Family Update

My latest thing to listen to in my minivan is Shania Twain. I love my minivan (2005 Toyota Sienna XLE Limted AWD). I switched up my workout routine from straight boot camp to a mix of spinning, core strengthening, and boot camp. Straight boot camp is too much on my knees and I'm taking Glucosamine to add cushion to my knees.

I love to sniff Carson's sweet baby neck. I sniff him a lot and he likes me cuddling on him. He eats solids like a pro, but we mostly just nurse still. I love to nurse him. He is so good-natured and happy. Athena likes to hold his hand when we're in the car and he usually lets her. I love to watch how he is growing up with her. He has never known life without his big sister. I can tell that he loves her, and Athena loves him back.

Athena is very independent lately. When she gets hurt I would typically hold her, kiss it better, rub her owie gently, but now she is often annoyed by a soft touch and she yanks herself away and says, "No! Don't touch me!" because she's frustrated with herself. And sometimes I miss my cuddle-bug, but it's really fun to watch her grow into a kid. She's one tough chick. She is a tom-boy for sure. She is mostly very obedient. She can get pretty whiny though. She plays well with others, but when she's at home she often whines, yells, and gets overprotective about her toys. She plays very well with children she perceives as older than her. Some kids her same age she perceives as 'younger' and she will boss them around. But she will allow other kids who have higher confidence levels to rule the roost. It's interesting to watch how she acts and reacts differently based on her moods. I think she's moody, like her mother :) She's definitely still evolving. Who knows what she will be like next month.

She likes to hold a lot of small toys lately, and she will ask for help going up and down the stairs because her hands are so full. She gets frustrated when she can't do it by herself. She is usually holding some small toy in the car on the way to anywhere. She also holds toys on the potty. She engages in imaginative play. She'll take two toys who typically have eyes at least, and she'll have them talk to each other. It often goes something like this:
"Oh hi, I'm Athena."
"Oh hi, I'm mommy."
"You don't det yost, you be safe okay?" (you don't get lost...)
"You doe to sweep in your yiddow bed."
...
"mommy, mommy help!! I'm scared!"
"Don't be scared. You hode me." (hold me)
It goes on and she'll say various things, but that's the typical flavor of it.

We have very tall corn in our backyard and very chubby earwigs inside the house, which creeps me out. I will definitely put some bug poison around the perimeter of the house soon. I did it last year and no problems, but I didn't do it this year, and I keep finding those creepy earwigs in the house. Ihh! I just get the shivers thinking about 'em!



I still do a lot of editing and I really enjoy it. I have worked with six authors so far and I plan to put each one of their books on my bookshelf. I don't plan to stop editing any time soon. I just really enjoy it. I think I may take up web design though in addition. Perhaps in the winter when I have no more yard work I'll get into web design; I don't have any time for it as of now. I'd also like to learn Spanish, but that dream is a little further away. Every few months I come up with a new thing I want to be when I "grow up." Right now I'm thinking about practicing some facet of law, but I am likely to change my mind again. I would like to go back to school someday to develop a lucrative trade, but as of now I can't see myself stopping at two babies. I don't know how many kids I'll have, but I do know that I never want to live without a sweet baby to squeeze, sniff up, and hug. I just really love having a baby in the house. I just love sniffing up that Carson-babe. If you could sell happiness in a bottle it would be his scent.

Conrad plays soccer, and plays with us in the backyard and garden. He mostly spends his time working though, bringing home the money, making it all possible. I told him tonight, "Conrad I love you. You're the perfect husband; you're hot, you make me laugh, you are a great daddy, and you make good money. Thanks for being awesome."

Potty Training Woes

Tonight I watched three kids, in edition to my own two, pictured there on the left. Ages 7 months, 2 years, 2 years, 5 years, and 7 years. 2,2, and 5 are all potty training. 7 should be fully trained but she still misses the boat half the time. She did do well at my house today though, and she was extremely helpful with the little children. Most of the evening was an effort to stay ahead of everyone's bowel movements. I put them each on the toilet every hour on the hour; seems like I'd have my bases covered, but it was a losing battle. We had three defecations and four urinations all out-of-potty. As the sole cleaner-upper my hands smell like poop; which is, great. While I had one kid on the potty, the 5-year old, who knows better, was hiding behind the corn in the backyard, pooping. When I came downstairs from helping one clean up poop another one was standing at the foot of the stairs with her underwear around her ankles, soaked. All of these children were set on the potty 15 minutes prior to their voiding in various parts of my backyard and house. My own 2-year old has been good at getting right on the toilet, but with all her peers pooping and peeing on themselves today she just let herself go. And, I can't control everyone's bowels. In my frustration I had an imaginary conversation with myself, "the next person to poop on herself will have to sit at the table, and stare at her poop, on a plate, two inches from her nose. And there she will stay for three minutes, because two is not enough; and I hope you cry about it. Because then maybe you will begin to realize that poop is gross to handle, and that maybe I don't want to handle your poop."

As I watch these children, my own 2-year old included, there seems to be a sighting-to-existence ratio in effect. The more the poop is visibly acknowledged, the more it very much exists, in all it's disgusting glory. The 5-year old seems to believe that if the poop remains a hidden bulge in her underpants, where she can not see it, that it does not exist. Well, I'm not giving my 2-year old the chance to grow into that false belief. I will give her an appropriate amount of time to figure out her bowel control, but once she's capable of controlling her bowels there is no way that pooping in her pants will ever be acceptable. I will come up with creative punishments if I have to.

Aside from handling everyone's waste tonight it has actually been quite fun. We played with toys inside, played on swings outside, had a kid-friendly dinner- I was a short order cook tonight- and we made chocolate chip cookies. Then we jammied-up and brushed-up and settled down for a movie. After a while I put my own kids in bed and here I am, blogging about my day.

So, poop- it's exciting.

Athena talk

I say, “you can’t throw hard things, only soft things.”
She says, “Don’t fwo afina, cause I’m not a bah; I’m hard.” (bah=ball)

While outside in the garden; “don’t water me!”

Did you push buttons in the elevator?
“No! dats vay vay bad.” Vay = very

Fire has been more of a serious discussion as we talk about smoke detectors and firemen and loud siren trucks. She’s been somber about fire. Well, against my better judgment Conrad showed Athena a lighter. Wide eyed and serious she said, “fire… is fun!”

“No Daddy I don’t pay dubba-dubba-doo.” –playing dubba dubba doo: she invented the phrase and she says it in a sing song voice.

"stuff” –her word of the week

While playing blocks with Athena: She dropped a toy salt-shaker on the house I was building. It did little to no damage to the block house I was building, but she picked him up and said, “Oh no! You byate mommy’s house. You are nawdee. You hafa go to your woom. You hafa go to sweep.” She ran down the hall and set him in her bed. When she came back I said, “Is he sad?”

“Yes, he’s sad.” She held up a single pink block. “He needa yite.” (he needs a light.) She ran down the hall with a single block to give him as a night light.

“Does he need some chocolate milk when he sleeps?” I asked her.
“Oh, yes.” She ran down the hall again.

Sunday afternoon; “No daddy. You don’t sweep!” Then she sits on his head.
Deeper into his nap she says, “I spate daddy’s bobbin”- She ran over there, and spanked his bum.

Sitting on the swings looking at the sky- random disconnected talk:
Me: “Birds don’t have babies in their tummies. Birds have eggs, and the babies come out of the eggs.”
“Mommies have babies in their tummies. Birds have babies in their eggs.”
She thinks a while….
“You hava bird in your tummy,” She concludes.

In the highchair over lunch she recalls an occurrence from a few weeks ago:
“I pook at uh store.”
“Yeah, you threw up at the store huh?”
“Yeah. And, a daddy keen it up.”
“That was not a daddy. That was an employee. When you go to work you are an employee. Leah works at the store so she is an employee. Is mommy an employee?”
“No.”
“No, mommy doesn’t go to work like daddy. Is daddy an employee?”
“No!”
“Yes, daddy is an employee, because he goes bye-bye to work every day.”
“No! Daddy’s not uh… poy-ee.”
“Want to call him and ask?”
“Noo! Daddy’s not uh …poy-eee!”
We didn’t call because Carson was fussing and daddy was on a plane anyway.

“Deh smote attetter, keep me safe.” – The smoke detector keeps me safe
“Oh no! My tatters!” -my crackers!

More pictures- making up for lost time

I'm a feast or famine blogger so here ya go. More pics; pictures seem to be what people like best.

Misunderstood- odd moments

I am one of the most trustworthy people you will ever meet. Not always the most dependably punctual; but sincere, genuine, and honest -yes. My mom always knew what was going on in my life because I had to talk about it to feel even, accounted for, and set aright. I don't flatter people, and I won't tell you I like your haircut if I don't. -When I give a compliment it's genuine. I think most people see this in me and find me to be a harmless, guile-less person. But today I recall odd moments of being mistaken for a mugger, a robber, and a wierdo/social misfit.

As a newly wed in school I needed to trade in my ten dollars for quarters so I could do my laundry. My complex didn't have one of those 'trade-ya' machines so I went to the neighboring complex. Their laundry room was also unequipped so I set out to ask the manager if she might trade me. I had really let my laundry pile up and I needed underwear! So, I was not giving up on this. The manager was just leaving but I ran up to her car to ask her anyway. She didn't see me and she backed out. I waved her down five feet from her car window. She turned her head and suddenly I was there, holding my long black wallet. She may have thought my wallet was a gun because she looked scared and locked her door. I instantly felt like a mugger. I gave her my most innocent look; hands up, shrug- apologetic face. She rolled her window down just enough to exchange words. I told her I was hoping to trade her quarters. I felt stupid for interrupting her on her way out. She gave some excuse as to why she didn't have quarters and I didn't bother her more. Lame and defeated I walked home thinking, for the love of clean underwear, somebody gimme some quarters!

Long story short, as a teenager I got left behind while wrapping a house- that's tp'ing a house to those who don't know 'wrapped.' Everybody piled into two cars and left; each car thought the other car had me. ---skipping the long middle of the story and now arriving at the end --- After a few hours sitting in the front of the subdivision off a four lane main road I decided to see if I could find an open business so I could get a phone. I found a craft store who left their doors unlocked at all times, but monitored the store by surveillance. (Why would you do that?) Anyway I was caught on surveillance wandering through the store at 5am ish looking for a phone. A woman in a truck drove into the parking lot within minutes of my having been there, and of course, I walked out to meet her. I told her my sob story and she was very uncaring and disbelieving. She didn't let me see her face through the truck. Her voice was raspy like an experienced smoker's voice often is and she kept asking why I was in her store. I felt like a criminal, when, in truth, I was more the victim. I was able to make a phone call however, and I got out of that mess.

I had an experience being the weirdo/social misfit, but now it escapes me because my kids are interrupting me. I'll come back and write it if I remember it. Anyway, hope I'm not the only one who has been considered a criminal and mistaken for a mugger. :)

Update on kids

Athena’s words:
“Teenta teena yitta staR how I wonder wha-shoo are
...
Yite a di-mun in de sty”

Birds are chirping outside the open window and she says, “No birds, Noooo!”
They don’t listen.
“NO BIRDS!”
How dare they don’t listen!
“NOOOO BIRRRDS!”
They fly off in the distance.

The neighbor’s dog barks; “Be tiet dod!” (be quiet dog) She yells that a few times and it’s what I’d like to say so I don’t silence her. She can get away with it, after all.

We hear her friend crying over the fence: “be tiet ayayna!” (that’s alaina)

All done in her highchair and she yells out, “mommy I wanta hava spider.”

Singing leisurely in her high chair, “Ev EE budDY tan do ….. steuf.” (everybody can do stuff.) Don't ask me, I'm just the observer.

Playing outside with daddy; she wanted him to hurry up so she said, “No daddy! No time!!” (Yes, that had to have come from me.)

Athena’s typical day:
Wake at 8:00; eat, dress
Play for an hour at the kids cove at the gym.
At home, play with toys, interact with Carson, watch tv with snacks to relax, sometimes play outside while mom does yard work.
Lunch at 12 ish
A two hour nap somewhere between one and three o’clock; or if she’s not tired, play in her room for an hour or two while mommy edits. She gets some good imaginative play in her room and she enjoys it.
Dinner at 6:30 ish when daddy gets home
Dance with daddy to music.
Play outside with daddy and mommy. Mom and dad like to garden and mow, and weed and water. We also play on the swings, or play soccer.
Bath, if she needs it, then sit in front of one of her favorite shows while I jammie her up, brush teeth and hair.
9:00 ish Now in her bed, relate what she did that day, sing songs, say a prayer, tuck her in, sing more songs, tuck her in again; she tries a myriad of things to prolong the inevitable, but finally she whispers gently, “doodnight, I wuv you, bye.”

Carson’s day is the same only he takes three naps. I love to sniff his sweet little neck and bury my nose into his tummy. He's so squishy and smiley and chubby legged.

Family Update

Athena likes to hunt for candy eggs. Every day I put a few jelly beans in five or six eggs and she hunts for them in the living room or backyard. She asked me for "pot and tandy" yesterday. She meant cotton candy. She stuck a small black bean up her nose a few days ago. She alerted me and I looked up her nostril. Sure enough there was a black bean. I told her to blow. She sniffed. I said, "No, blow like this." She sniffed. So the bean disappeared up her nose and was never seen again.

Athena is learning that people have different preferences: She had her first sweet cantaloupe and she liked it. I asked her, "Does Mommy like cantaloupe?"
"Yes!"
"Does Daddy like cantaloupe?"
"Yes!"
I smiled. "Nope, Daddy does not like cantaloupe. He thinks it's yucky."
She thought for a second. "No! Daddy likes cantaloupe!"
I smiled. "You want to call him and find out?"
So we called him on the phone and he told her he did not like cantaloupe.
"Does Daddy like cantaloupe?"
She smiled. "No."

Carson uses his neck and stomach muscles to crunch up like he wants to sit. It will be a while, but he's showing interest. He's got the baby bald spot on the back of his head. He has a bit of eczema on his face- my genes at work there. But he doesn't complain about it. We use Eucerine. He's coming outside with us in the evenings now for as long as he will allow it, now that it's warmer. He loves when Athena talks to him. He just lights up. She talks to him like I do; It's so funny to hear her call him, "yidda man," or "yidda boy." Or "is otay, tarson; don't fuss." "Be happy!" she says energetically. And it works for a little while. She puts his bink in his mouth. Funny how I go to talk about Carson and say more about Athena, but they are a package deal I guess. He is a well-adjusted, solid, and happy kid.

Everything is blooming and leafing out in the backyard!! I am having so much fun watching it all grow. I know all my little trees will grow another one to three feet taller this year. Every evening we go outside and play in dirt, rocks, water, and weeds.


Conrad put a play set together and got very sunburned doing it. (I had asked him if he wanted sunscreen. He said, "no, the first sunburn of the year is the rite of passage into summer.")
"Look at the park Daddy built for you!" I told Athena.
She replied, "No, unca Dan buiwd my part."
(Athena was inside during the sunniest part of the day and hadn't seen Conrad out there all Saturday. She did however come out in the evening with me and saw uncle Dan helping with the swing set a little.)