February 17, 2012 ~ Baptism: A Look Back

This weekend marks the one year anniversary of Billy joining the Church.

This is, by far, my favorite picture of Billy. Daddy is not a fan: he thinks the white baptism outfit is weird. But I love the little bonnet and the expression is priceless to me. The humorous thing about this photo is that he was actually crying at the time.

He wasn't so thrilled about this photo shoot we did a few days after the big event. We managed to get some really cute photos inbetween the tears, though.

These photos represent the beginning of (hopefully) a very long journey with religion and the Church. But a year out, he has had very little exposure. Daddy and I used to go often, but attending Mass with a toddler is just out of the question. He can't sit still or quiet for an hour and our Church doesn't have a kids' room. I have NO idea how parents manage to take their kids. We gave up. We went to Christmas Mass and Daddy and I took turns walking him around the VERY crowded Church to keep him quiet. I never leave before the priest exits the altar, but with Billy in tow we actually had to leave before that. Billy simply would not tolerate being in Church longer.

Some day I hope to take him to Church, but it's just not going to happen at this age. We tried a couple of times, but it's not worth the effort. Daddy and I don't get the experience we want out of it, and Billy doesn't understand what's going on.

Well at least he's baptized, right?

February 16, 2012 ~ The Birds

This morning on our way out to work and daycare a peculiar sight stopped us in our tracks. Out on the lawn were hundreds of blackbirds and over twenty robins. It was quite a sight to behold. They were making a racket and I had several thoughts about Alfred Hitchcock while we stood in the driveway admiring this awesome sight.

"Kock, Kock!" Billy pointed, meaning "quack, quack".

He knew enough to compare his toy ducks to other birds and to know what noise a duck makes, and therefore, these birds.

"No. Those are Robin Redbreasts. They say chirp, chirp."

"RaRa... chi chi?" He asked.

"Yes, that's right." Well, pretty close anyway.

"Ooh. Duck. Kock, kock!"

And we're back to the ducks.

He found them so interesting that he ran at the lot of them on the lawn, causing hundreds of birds to take to the air and landing in the trees, sending up a cacophony of alarm. He just stood there and pointed up at the trees.

I don't know what inspired all of those birds to be out on the lawn this morning. All I know is that they inspired my son to "chi, chi" the whole way to daycare.

Drawn In Thursdays: Boy's Best Friend #1

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February 14, 2012 ~ The New Shoe Jig

Billy has finally outgrown his old shoes. This morning I broke out the new pair I bought him for Christmas that have been waiting in the closet for the inevitable growth spurt. It was love at first sight. He put them on and danced around the whole morning in his new shoes. Little stutter steps and lots of spinning around. It looked like a jig as he tested his new shoes.

Today also came with the Crayon Incident. The paper came off of the green crayon. This was an absolute tragedy. I tried to get him to color with the paperless crayon, but it was a No Go. Finally, I got the paper back on to the crayon and the world was right again. I never thought I'd see tears shed over the crayon wrapper.

For dinner I decided to treat him to dessert. As soon as I pulled out the cake that was the end of dinner. He saw that cake and that was all he was going to eat. He sucked every last sugar crystal from the fork like it was pure gold. Well, it is a pretty tasty treat- key lime cheesecake from the cheesecake factory. Yum. Even Billy was saying, "nom, nom, nom!"

So in honor of the holiday Billy would like to send you this very special valentine.

Happy Valentine's Day, toddler style.

February 13, 2012 ~ Attack Robot!

After daycare I took Billy over to Grandma's for a visit. Usually he doesn't visit with her in the den, but she was sitting down there so we joined her. The first thing he noticed at the bottom of the steps was Roomba, her vacuum robot. He was very curious about it so I brought it in to the den with us.

I sat Roomba in the middle of the room and turned him on. He made his little beeps and bleeps and then began his spiral vacuum pattern. Immediately, Billy was afraid. He grabbed my pants and hid behind me. I demonstrated that Roomba is harmless and walked in front of it. Roomba gently tapped into my foot and rotated, then tapped again and again until it found a clear path away from my feet. But Billy still wasn't sure so I turned Roomba off and then sat down next to it.

Billy ran over and pointed to Roomba. The On/Off button was still lit up and called to him. He bent over and pressed it with gusto. Then Roomba sprang to life with his beeps and bleeps and took off sweeping. Billy leaped from the floor at the speed of light. He fell and propelled himself at the same time into my arms. While Roomba merrily vacuumed along, Billy clung to me for dear life and wouldn't let go until he was sure that Roomba was off for good.

You would think that vacuums would be a Hygiene Enforcer's best friend. But no, they are mortal enemies. Or rather, Roomba chugs along unawares while Billy runs screaming from it.

February 12, 2012 ~ First Haircut

That's right. Today Billy got his first haircut. It wasn't at a shop. It was in the kitchen and the barber was me. I sat down in the chair and put him on my lap. I trimmed off the curls in the back so now he truly has short hair. But I was too scared to go after his bangs and around his ears. One, he's squirmy and I'm terrified of nicking him. Two, I'm terrified that I will cut it wrong and he will be stuck with a bad haircut courtesy of Mommy until if grows out. But it looks much better.

As of this weekend Billy also has a new trick. Zerbert!

Imagine this and pardon the TMI. I wasn't feeling so hot and was having some quality time with the throne. At that most inopportune time Billy, who was hanging out in the throne room with me, decided to have a new trick. He walked over to my bare knee and... Zerbert! Not once, not twice, but three times I got raspberries while trapped. He's so proud of himself.

Later, he demonstrated to Grandma how he can attack hug me and zerbert any bare skin he can find. He crawled up under my big sweater (it's a wrap style but I didn't have the belt on). He figured out how to get my shirt up enough to zerbert my back. Lots of giggles. He was so proud of himself for knowing how to zerbert Mommy.

This weekend Billy also got to see our new home for the first time and got to help Daddy start packing up our stuff to move. It's a daunting task, and Billy's not so sure about the whole process, but it will be a grand adventure. But that's a story for another day!

The Sunday Post- Spanking

A big discussion that came up this week on another blog I follow was about spanking. Yes or no?

It seemed that parents are divided and heated about their positions on spanking. Studies show that spanking does long term emotional harm to children.

But I think that the definition of spanking isn't clearly defined enough to prove or disprove anything. There's "spanking" that involves belts and bare bottoms and then there's spanking that uses light raps on the bottom, sometimes clothed. Are these in the same category? Do they cause the same kind of damage? There is a whole spectrum of spanking. It's a hot button topic and open for debate.

I'm not a big fan of spanking. And depending on the child there are much better punishment methods out there. But Daddy and I do sometimes have to use light raps to cull the bad behavior. What do we mean? We never, ever bend Billy over the knee with bare bottom. Nope. Too far for us. If he is really bad- having been told "no" three times and been in time out and still continues the dangerous behavior- then he gets a rap. I usually call it a bum smack. Three taps on the rear in the diaper and fully clothed, nothing stronger than a pat on the back. In every instance it has curbed his behavior. And we follow up with making him apologize and getting a hug. This is a specific practice for a toddler too young to listen to words, too young to understand time out and too young to know not to run in front of a car.

Discipline is very important to us and we work on it every day. It's a constant struggle and we are always instructing Billy on what is right and wrong for his health, safety and social welfare. We work hard enough on it that getting a rap on the bum is something very rare around here. He knows better because we teach him daily. And he reinforces that knowledge by walking around and telling me what he knows is a NoNo.

So how do you feel on the issue? To spank or not to spank?

February 10, 2012 ~ Old Dog, New Tricks

This morning Billy learned a new NoNo. He was following Buddy around and finally got him cornered. Then he grabbed Buddy's short, little tail and hung on for dear life, laughing hysterically. Well, docked doggy tails are pretty funny. But Buddy's not to fond of a 25lb weight hanging off of his tail.

"Billy!" I said forcefully, "no, no!"

Right on cue Billy let go. Oh, NoNo? So now we have a new game. Billy chases Buddy's bum around the room giggling "NoNo!" Just in case you were wondering, Buddy's bum is off limits.

This evening Billy continued to harass Buddy, but I made Billy apologize and give Buddy a big hug. Billy just wants to be best buds. Sorry for the pun, but it's true. Billy threw Buddy's ball for him, all 4 feet that Billy can muster. Billy shared his snack with Buddy. And Billy tried to pet him on his back gently- well, gently for a toddler, anyway.

Dogs are a very interesting thing to Billy and he wants to know more about them. He sat in my lap while Buddy showed off his repertoire of tricks. Billy even got to shake Buddy's hand on command. I asked Buddy to talk and then taught Billy to talk back to Buddy. Buddy would do his high-pitched trick bark (the one that gets him treats) and Billy would say "oo, oo!" right back at him in a high-pitched voice. OoOo, like "woof, woof" for someone that can't say w's or f's.

Yep. I taught my son some new tricks for playing with our old dog.

February 9, 2012 ~ The Wagging Billy Finger

Billy will be happy to walk you around the house wagging his finger and letting you know what is a "no, no!" He walks into a room and immediately goes over to the NoNo and wags his finger at it, letting me know that he knows it's a NoNo. Care to walk around the house?

The Den:
Radiator: "NoNo. Hot!" Finger wags.
Wall heater: "NoNo." Hands in air. He's not sure why it's a NoNo.
TV: "NoNo." Then he smacks it with his hands and I shout, "No! No!" He laughs.

The Kitchen:
Dog water: "NoNo." Finger wags. Tries to stick a foot in the water anyway.
Oven: "NoNo. Hot!" Not right now, but let's go with it.
Trash: "Ooooh!" What Hygiene Enforcer doesn't love a dirt container? He loves to throw things out.

Our Bedroom:
Outlets: "NoNo." Finger wags.
My alarm clock: "NoNo." Tries to push the buttons anyway and grabs the electrical cord. "Billy, no!"

Bathroom:
Toilet: "NoNo." Then he grabs as much toilet paper as he can before I stop him and throws it into the toilet. "Look!" Yes, yes. That's enough. Save some TP for me! Mommy doesn't wear a diaper!

Wherever we are, Billy will be sure to let me know what is a "NoNo." Then, if he feels like it, he'll do it anyway. It's a toddler prerogative.

Drawn In Thursdays: Hygiene Enforcer #2

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February 7, 2012 ~ A Picture of Paw

On a bookshelf in our den I keep an old, faded photo, yellow with time. It is a photo of great importance to me, although I look at it infrequently. It is my parent's wedding photo. They are young, happy, long before the divorce. Standing with them are their parents. They are dressed in all of their finery. To my knowledge it is the only photo with all of them together.

I have taken flack from both of my parents for displaying their wedding photo. But it's not about their defunct marriage. It's about the people. In that photo are all of my parents, grand or otherwise.

Today while playing, Billy went over to look at the digital picture frame that sits next to the old wedding photo. Then he looked at the photo and pointed directly at my maternal grandfather. "Granddad!" he said matter-of-factly.

I have never referred to this man by that name. To me he was simply Paw. I grew up in his house and was as close to him as I am with my parents. This is the benefit of having three generations under one roof. There is a very special bond when the grandparent is around full time. I think of him often. But, honestly, I rarely speak of him now.

I have also never talked to Billy about who is in the photo. Speaking of long gone relatives seems a bit over the head of a one-year-old. We're still working on things like eating with a fork. So, he should have no knowledge of who is in the photo other than by mistake.

Daddy suggested that maybe he thought the man in the photo was Grandpop and he said the wrong name too. I guess this could be so. But Paw is wearing thick-rimmed glasses in the photo and Grandpop doesn't need glasses. Also, the two men look nothing alike, except for the receding hairlines. Perhaps he thinks it is his grandfather (Daddy's dad). At least he wears glasses. But Billy has only met him twice and I doubt would recall him by name.

I will probably never know if it was simply a mistake or if he somehow knows who Paw is. But I would like to think that maybe, just maybe, his namesake is watching over him. I hope so.

February 6, 2012 ~ Early Morning Serenade

First, I would like to report that Billy is doing just fine and still has no symptoms from his fall.

This morning Billy woke up extra early. He was up before me, before Daddy and even before the sun. At least once a week he does this, if not more often. How do I know? He wakes up and starts singing.

Imagine a nice warm bed, all cozy and sleeping soundly. Then, the soft wafting of toddler tune drifting through your bedroom door and waking you up in the darkness before dawn. Sometimes too quiet to hear, sometimes loud, never to a recognizable song nor with a tune you could remotely try to follow. The lyrics are always unitelligible toddler ramble, non-rhyming and repetitive. Sometimes, rarely, his melodic windings will be interjected with an, "oh, no!" or "oh, look!" or "uh, oh!" Sometimes, rarely, giggles and pure laughter will punctuate the songs. Then, when one of our alarms goes off, the happy singing will turn to whining [translation: I can hear you, come get me now].

This morning Billy woke me before my alarm. I turned it off and let him serenade me. He kept singing until I got up to get him, happy as a clam in his crib. What better way to wake up?

February 5, 2012 ~ Dreams and Nightmares

Yesterday morning began with Billy crying in his crib. "Bye bye, Bud Bud!" He kept screaming over and over. I couldn't get him to settle down until I called Buddy into the nursery and showed Billy that Buddy was still with us. As soon as Buddy left the room to go wait by his food bowl Billy started screaming again, "Bye bye, Bud Bud!" Even when I let Buddy outside in the morning Billy screamed for his Buddy. It was any time Buddy went out of sight. He must have had a bad dream about Buddy and couldn't shake it when he woke. It took over an hour for Billy to settle down and understand that Buddy wasn't leaving us.

When Billy woke up from his nap, much happier than in the morning, it was snowing. Big, fat flakes. I opened the door so he could watch through the storm door as they fell down and covered the driveway. He wanted to go outside, but it was very wet out and didn't seem like such a good idea.

I, however, did have to go out in the weather and run an errand. When I got back I found Billy in his wagon and Buddy hooked up to the front of it in a makeshift harness pulling the wagon around. Daddy thought this was quite funny and Billy was having an excellent time. Buddy was no worse for wear, but I unhooked him from the wagon and he ran off with a toy for some baby-free time.

Billy spent most of Sunday with Daddy. I had to go out of town for a baby shower, so I was around in the morning but I was getting ready. I stayed to put him down for a nap but then I was off. While I was gone Grandpop and Uncle Alex stopped in, but I wasn't back yet.

The biggest thing to happen today was that Daddy had put goop in Billy's hair so I had to wash it out. I opted for the shower since in the bath he would have to sit in the water with the washed out goop. Daddy didn't think about whether or not his adult hair product would be good for baby. Fortunately, it wasn't on his head for very long. Anyway, I took him in the shower to wash it out.

When we were getting out of the shower Billy slipped and fell. It's one of those things where I was right there. But he waiting until I was reaching for the towel to slip and in that slit second hit his head. Of the thousand times a day I catch him when he falls, he has to wait until we're on tile for me to miss. He went bum first, so it wasn't a full fall, but he has a small lump on his head.

I've been watching him neurotically all evening for any dizziness, changes in behavior and sleepiness. But, of course, it was close to bedtime when he fell, so one would assume he would be tired anyway. And when your toddler does new and different behaviors every day it's hard to know what's normal and what's abnormal, especially since I wasn't with him all day. He's not showing any signs of trauma, but I've been waking him up every hour on the hour anyway to make sure.

We did contemplate going to the hospital, but since he seemed normal we're just watching him at home. Kids fall down, it's part of growing up. So while the hyper Mommy chip in my brain is causing me to go into panic mode, I'm trying to let reason take over instead. A small scrape isn't worth pandemonium and a small fall calls for caution not calamity.

The Sunday Post ~ The Future Animal Kingdom

I would like to introduce you to an animal that you've probably never heard of. Please meet the African Scimitar Oryx:

Scimitar Oryx

The particular type of antelope is extinct in the wild. When I was a child they still lived in their native lands but were critically endangered. They are now gone except for zoos, a few conservation ranches in Africa and several game reserves in Texas. In fact, there are several thousand Scimitar Oryxes roaming around Texas on these reserves.

Previously, exotic animals like the oryx were exempt from the Endangered Species Act when raised on these game reserves. Hunting them as trophies generated big money for the ranchers. Now, thanks to a change in the law, those animals can no longer be hunted on the ranches.

When ranchers were generating revenue from these animals there was incentive to continue breeding and maintaining large herds of these antelope. Now that it is illegal to hunt them, do you think ranchers will continue to breed and maintain their herds? What does this mean for the future of the species? Will conservationism alone be enough to sustain the oryx?

Ten years from now it is entirely possible that this species will be gone. Billy might only get to read about them in science books or see video of this creature. They might be gone and he won't get to experience their majesty in person.

It's not just the oryx. There are so many other species that are on the brink. Conservation alone is not going to save them all. Money is the driving force in this world. So is it wrong for ranchers to make money on hunting a few of these animals in order to breed so many more?

In this case I think it is worth sacrificing a few to save the species so future generations can enjoy them too.

What do you think?

February 3, 2012 ~ The Dog Bowl Made Me Do It!

Last night Billy got into trouble for putting the feather duster in the dog water. Daddy has stepped up his punishment for playing in the dog water to encourage him to stop. He got a bum smack and a time out (10 sec).

So this morning when he got up and went into the kitchen to feed Buddy he went straight to the bowls. He looked sternly at the water bowl. "No! no!" he scolded, wagging his finger. Then he looked at the empty food bowl. "No! no!" he continued wagging his finger. He then got to scolding both of them at the same time, finger furiously waving. I had to drag him over to the food container to get Buddy's breakfast going.

Later, every time we walked through the kitchen he would stop briefly to scold the bowls. "No! no!"
Fingers wagging.

This evening when Billy fed Buddy he missed getting all of the food in the bowl, as usual. Except this time many of the pieces went for a swim in the dog water. "Uh, oh!" Billy quickly reached to fetch them out, but I stopped him. Just then Daddy got between me and Billy so he could talk to me. Billy was suddenly out of my view and right by the bowls. I knew immediately what would happen.

"Daddy, please get your son out of the dog water."

"Huh, what?" Sometimes Daddy is oblivious to these little things. But when he turned around there Billy was trying to fish dog food out of the bowl. To be fair, he was trying to be nice to Buddy. But I had asked Billy to leave it alone twice by this point and he knows not to touch the dog water. So Daddy repeated the punishment of the previous night.

After a quick time out and a few minutes of tears while I held him (out of frustration for not getting his way) I took him back into the kitchen for dinner. He went straight over to the bowls and gave them a thorough punishing and finger wagging. Then he looked up at me.

If he had had the vocabulary to say what his eyes were expressing, he would have said, "but Mommy, the dog bowls made me do it!"

February 2, 2012 ~ Billy's First Chore

That's right. Starting yesterday we gave Billy his first chore. He was so excited when we told him. "Billy, go feed the dog his breakfast." That was followed by a blur of toddler wrapped in a hooded pooh towel barreling towards the kitchen screaming, "ah ah ah ah!" (translation: yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!)

He is now required to feed Buddy both breakfast and dinner, with a little help of course. Here's how it has gone both days with both meals:

"Billy, please feed Buddy."

Billy ecstatically opens the dog food container and picks up the scooper (a plastic mug). Then he bangs the mug against the dog food. When the dog food refuses to jump into the mug of its own volition Billy turns to me inquiringly.

"Here, let me help you."

I make him hold the mug while I help scoop dog food up and fill it to the brim.

"Billy, go put it in the bowl, please."

Billy carries the mug towards Buddy's bowl, a mere three feet, and manages to spill at least a third of the contents. This is when Buddy the Vacuum jumps in and scarfs down every morsel dancing across the kitchen floor.

"Uh, oh," Billy says.

"It's ok. Go put the food in the dog bowl, please."

Billy crouches down and shakes the mug over the bowl. Some of the pieces make it into the bowl and about the same amount join their already escaped friends on the floor. Then Billy stands up with the mug still half full and heads back to the container.

"No, honey. Put all of it in the dog bowl, please."

He goes back over to the bowl, crouches, and shakes the mug again. Then he remembers to tip the mug so the contents fall out. Some make it into the bowl, about the same amount unite with the remainder of their freed brethren on the floor. Buddy continues to hunt down each and every piece.

"Billy, help pick up the pieces that fell out, please."

Billy pushes Buddy away from the dog bowl and picks up the pieces one at a time and put them in the bowl. By this time Buddy is doing something akin to the "pee dance" trying to get to his food. Once Billy gets every last piece into the bowl he then feels that the dog food needs to be leveled out and goes about doing so with his hands. Once it is leveled it then requires mixing, so he picks up a handful and then puts it back in and levels again. Rinse. Repeat.

"Ok, that's enough. Please go put the mug back in the container and close the lid."

Billy jumps up, completely forgetting the bowl and runs over to the container, sticks the mug in and closes the lid.

"Can you lock it please?" It has a locking handle to make it air tight.

He locks it, then unlocks it. Then he pops the lid open and goes for the mug again.

"No, no. One meal is enough. Thanks!"

Billy looks disheartened for a split second and then tears off into the den to get a toy.

Drawn In Thursdays: Binky Wars, Episode 4

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New Postings ~ Moving Forward

Previously I have posted a Billy post daily plus additional posts, including the Drawn In comics.

In order to provide you with better content I am going to alter how this is done. There will still be a post every day but you will see some differences.

Drawn In Thursdays. These will become the only posts for Thursday viewing. I will not be posting a Billy post regarding Wednesdays from now on. If he does something exceptionally cute, I will be sure to mention it in the post that I write Thursday night.

The Sunday Post. This will be a new group of posts that may relate to Billy but won't be about his daily activities. It could be about anything Mommy or baby related.

I hope you like my blog and I hope the changes that I make will better the content on this site.

Thanks for reading!

January 31, 2012 ~ Outside Pressure In Mommyhood

If you compare my recent posts with those from back in 2011 you might notice that the posts from the fall were more humorous and light hearted. I suppose you could blame this on the winter blues, but the truth is that when you have external pressures it affects every aspect of your life from blogging to raising a Billy.

A few weeks ago I had a major crisis happen in both my work life and professional life- on the same day and only two hours apart. At work, I wasn't the originator of the crisis but I was the one to discover the problem and am a major participant in the resolution. It's akin to a novice climber with all of the right gear and all of the right knowledge standing at the base of a mountain. I still have to climb the mountain. In my personal life I can't control what's going on and at this point just have to ride out the crisis as best I can. Unfortunately, the subsequent shockwaves from each event have hit on the same days. I'm sorry but I don't feel an open web forum is the appropriate place to discuss what's going on, so I'm not going to provide further detail. I'll only say that I'll pull through somehow.

Having all of these external pressures in both my personal life and work life means no escape and is affecting my parenting and the other aspects of my life. I am at wits end and it shows with Billy. I don't have the patience to tolerate his general whining and toddler tantrums and am short with him. Having him go through another course of major teething while the crises are occurring was a very difficult time.

I don't think I realized how much my stress level was affecting Billy until today. He's a happy baby and loves to laugh. I had him in stitches today over dinner. And he laughed yesterday. But it's been awhile since peals of laughter and happiness have rung through the house. I miss those pleasant noises.

The reason I started this blog was to keep track of and share the silly and absurd things that happen raising a child. I promise to try harder to again capture that sense of the silly and the absurd. Bear with me as I try and pull all of the pieces of my life back together.

January 30, 2012 ~ Over Under Sockscapade

Today while Billy was running around playing his socks fell off. He grabbed his socks and hid between the sofa and the coffee table. I guess he didn't want Mommy's help because he started trying to get his socks on his feet in his little hiding spot. I watched through the legs of the coffee table as he attempted to slap his socks onto his feet. Then he tried rubbing them on.

Before he got frustrated about the socks he realized he had an audience. I was looking at him under the coffee table. So he looked up over the coffee table. Then I looked at him over the coffee table. Then he looked at me under the coffee table. And I looked at him under the coffee table. He thought this was just too funny and laughed and laughed. It went on for more than ten minutes.

It ended when the tickle monster went after his bare foot. He jerked it away and then stuck it right back in my hand to tickle again. I got him in stitches before he crawled out to give me a big hug.

January 29, 2012 ~ Sofas, Balls and Embankments

Yesterday, my Uncle came to get the sofa so we pulled ours out of storage. Our sofa is 25% bigger than the one that had been in our den, so we had to totally rearrange the room. Billy is not a fan.

The coffee table and his stools are in opposite locations. He's used to looking at the tv and gripping with his left. But when he did that today he fell over because the tv is now on his right. He did it twice before he gave up. The ottoman is over by an end table in the same location where the old sofa had been and he decided he'd rather be over there. I guess it's more comfortable.

It's also a different style of sofa. The old one had a hard back. He used to peer over the back of the sofa for fun. But the new sofa has a low back with lots of pillows. So when Billy tried to lean against the back he nearly tumbled on his head. He did that twice before he gave up.

And his play area is a completely different configuration too. I he took all of his toys out of the play area and over to the wood floor, where the configuration is still the same. He would not play on the carpet where he used to.

It's ok. He'll figure it out. But it's new and strange and he's just not used to it.

He had a good day though. He played with lots of bouncing balls on the wood floor. He even threw Buddy's ball for him several times. And, of course, every time he threw a ball he had to shout "baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal". It's very similar to Pro Soccer "Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaal." Just like that.

Billy also got a Daddy day. After his nap Daddy took Billy to the NCR trail with his tricycle for a walk. Billy sent Daddy on a wild adventure when Billy chucked a toy down an embankment along the river. Then Daddy took him to the diner for dinner. They got home just in time for bed.

It was my official day off, although you wouldn't be able to tell. I did four loads of laundry, packed for our move, cleaned, etc. The whole day was spent doing chores. I did break briefly to look at the internet, but a Mommy's job is never done, even if she is on break.

January 28, 2012 ~ Poo On a Shoe (the Buddy story)

Billy had a good day today getting to see lots of family and being a little imp. But today I want to talk about Billy's best friend, Buddy.

When Grandpop was over this evening Buddy pooed on Grandpop's shoe. There was blood. We'll be going to the doctor first thing Monday, since he is acting normal now. He responds this way whenever there is a change in his environment and there was a big change today (furniture went to new homes).

Even though Buddy is now 11, we haven't had him that long. He was Daddy's mother's dog. When God called her away, we took Buddy in and gave him a home. That was before Daddy and I were married, but we were engaged. Buddy joined us living at Grandma's house.

When we first got Buddy he was a walking ottoman. No really. He'd grown fat stealing food from his hetero-housemate Tigger the Cat. Tigger went to live with another relative. But when we got Buddy he was very fat, morbidly obese by veterinary standards and in an unhealthy condition. The first thing we did was switch him to diet food and moderate his eating habits.

Buddy soon became our baby. For Halloween we bought him a costume. At Christmas he had a Christmas sweater. We bought him tons of toys, took him for walks and made him a big part of our life. I groomed him twice weekly and spent a fortune getting him professionally groomed. Then came the wedding.

It started as a joke and blossomed into a reality. We didn't plan on a ring bearer. The pillow was a leftover from work and we jokingly let Buddy carry it around the house to practice. Practice makes perfect, after all.

The fact is that Buddy has been an integral part of our lives. We love him and even though Billy gets priority, Buddy is still always in our minds. For Christmas Buddy went to Grandma's house to visit while we went to see family. Didn't want him alone on Christmas.

But unfortunately, he's old and he's sick. It's not just today. We know he's sick. He has a terminal liver disease and has already exceeded his life expectancy. We love him so dearly and it's hard to imagine life without dog. I know it exists, I just don't see how. How will Billy cope without Budbud? Every morning who does he want to see? Budbud.

So, I hope this is just a glitch and that Buddy will stick around for awhile. He is our second son, even if he is the neglected child.

January 27, 2012 ~ Sniffing Socks

Don't ask me why, but every day Billy has to inspect the socks that go on his feet. It's a morning ritual. I put him in the big brown chair or I choose to put them on him when he's trapped in his high chair. Either way, he has to inspect them before they go on his feet.

First he takes the folded socks and checks them out. Ok, then he hands them back to me to separate. I try to put one on his foot, but he has to hold it first. He looks at it. Then he sniffs it, an affront to my laundry abilities I'm sure. I promise, I have properly laundered all of his socks. But he will sniff them anyway.

Then he lays the sock over his foot as though it will magically jump on. Perhaps he should try some soap, like Peter Pan did when trying to attach his shadow. But no. If he lays the sock on his foot, then it has been approved for Mommy to put the sock on. The the sock is unapproved, then he will try to rip the sock off as soon as I put it on.

Once we've got socks, then we repeat the same procedure with the shoes. Except, he doesn't sniff his shoes. I guess socks get approved via the sniff test.

January 26, 2012 ~ 8 Grapes

The question? How many grapes can Billy shove in his mouth at one time?

The answer? 8 grapes.

I would have taken a picture of this very funny scene with Billy's cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk's, but I was too concerned about choking at the time. Despite the overwhelming amount of food in his mouth, he refused to spit it out. Instead, he struggled to prove that he could eat it all.

This is his new thing. If I give him Cheerios he cries when there aren't enough on his plate. There need to be enough for him to put an entire handful in his mouth. Same with sandwiches, plums, bananas, etc. He will put the entire thing in his mouth and then struggle to chew. It's a game.

So if you were wondering how many grapes can fit in a toddler's mouth without choking... 8 grapes.

Drawn In Thursdays: Hygiene Enforcer #1

Click to Enlarge

January 25, 2012 ~ Spider Billy (like Spider Pig but cuter)

I was very late getting home from work so I didn't get to spend much time with Billy today. I came in on the tail end of dinner and he was already a cranky baby, tired from yesterday's tropical foray. There was only time for bath and then bed.

For awhile now Billy has been sticking his mouth and the tip of his nose into the bath water for fun. He knows how to hold his breath, although sometimes he tries to drink the water too. Today, he decided to escalate his daring bath antics. He dunked his whole head and came up laughing. I think someone is ready for the swimming pool again.

After bath Daddy tried to teach Billy about streaking. But it's cold out and Billy wanted some pants.

The long hunt for winter sleepwear in Billy's size has come to a close and he got to try out his new jammies today. What little boy wouldn't love Spiderman pjs?

I think they really show off his big Billy belly. In fact, when I asked him where his Billy belly was, he pulled up his shirt and pointed to his belly button. "Bill bell!" he giggled.

January 23, 2012 ~ A Tropical Playground

Tonight after daycare we went out with a friend for dinner to Bahama Breeze. Unfortunately, by the time we got there it was past seven and Billy was tired. He was not in a good mood.

We ordered him a nice meal but all he wanted was fruit. In truth, I don't think he was hungry at all, because it was well past his mealtime and into the range of bedtime. It's hard to go out after work. We're limited by the time we get home and his short amount of time before bed. If we are off by even 15 minutes it can be enough to produce a cranky toddler.

Well, he was not a happy camper. I walked him all over the restaurant. He would not sit still at the table. But the giant palms and the tiki lights and ceiling fans were a big hit. So much more entertaining than letting Mommy eat her dinner.

Of particular favorite was a section of the restaurant not in use today. If you've ever been there it's a huge place. But on a cold Tuesday night there weren't enough patrons to warrant having the side section open. Billy thought this area was a great playground. It was very warm and full of fun decorations. It even has a raised fit pit which he thought was too cool. Best of all, there are many levels that are only two steps up and also have handicap ramps. These make for a great place to run around, especially when there are no patrons to bother. He had the best time playing there.

But when I took him back to the table it was screaming again. So I spent most of the night chasing Billy through the empty rooms of the restaurant and showing him the neat tropical things they have there.

It seemed to work out. Billy fell asleep on the car ride home and no fuss about bed. All I can say is, thank God for the empty sections. I don't know how you're supposed to go out with a grumpy toddler.

January 23, 2012 ~ Rock-a-bye Billy

Billy is a baby that likes to sleep. Normally, I don't have any trouble getting him to go to bed for a nap or for the night. He's tired, he goes straight down. But this past week has been another story altogether.

This past week he stands up in his crib and screams at the top of his lungs, voice cracking, heart-wrenching endless crying. For some reason he just refuses to sleep. Some of the blame has to go to those evil teeth that are plaguing him right now, but something else is obviously going on.

It's not as though Billy never throws a tantrum about going to bed. Sometimes he won't want to go to sleep and I will find all of his stuffed animals and blankets on the floor, binkies too and him crying in his crib. This is the attention getting technique.

But now Billy knows when I pour the milk into his sippy what is coming and starts to whimper. Then when I pick him up he starts screaming. I can rock him and get him to lay down, but as soon as I leave the room he stands up and starts screaming. It's not the normal crying. This past week has been a new level of anxiety in his voice.

I've heard that the human brain has a physical reaction to babies crying. Probably a throwback to when those cries could mean being eaten by a sabertooth. I can feel my stress level shoot through the roof. I just want to get him to quiet down. It's hard when the best thing for him is sleep and he refuses to.

Yesterday we had to let him cry it out. I hate CIO. He went on for more than a half hour before I binkied him up for the bazillionth time and he finally settled down. Today he was on track to do it again. Daddy's method is to just turn off the monitor and let him cry himself to sleep. I just can't take it. So after 20 minutes I had to go back in and get him.

What he wanted was to be fully rocked to sleep, with singing (God help him). But I rocked, shushed and sang just like when he was a teeny little guy. He clung to me and smiled as he drifted off. I would much rather rock him for 20 minutes than listen to him cry during that time. He fell asleep in my arms and no tears when I put him down. So much less painful than CIO for everyone.

January 22, 2012 ~ When Dogs Attack

This day has gone to the dogs... and it hasn't gone well.

First, there's the Ravens. This morning I taught Billy the Ravens' fight song, "Who Let The Dogs Out?" He liked the part where he got to sing, "who, who, who?" He chanted it over and over. But those dogs got leashed thanks to a crap kick.

In truth we didn't watch much of the game. We had some other dogs to deal with.

That's right. Billy was attacked by four mean canines. Don't worry, I'm not talking about canines like Buddy. These would be those four sharp teeth, all of which he cut this morning.

Cutting a tooth is an excruciating process. We're lucky that childhood amnesia prevents us adults from remembering the pain. Now, imagine that times four. Now you probably have an idea of his mood today.

He hurt so much that he couldn't even sleep during his nap, so basically skipped sleeping. That produced an even crankier baby than the morning brought.

Additionally, after the failed nap I noticed that he has hives.Yes, still has them. He didn't receive any food today that should be an allergen, so that left me with three other sources. First, a topical allergy. Second, a virus (he gets hives when he gets super sick with a fever- usually a day or two before). Third, that getting four teeth in 12 hours caused the hives.

In order to deal with the issue I first made sure that the rest of his meals for the day were simple foods that I was sure he had no allergy to. Then, after eating one of those meals, I bathed him and changed all of his clothes and diaper to ensure that those items were not the issue.

We don't know but we think Buddy might be the culprit. He had a hair appointment yesterday and came home smelling sweet and covered in canine chemicals. It's possible that Billy might be reacting to Buddy's hair products.

Dogs really did attack today.

It wasn't all bad, though. We had a real conversation today. He pointed to the chandelier and said, "I see that!" I told him its name. "What's that?" he asked. So I showed him how it worked and he was amazed, giggled and continued to jabber away in undecipherable words. But he's started to speak in short sentences and that's pretty cool.

January 21, 2012 ~ First Snowy Day ('12)

While Billy has seen snow before, he has no memory of it. For us adults, it's just more snow, albeit the first snowfall of the winter. For Billy, it's the first ever that he remembers. Only in photos will he be able to look back at those days.

This was taken exactly one year ago. Billy is so small he is not able to stand yet, or to sit without assistance. It's amazing what a year can mean in a life. Now he's walking talking. And on a different note, this photo shows my favorite coat which has since been ruined (thanks Buddy.)

So this morning when Billy woke up I took him straight to the window to see the white stuff all over the ground. He just stared and pointed, "oh, look!"

He finally got to try out his first snow suit and snow boots today. Daddy suited him up and took him out to shovel the drive. He ran around for awhile and then decided he wanted to help Daddy by using a broom. It was lying in the snow by the drive. He got down on the ground to pick it up, but realized the ground was so cold that he immediately started crying.

I walked him around outside for awhile, but that whole cold ting was just too scary for him. He'd had enough of his world being turned upside down freezing white. He did not like the snow.

Later I took him out again. He wasn't so sure, but I dragged him out. I showed him how to smash bits of ice on the drive, how to climb to the top of a snow pile (and be king of the pile) and how to jump and splash in the slush. Ooooooooooh. Now he gets it! A new toy. Snow is one giant big toy outside.

Unfortunately for Billy, when he wakes up the snow should be all gone. That's the way snow is around here. It comes; it goes. Then it will dump 4 feet in two weeks and stay around until April.

And in all likelihood, he won't remember the snowy fun when he was one. But I have the pictures to prove it.

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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 OTHERWISE, HOW WILL YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH BILLY???

 

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.