him! No worries, Billy... Mommy has an entire shelf in the fridge devoted to yogurt.

After a late lunch I sent Billy off to actually take his nap. He's got a cold and didn't sleep well at all last night. Also, Mommy didn't sleep well at all last night. But that's what happens with a crabby Billy that wants to be held all night long. He took a long nap, got up for dinner and cried until he went to bed for the night. He was so tired he only wanted to wake up for food.

Here's wishing you a very happy last day of 2011. See you in 2012!

December 29, 2011 ~ A Visit To Billy's Girlfriend

If you can believe it, it snowed at our house today. It was too warm to lay, but somehow little patches of white appeared on the yard and on the deck. Of course, Billy saw snow last winter, but that is so long ago I know he doesn't remember. He stared out the window pointing, "look, look!" at the tiny flakes. I even opened the back door so he could look out of the glass on the storm door to see the snow hit the deck and dissolve. It was fascinating to him.

We also played with the Bell Box today, which he hasn't done in many days. It still astounds me that he can change the songs and has clear preferences. The Christmas songs are ok, but the songs you would here on a calliope at the circus are his favorites and he will turn the knobs until he finds them. They are mostly polkas, so I think perhaps it's the rhythm that is appealing. Who knows? Why does he like classical over rock as well? I don't know. He didn't get that from me.

I've been trying to expose him to all kinds of music but I have to admit that I've been a little lacking. He loves classical. I let him listen to rock and dance music. He loves the songs in Disney movies (ok, that he did get from me.) I make him listen to Irish music and Native American music. I have Spanish and African music for him too. But, I don't have country. It's not that I don't like country, but it's not a preference of mine and I don't own any country music to share with him. But, in the spirit of Grandpop, I think I will have to make sure he at least has some Bluegrass music to listen to. (Grandpop was in a Bluegrass band many moons ago.)

For dinner we went to visit our friends, who just happen to be the parents of Billy's girlfriend. She is a few weeks (but not a month!) older than Billy. The last time they saw each other was for Billy's birthday party. I dressed Billy in his plaid pants and a baby boy blue sweater. His girlfriend was dressed in a baby girl pink sweater with cute girl print pants. Totally by accident they were dressed in their respective colors. They looked like baby models for a clothing line. It was too funny (and I forgot my camera, so sorry no pics). She is just a bit smaller and they kind of look like twins. They are often mistaken for twins when we go out, in fact.

Billy has a new habit of running to the door and waving "bye, bye" when he is ready to go. He was so tired at the end of dinner that he informed us it was time for bed. He's been to enough parties over the last two weeks that it wasn't a fluke, he tells us when we need to take him home. Works for me. I would rather he tell me than have a crankypants.

December 28, 2011 ~ Bare Bottom Hijinks

We started the morning with brunch with friends. Billy was very well behaved. When we came home with the same friends, family came to visit. It was a lot of excitement and Billy got off schedule.

He normally takes a nap around lunchtime, but was way past that by the time we actually got him to sleep. Then he only slept for an hour, waking up at the usual time, but without getting enough sleep. The result? Crankypants.

He was so tired that he was unhappy with everything. The only way I could get him to settle was to dance around the living room with him on my hip. Salsa, Rumba, Cha Cha... didn't matter so long as I kept moving to the beat. Let me tell you, a good way to lose the baby weight is to dance around with a 30lb weight on your hip. Just try keeping the weight on and doing that on a regular basis.

After he got bored with dancing it was on to playing ball with Buddy. I know, I know. No balls in the house. Billy has a large bouncing ball that we were throwing down the hall for Buddy to chase after. Billy would chase too, although Buddy is much faster. Buddy would then get the ball stuck and Billy would say, "oh, noh!"

Grandma came over for a short visit, but while she was here it became apparent that Billy needed another nap. He was laying down on the floor and trying to sleep amongst his toys. We tried to put him to bed, but he ended up unhappily babbling about it in his crib during quiet time. After quiet time I rocked him a little to get him to settle. He smiled and cooed the whole time, thrilled to get some close Mommy time. He was much happier after that.

His unhappy belly over the holidays means that he has an unhappy bottom, so after bath time we had some bare bottom time. Normally, I restrict him to his bedroom (or the deck in summer) but today I let him run around. He thought it was too fun and had me chasing him all over the house. Suddenly, he started doing the Pee Dance. Normally I throw a diaper on him when I see the Pee Dance. But Daddy decided to try the potty this time. We got his stool and tried to stand him up in front of the toilet. The problem was that he wanted to sit on his stool, because stools are clearly for sitting. Daddy tried and tried- Mommy being banished because this was "boy stuff". No Go. Daddy let him run around some more, but he continued with his Pee Dance. We threw a diaper on him and he let fly.

Daddy is disappointed, but I am thrilled. I know he didn't pee in the pot, but he did hold it and wait for his diaper. That's a mark in the win column for me.

A strange thing did happen during bath time. He kept pointing down the hall saying, "Look, look! Momma, look!" Of course, the hallway was empty. I said, "What? What do you see? Do you see something? Do you see someone?" But he just kept pointing, eyes trained on something and said, "I no no". (I don't know in Billy speak).

It's not the first time he's done it and I have no idea what he's seeing. I do believe in ghosts, but then, I've also seen Billy have a conversation with a red Christmas bow. I don't know what to make of it. The only thing in the hallway is the hall light, which is higher than his eye line when he does this. Who knows? It's a mystery. I just hope he learns to tell me what it is that he sees, or grows out of this phase of seeing something where there's nothing.

December 27, 2011 ~ Troubles, Tantrums and Peanuts

Billy has a new phrase; oh, noh. To everything he says this. He points at the Christmas tree and says, "oh, noh." He drops a piece of food and says, "oh, noh." We ask him to do something he doesn't want to do and he says, "oh, noh."

Today was the day of tantrums. He was tired but only took one nap and not a long one. I heard a lot of "oh, nohs". At one point Daddy was downstairs and Billy wanted to go through the closed basement door to join him. I told him no. He got so mad that he tried to bite the door, which didn't work out so well for him.

Billy got to try whole peanuts for the first time today. He thought they were so tasty that he tried to take the container of peanuts away from me. He refused to eat his lunch because he wanted peanuts. He turned down his favorite foods for peanuts.

After lunch I had a wet cloth in my hand to wipe up. He wanted the cloth so I gave it to him. He wiped up his own tray for me, just like he's seen me do at the end of every meal, every day. He was very impressed with himself and picked up each crumb and dropped it on the floor for Buddy.

After dinner we were playing in the living room around the Christmas tree. Billy decided to sneak behind the furniture to get to the back of the tree. He was poking at the ornaments on the back of the tree when all of a sudden, the one he was poking fell off of the tree. He was overcome with a look of abject terror and said, staring at his feet, "oh, noh!"

Daddy and I just laughed.

December 26, 2011 ~ Wagon and Dragon

Daddy got up with Billy this morning so that I could sleep in a little. They played with some Christmas toys and watched his new movie, Beauty and the Beast. He wasn't all that interested in his new movie, since it wasn't Tangled.

He was all hugs when i got up and only wanted Mommy. As it turns out, a diet of cookies and crackers causes tummy troubles. Who would have thought? So, he was feeling a little under the weather and Mommy and Daddy had double diaper duty.

He was so tired from yesterday that he was ready for his nap at 11am and slept until almost two. When he got up we went outside to watch Daddy work on the roof. Billy picked up the biggest stick that he could find, nearly twice his height, and dragged it all over the yard and the court.

While we were playing in the court I heard a loud engine noise. I grabbed Billy tightly just in time to see an SUV barrel into the court and swing wildly past us only a few feet away, nearly clipping the car we were standing next to. Billy had been running out from behind the parked car just when I grabbed him and might not be with us if I hadn't heard the SUV before we saw it. The blonde woman drove off in a hurry and parked up at the top of the court. Then she waited with her engine on until a man jogged down the cross street and came up to her car. They had a long conversation, exchanged something. He ran back the way he had come and she drove off. We don't live in a neighborhood with much crime, but it was very suspicious. Billy wanted to go investigate, but I kept him away from the top of the court.

Not long after Grandpop came to visit and brought Billy his presents. He got a dragon and a wagon. I have officially named the dragon Smog, which is taller than Billy. The wagon is a little red push cart just the size for Billy to push around, but too small for him to ride in. It's clearly for Smog to go for joy rides in the court.

Right after Grandpop arrived Billy laid down on the floor right at my feet and didn't want to get up. Nap Time #2. I had to wake him up (in his crib) for us to go out to dinner. We went first to the Macaroni Grill, but they were so rude about taking our name that we left and went to Chilis, where there was no wait.

He wasn't hungry, but had a grand time tossing paper napkins on the floor and talking to the other babies at the restaurant. I think he was too tired to eat. When we came home he went right to bed and fell asleep immediately.

In fact, that sounds likes a great idea,

December 25, 2011 ~ Ho, Ho, Ho! Here We Go!

Last night after Mass and a Christmas party I got Billy ready for Santa. I put him in his green PJs and showed him the tree with no presents under it and all about Santa. We put out a plate of cookies and Billy couldn't wait to get to sleep.

When he woke up this morning he ran right into the living room and opened a present from Santa. Our house must have been Santa's last stop, since he left 5 of his deer in our yard. We watched them eat breakfast before going back to presents. Billy was very happy with his haul.

After present opening it was time to become human yoyos. This is what I always called myself as a child on Christmas, because divorced parents meant that I zinged from one place to the next, barely stopping to breath.

We left all of the mess and presents in the living room, sent Buddy off with Grandma, got dressed in a flash and drove clear down to Virginia to be there by noon. We had a nice long visit with Daddy's family.

Then we zinged back up north of our house to another relative's for dinner. Billy had an awesome time seeing all of his cousins and feasting on cookies.

By the time we got home it was after ten. Billy was wound up the whole ride home, but once he was in his room he went ahead and put himself to sleep. He's had a very long, very busy day. Tomorrow he will get to play with his toys for the first time.

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2011 ~ Christmas Eve

We have a full schedule today, so I am posting early.

There's a favorite Christmas song of mine, Mary's Boy Child, by Boney M. It's a Caribbean song if you've never heard it, although it's really popular on the radio in our town. It's a happy song about the whole Christmas story, but this part always gets me:

"So then they found a little nook
in a stable all forlorn,
And in a manager
cold and dark
Mary's little boy was born."

It doesn't really matter what you believe about Jesus. Historians know he lived. And on this day (although I know the actual date may have been different, but his is the day we celebrate) Mary went into labor.

I had a baby boy not so long ago. In a hospital. Surrounded by light, medical professionals, medicine. It's tough enough to have a baby in modern times with modern methods.

I can't imagine what it must have been like for a 14-year-old girl, scared, without help, in a stinking, dirty animal shelter. No nurses, no doctors, no light. Just pigs and cows and a donkey for company. No bed, just straw on the ground. How hard it must have been, how scary. Poor Joseph, there but probably without knowledge of how to help her.

So today, the day before we celebrate Jesus, let's think of his parents and their struggles to get their little baby here. Theirs was a tough road.

December 23, 2011 ~ iBaby ~ ABCs to Vivaldi

I picked up Billy a little early from daycare today, since work closed early. He didn't want to leave. He was having way to much fun with the toys at daycare. So we visited a little with his teachers while he finished playing with the toys there.

They told me that he loves to sing and dance. Sing? Sing??? Now, I've seen Billy dance. It's a combination of a twist, wiggle and sway totally off-beat. He loves music and will start dancing to let me know that he wants me to play music for him. Sure, I know he loves to dance. But sing? Wait a minute... he's hardly talking.

Apparently, he can sing the ABCs. Daddy and I tried to get him to sing the ABCs for us at home tonight. We tried over and over, off-key, to hear him sing. Nope, shut up like a clam. Hmm... hoax? We'll see.

He was fussy today so I gave him my ipod. He's pretty savvy with the ipod. He played Vivaldi over and over. He accidentally pulled up top 40 dance hit and rocked a little bit to it, but then found Vivaldi again and really started swaying and giggling. We listened to Vivaldi all night.

First Christmas cookie.

December 22, 2011 ~ Always Send Yogurt

Yesterday, unlike most days, I did not send yogurt to daycare. He takes five containers of food with him every day, plus a sippy of water and another of milk. And yes, he usually consumes everything.

Yogurt is a very easy food to prepare. I take it out of the fridge and stick it in the daycare bag. Voila! Everything else takes time to prepare. But yogurt, well, yogurt is a working mom's friend.

But yesterday I had enough leftovers that I did not need to send the yogurt. So, I didn't.

My picky eater was not a fan of the menu change. I sent 6 containers of food just to give him an extra option. He ate only two of them and rejected the rest. What did he eat? Bananas and mac-n-cheese. Rejects? Hamburger, fries, peas and roasted potatoes.

So, he was hungry. Very hungry. Hungry baby=cranky baby. We've been asked to therefore, always send yogurt.

December 21, 2011 ~ Of Monkeys and Billys

If you read my blog on a regular basis, then you already know that I worked until 6am this morning (on my day off yesterday!). So I apologize for being very sleepy while writing this post.

We're shooting a commercial with a monkey. Literal, not figurative. The chimp is a teenager named Chandler, about the same size as Billy. That chimp has been keeping me from my son.

I got a little bit of sleep before my alarm clock woke me up. When you're a mom your alarm clock doesn't come with an off switch. Nope. My alarm clock requires a diaper change, breakfast, and continues to scream louder and louder until he gets it.

I decided to let him play a bit before daycare today, just to get some Mommy time. He chased Buddy around with animal crackers and poked at the tree ornaments. Mommy drank her coffee while Billy chased the dog around.

This evening Daddy took Billy Christmas shopping for a snow suit with gloves and boots. He loves to be outside, so we need to be prepared for the weather. I have been to all of the department stores around me, including the baby stores, and nobody had snow suits for toddlers. Daddy ended up at an outdoor shop, on of his favorites, and came back with a lovely (albeit very expensive) snow suit set.

Uncle Alex also came over this evening. His college has closed down for the holidays and he needs a place to stay until his car is fixed. So, Uncle Alex will be living with us until his car is fixed, or until Grandpop picks him up to take him home (which is not nearby).

Billy was super excited about Uncle Alex's laptop. I tried to get him to play with his own laptop (thanks G!), but having played with the real thing, he shoved his little red one right back in my face. Nope, the real thing is the cool thing. Somehow, I don't think Santa will be bringing my little one an actual laptop for Christmas. SO, when Uncle Alex leaves, he'll have to survive with his little baby laptop.

He was all wound up and stayed up past bedtime to play with Uncle Alex. However, Mommy insisted on bed. And now Mommy insists on going to bed herself.

December 20, 2011 ~ Billy's Holiday Card to You!

December 20, 2011 ~ Postponed

Today's post will be coming shortly. It's 6am and I am just getting off work and have to be back in the office at 9am. I will post later in the day after I get some sleep.



My apologies!

December 19, 2011 ~ Looking Forward, Looking Back

Running around in the month of December it's easy to lose track of time. There's decorating, shopping for presents, planning get-togethers. And in my personal life there's been shoot after shoot, a sick little one, and prepping for Santa's first big visit to our house (2nd trip, but last year Billy didn't notice).

Having a little one around seems to be a contributing factor to time slipping away. It seems like yesterday that he couldn't crawl. I feel like projects I did months ago at work were only a week or two ago. And the same goes with seeing friends- having seen them months ago seems like it was very recent.

And so, rushing around with Billy today to prep for Christmas, I completely lost sight of what today is. Or rather, tomorrow.

For thirty years of my life, December 19 has been a planning day. A planning day for mourning. Most people see the December 21 as the darkest day of the year. In Grandma's family, it's December 20.

34 years ago, at a Baltimore Colts game, my grandmother looked over at my grandfather and said, "Bill, I feel funny." She collapsed and never woke up. Two days later, December 20, she died.

Every year since the family has gathered to mourn her premature passing. There were phone calls back and forth about the Mass, who was going, who needed rides. For our family it was a Holy Day of Obligation. And I realized, rushing around with my little one, that there has been none of that this year. Grandma hasn't even mentioned it to me. Maybe it's just me, consumed by all things baby, maybe the family is drifting away from the tradition.

It's a time-honored tradition, this moving on. We are moving on. There is another generation in the family. So many things to look forward to that we forget to look back. We don't forget the people, but we move away from the grief to celebrate the new lives around us.

As I'm writing this it's already December 20. So, with a gracious nod to an inspiring woman, I move on to prepping for the Big Guy's arrival and the joy it will bring to Billy.

Great Grandma (DMF) 1916-1977

December 18, 2011 ~ Billy Made Santa Cry!

Today was the momentous day. We went to see the Big Man In Red.

Now, I've been prepping Billy for a week for this trip to see Santa. I've been telling him all about the presents. I bought him a copy of The Night Before Christmas and have been reading it to him. We even checked out his stocking, hung by the chimney with care.

We waited until after his nap to take him to see the Big Man, hoping to catch him in the best mood. Unfortunately, he's not sleeping well with this nasty cough (neither is Mommy!) and has been crabby all day. When we got there a big line stretched down the mall and we had to wait. Daddy took Billy into a toy store while Mommy waited in the long line.

Just before us a cute baby girl sat on Santa's lap. She wasn't so sure, but finally the photographer and Santa got her to giggle and what a photo op. The next kid was maybe six or seven, an old pro at snapping the photo with a big smile to get to the important part- making sure Santa knew what he wanted. Then it was Billy's turn.

I tucked in his shirt and carried him over to Santa. So far, so good. We had a nice little chat with Santa about procedure, since he's used to the young ones having difficulties. Then I turned Billy over to jolly old St. Nick.

But as it turns out, jolly old St. Nick isn't so jolly. Nope, he's downright scary.

All that crying made Santa cry too!

December 17, 2011 ~ Shoot Day Gets a Billy Break

I had to work again today, despite it being the weekend. I got Billy up and fed him breakfast just like on a normal workday. Only, I left him with Daddy looking at the tree.

Right after our lunch break (which for you normal people is actually closer to dinner) I left the shoot and came home to visit with my favorite boys. I only had an hour and it went quick. Billy showed off his new words from Daddy "stop!" and "no! no!" These words are for the dog bowl, oven, stove and heater. Hopefully, I gets the meanings of the words.

When I got home he had been asleep for a long time. But, his coughing woke him up. It's a remnant of that crappy, evil disease and he will have it through Christmas. It's a terrible, racking cough. Both Daddy and I have it too. I went in to give him his binky, which normally settles him, but he was sitting up and stood up when he saw me.

I picked him up and he pointed back at his crib. I gave him his binky, but he pointed to his crib again. He wanted his Pooh Bear, but in the darkness couldn't distinguish it from his other animals in the crib. As soon as I handed it to him he nestled up against my shoulder. Then I rocked him back to sleep.

He'll need it. Tomorrow is a big day. He gets to meet the Big Man in Red.

December 16, 2011 ~ Not A Fan Of Socks

Billy is not a fan of socks. Nope. Doesn't want them.

I put them on his feet this morning. He ripped them off. I put them back on. He ripped them right off again. He went to bed last night with socks on. I woke him this morning and he had both socks in his hand. When I came home from work late tonight the remnants of Billy's dislike were littered on the kitchen floor. Sockless baby. That's my Billy.

He had a quiet day today, most of which I missed. He was sleepy so I had to wake him and we were late to daycare. I worked until after his bedtime. All I can say is, he had a mostly sockless day.

Billy, president of the sockless club.

December 15, 2011 ~ Peanuts? No One Said Anything About Peanuts!

Well, I guess Billy isn't allergic to peanuts. We haven't been able to find a good time to food test him on peanuts, being a major allergy. But Daddy handed him a peanut granola bar without thinking this morning. The good news is that there was no reaction.

Billy did not want to go to school this morning. Nope. Tree. I would cart him back into the den to try and get his socks, shoes and coat on and he would run at light speed back to the tree. His favorite ornament? Scooby-Doo. I don't think he's ever seen any Scooby, but it's a clear winner.

Today was another crusty eye day. So bad now that he woke up with both eyes sealed shut. It took two parents to wrestle and ornery toddler into getting the yuckis cleaned up. He looked much better after a shower. I hope this illness cures up soon so his poor little nose and eyes can clear up and leave him alone;. I know he's miserable.

Daddy tells me he's so miserable that he cried all afternoon and refused to eat his dinner. Of course, the crying may have been from his getting in trouble with Daddy and being less than happy about getting punished. Also, he cries and throws food when he's being picky about his meal, which may have been the case here. But I don't know, because I had to work again.

So, another day goes by without Billy. Maybe tomorrow I'll get home in time to see him before bed.

December 14, 2011 ~ A Day Without Billy

First, Billy would like to wish his Godmother a very happy birthday!

We're filming again at work and that means that I have to work late. I had thought I would be home before Billy's bedtime, but after three fire drills on set (not literal ones) It was after ten before I was able to leave. I am in charge of the heroes (the product that will appear on camera, especially in close-ups). Therefore, I have to be on hand to make sure the heroes are ready for the set and adjust based on what the talent will do with the hero.

It's always hard for me when I can't see my son. Especially, because he's sick and I know he's missing his Mommy. There's no substitute for Mommy to a little child, even Daddy can't always cut it. I tried really hard to be home by bedtime so I could at least rock him to sleep. But, unfortunately, work got in the way and might again for the next three days.

 There's a song by Abba and the lyrics say "I let precious time go by" talking about her daughter when young. I know how she feels.

December 13, 2011 ~ Eye Boogies

It's insult to injury today. On top of still being sick with that nasty disease that drove us to the ER last week, now he has a clogged tear duct. The result is a crusty, boogie eye that looks like Pink Eye, only the whites of the eye remain pink and he's not contagious. On top of the crusties, it itches him badly, so he's rubbing it and making the skin around his eye very pink and raw.

I decided to try to make a better dinner tonight than he normally gets. However, not having made it recently, I underestimated the amount of time it would take me to make it. I also underestimated how cranky and impatient my toddler could be. By 15 minutes into the dinner process he had fully immersed himself in the dog water, despite the war zone of toys on the kitchen floor. He cried, stamped his feet and carried on to try to get my attention with his bad behavior. The thing is, I had raw chicken, so I wasn't about to pick him up with raw chicken cooties all over my hands.

By the time I finished cooking, he was so tired that he didn't want to eat. So off to bed with no complaints, earlier than his actual bedtime.