Contest Update: First things first, for those of you who want to win a blog makeover, be sure to go back and read this now...or after you're done here. As for the contest...the currents stats are: Elizabeth at Our Journey Through Life has two points. Mindy at Part of Me also has two points, and Heidi at From 3 to 5 has one point. The contest is over January 1st, so there is still plenty of time to get in the running.
I am feeling stark raving mad slightly harried this morning with all that needs to be done. My husband's holiday party is being hosted here tomorrow, and I have not a thing done. That's right not one thing! Fortunately, Andy is taking the day off tomorrow to help me. I have decided to do all the cooking myself rather than cater (I must have made that decision after taking a long slow pull off the crack pipe). In addition to the meal, I need to make cookies, toffee and appetizers. Did I mention my house is not even party ready yet? There are toys still on the living room floor, the windows need to be washed (as do the floors) dusting needs to be done, the vacuuming is not taking care of itself, and the shopping fairy still has yet to make an appearance...sigh. I supppose I will have to do that myself too.
Needless to say, my usual oh so calm and put together self has been replaced by a stark raving lunatic. But the screaming, yelling, pouting, sassing and all around unpleasant behavior out of my two little ones this morning is totally helping. Yeah, helping to unravel the last of my rapidly fraying nerves.
So tomorrow will come, and it will either go off without a hitch, or I will be drooling in a padded room within the sterile walls of an asylum. I'm cool with that.
...I'm convinced it's just another stop along the road in the ever unwavering battle we face as moms. Okay, and some dads too. But mostly moms.
Colton is 2 years and 8 months old. He is not potty trained...not even close. To his credit I have not given it much effort. I have been waiting for him to show me signs that he is ready. Sigh. I may be waiting until he is 18 at this rate. He'll go pee when I sit him on the toilet, but has yet to poop there. That he'll do indiscriminatingly most anywhere else. Like last night. In the tub. Of course, I can laugh right out loud about that one since it was daddy who was doing bath time.
Side story about the bath last night. Near the end of bath time, and well after the pooping incident, Addyson was calling Colton Lava Girl. Why? Beyond me. Then, she said something totally unexpected and completely hilarious. It went a bit like this "He's Lava Girl. Colton is Lava Girl. Hey! He's Lava Girl, and that was lava coming out of his butt!" I lost it.
Now, onto Addyson and the potty training thing. She was EASY, and I mean really easy to teach to go on the potty. She was daytime trained by 26 months of age. However, she still required a diaper at night. Now, at 4 years and 2 months, she still wears a diaper at night, and every morning it's wet. I asked her pediatrician if it were possible to actually train her to wet the bed because subconsciously she knows there is a guard there. The answer was a resounding no. But I am wondering if that just isn't true. SO...last night we put her to bed without a diaper. I woke her two hours after she went to bed at 9pm, and she peed in the toilet. Then, she woke two hours after that at 11pm and peed again. During the night there was an accident at 3am, and she woke herself wet at 7 this morning.
I'm okay with that for now. It was night number one. I have no idea how long it's supposed to take, but I am hoping this is the right thing to do. I really don't want her to be school aged and requiring a pull up for bedtime. Sigh. Of course when I ask friends with potty trained kids, they don't have an answer. Their child stopped wetting at night when they trained during the day. Nice.
Onward we go. Trudging through the milestones. Relishing every moment. Pooped in tubs and all.
I planned to do a post with some more meat behind it for this, but I find myself short on time this morning. Ian over at The Daily Dose of Reality is spearheading an endeavor meant to help a little girl (16 months old) with cancer. Neuroblastoma to be exact. I'm sure many of you read the story of Layla Grace, and to be honest...I'm not sure I could handle another one like that.
So, that's why I am asking you to just take a moment to go over and read this post. See if you feel compelled to help in any way. Childhood illness (and let's not sugarcoat it), cancer just suck! I can't imagine the brave face that mother has to wear while fear grips her heart like a vice. And the very simple truth is that I pray with all my heart that I never have to know it first hand. Unfortunately, this family does...but I think that lending a hand (even a little one, even a word of encouragement or a prayer, or a post about her) will help them pull through.
Woo Hoo! Time for another Not Me Monday. I did my first one a few weeks ago. Then Mckmama had to go to Boston with Stellan so they could get their MckMiracle on. So I shelved mine...until now. After the amount of time lapsed, you would think I have a ton of these bad boys saved up. But alas..only these few.
This week, while doing the dishes one afternoon, I did not notice an ugly dark spot on the kitchen floor. You know, because my floor is always spit-shined. And speaking of spit-shines, I did not lean down, spit on the spot and wipe it up with a paper towel. Who would do that? Well, I know I wouldn't.
One morning, I was not still in bed while Addyson was up and roaming the house, foraging for whatever she could find. When she came into my room with her pita chips (remember this post), I did not let her crawl into bed with me on my husband's side just so I could lay there for ten precious more minutes. When my husband crawled into bed that night and found pita chip crumbs all over his side, I most certainly would never have told him I had no idea how they had gotten there. Not me!
Finally, when I ran out of juice this week (and Addyson's ritual is to have half juice/half water after nap or crazy happens), I did not seriously consider for just one second using a sweet white wine just to satiate her. Gosh, what sort of mother would even let that thought cross her mind? Glad to say...not this kind!
So that's it friends. That's what hasn't been happening here in the Desert lately. To see what others have not been up to you can head on over to Mckmama's blog and check it out. Post your own Not Me's if you dare.
I am leaving to go to Phoenix tonight as soon as Andy gets home from the gym. I am headed up to go the the U2 concert which is tomorrow. It is just much easier for me to go tonight and not have a torrent of tears and an all out scream-fest at my leaving. Yes...Andy needs to learn to control his emotions a bit better. The kids are still very attached to Mamma.
Anyway, I have packed my bags, and now anxiously await my husband's return. All the while feeling sad. Isn't that crazy? Sad because I am going to miss my kids. Sad because it means (more than likely) the end of my nursing Colton. I suppose it's time anyway. He is, afterall, 14 months old. Sigh. Reminds me...I have to update the kids baby books.
Who will be watching the kids while I am off jet setting? Why Andy! He is taking Tuesday and Wednesday off to stay home with them. I will be back Wednesday mid-morning sometime. I can't wait to come back to my house in perfect order all clean and fresh...Ahem, or just come back to my house exactly as it is now. That'll do just fine.
Okay, you all asked, and my husband answered. One of the qualifiers to get him to do this was that I could in no way edit what he wrote. So this is all him, without any meddling from me. I didn't say, however, that I wouldn't add my two cents if I felt it warranted. Just saying...and if my two cents does show up anywhere, it will be in orange. Now, on to your questions and his answers.
Melis of The Zookeeper's Diary asked: If your wife could have any profession BESIDES being a SAHM, what would you want it to be? And why? And do you read her blog? What do you think of it?And finally, would you ever consider moving your family to where I live and buying the house next-door so we can all be IRL friends? Is that weird?
Any profession – A photographer seeing as she has an eye and a passion for it.
Do I read her Blog? – Are you all kidding?…hardly ever, but I don’t need to…I live it everyday.
What do I think of her blog? – I have always thought her to possess a true gift when it comes to that of the written form…On the occasion when I curl up with a cup of coffee and my computer to catch up on the latest prose of “Arizonamamma,” she confirms my thoughts.
Would I consider moving to be your neighbors and is that weird? – I know you are joking…
Keely from MannLand5 wanted to know: What made you fall in love with your wife? How did you 2 meet?Will you have more kids? :-) What do all do for fun as a family? What do you think your wife's best physical feature is? What do you do for a living?
What made me fall in love with your wife? – her independence, beauty, charm and her complete acceptance of me.
How did we meet? -We worked together on an outside sales team.
Will we have more kids? – I can’t answer this one on my own…AZMAMMA has a pretty big stake in this answer as well…however, if it were up to me I think that there will be no more children conceived.
What do we all do for fun as a family? – Every Saturday morning we get up just as the sun is about to rise in the East…saying East is silly…doesn’t it always rise in the East? Anyway, we ALL get up just before the sun rises…we bring plenty of water, lunch and our trimming shears…we hike 13 miles (AZMAMMA and I take turns pulling our two youngest children in the wagon, they certainly couldn’t make the trek on their own) to the llama farm and we sneak into their grazing area….On even days AZMAMMA lasso’s three of these creatures while I teach the children how to shave cool designs into their fur….on odd days, we switch places…The kids find this absolutely hysterical and the llamas, well they don’t seem to mind one bit either….On the way home we usually dig 2 random holes with a large baking spoon (I don’t find this particular activity “fun” at all, but the rest of the family does and sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do). (If you all think this is serious, then you haven't been reading my blog for very long...I would never let anyone use my baking spoon to dig holes).
What do I think my wife’s best physical feature is? – AZMAMMA was very blessed when it comes to her ‘4th point of contact,” her rear end. This, in my humble opinion, is her best physical feature….****This is where I must put my disclaimer, I am sure that ALL of you were hoping for some romantic answer like the beautiful sparkle in her eyes when she is truly happy, or the curls in her hair when she styles it my favorite way…maybe you even wanted me to answer with the color of her lips after she has had a glass of wine…but what can I say? I am an ass man and even after two children that shit ROCKS!!!!(Sorry, there should have been a disclaimer regarding the PG13 language...this is the only spot though).
What do I do for a living? – I work in a sales management job for ADP
Dondi at Confessions of a Housewife asked: Westpoint. Did you like it, was it worth it...I wanna know. West Point is one of those places that is wonderful to be from and not be at…but looking back, in a warped demented type of way, I did enjoy it. I certainly took it seriously and internalized the discipline. Was it worth it? Yes, I would not go back and do it any differently
Liz from Harmonysong wanted to know: Most favorite (material) gift you have ever given Mamma? I would have to say the amethyst heart and chain that I got for her on her 1st Mother’s Day. (I can't resist...I have to explain a little more why this one is so great. It has amethyst which is Addyson's birthstone, and a tiny bit of diamond, which is mine...it was the most perfect Mother's Day gift ever...very thoughtful).
Julie of The Peanut Gallery kindly asked: What is the weirdest thing that your lovely wife has done since you've known her? I can choose only one?…That hardly seems fair as many situations I find myself in with her are weird, not to mention all the stories I have heard of the weird antics of this person…and they are weird because she makes them so. I have struggled with this one and I thought, could it be the time that she clucked like a rooster as she was following behind a group of people? Could it be the time that she dissected a water dog while bored on a fishing trip? Could it be the time she shouted a reminder out of the car window as I trekked through the busy supermarket parking lot, “Don’t forget your hemorrhoid cream!”…No, these are all weird, but I gotta say one of her finest moments occurred on this blog. Her post about peeing while she laughs was a little uncomfortable for me. Many of you may disagree, but the whole time I was reading that rather strange post, I couldn’t help but be mortified. I mean I kept thinking to myself, “Why is she sharing this with the whole blog reading world? Hell, I didn’t even know that she was stricken with this rather strange condition!”….NOW THAT’S JUST WEIRD! (To save you the trouble you can read the post here...it's not as bad as he says...I never claimed to pee when I laugh).
Kate of Kate's Life wants to know: 1) What does your wife do or say that just makes you melt? 2) What do you love the most about her? 3) Do you have a nickname for her? 4) Is there a limit to how many questions I can ask?
OK KATE IT’S FINALLY YOUR TURN…..
What does AZMAMMA say that makes me melt? – You wanna (bow-chicka-bow-bow)…?(Kate, I never say bow chicka bow bow...not ever).
What do I love most about her? – The wonderful mother that she is…
Do I have a nickname for her? – No I do not.
Is there a limit to how many questions you can ask? – you just reached it…
Desert Rose asked: Seeing how AZ Mamma and I are fellow Arizonans...just what is it that she likes to do around these parts?
She likes to spend time with her family in Phoenix…she is extremely close to her family
His sister Melissa asked: Andy, if you were stranded on a island with one of your siblings, which one would you rather it be and why? Seeing as how this was asked by one of my siblings I can’t, in good conscience, answer this. A very fine gentlemen recently advised me to steer clear of offending any one of my siblings, because if you do it may permanently damage a relationship no matter how many “I’m sorry’s” you try to throw at said situation…
Drea of Peanut Butter Jelly Days asked: Honestly, what do you think of your wife blogging? do you think it has taken too much time from everyday things, or do you see it as a good outlet for her?
Honestly what do I think of my wife blogging? – She enjoys it…I say blog away
Do I think that it has taken too much time from everyday things or do I see it as a good outlet for her? Sometimes I feel it interferes with our time together…She never lets it interfere with the childrens' time…but when I ask her if I can get some of her time she obliges…As far as a good outlet for her – sure, I guess so.
Scott of This Daddy's Blog asked: Being a sports fan the best event I have ever been to was the Army-Navy game many years ago at the Meadowlands since you were part of that tradition, besides that what is the best sporting event you have ever attended? Back when I was 12 my Dad took me to a rodeo. I thought that the rodeo was pretty cool, but the idea that pops and I got to spend some time together – that was truly spectacular. He is one of two men that I truly idolize in life…(His dad really is a wonderful man, and though this may make it seem so, was not absent from Andy's life...he did travel a lot in the military, but Andy just treasures any and all time with his dad).
Heide of From 3 to 5 asked: Do you love Seinfeld as much as AZ Mamma? What is your favorite TV show?What is your favortie thing to do in your free time? Did you contribute to Addyson and Colton's name selection? Az Mamma is quirky about the sheets, what is your quirk? Do you leave the seat up? What is your favorite room in your house? Are you originally from AZ? If not what brought you there? If you are from there is there any where else you would like to live? Can the AZ Mamma come visit me?
Do I love Seinfeld as much as AZMAMMA? Does she even like that show? Hahahaha….I like that show, is it as much as her? Not sure :-)
AZ MAMMA is quirky about the sheets…Holy S**t she IS quirky about the sheets! I don’t have quite the breadth of quirks that she does.
Do I leave the seat up? Only on purpose.(No he doesn't...he's very good about it).
What is my favorite room in the house? Our eat-in kitchen…some of the most scrumptious things in the entire world are created in that space just awaiting my consumption…but more importantly, AZMAMMA and I both agree that sitting down as a family for dinner is extremely important. Over the last five years some of my most cherished memories are those that were shared and created while we have broken bread over dinner…
Am I originally from AZ? Nope, my Dad was a career Marine so I don’t have an original home…I ended up in AZ after my short stint in the Army came to a conclusion. I found my first corporate career in PHX.
Can the AZ MAMMA come and visit you? See one of my first answers – AZMAMMA is extremely independent and does not need to ask my permission. In fact, many may say that AZMAMMA wears the pants in the family, so you may be better off asking her this question.
Lula Lola asked: If time and money weren't a factor, how would you spend the next year? And, what's he think is the coolest thing about you?
If money were not a factor how would I spend the next year? I would want to travel to Australia, Ireland, Brazil, Hawaii and Iceland… I would also like to spend several weeks with our out of state family.
Coolest thing about her? She puts up with me.
Sheila of My Crazy Life asked: Why do men start projects and then never totally complete them? Is this a question for me? If it is, my answer would be that we get distracted by women…
Abby of Murdocks Mama wanted to know: What kind of vehicles do you own? What is your favorite household chore to do/help with? What is your favorite meal that your wife makes?
What kind of vehicles do we own? We own a Ford Expedition (Our second vehicle is one issued to him through work...it's a Mercury).
What is my favorite household chore to do/help with? While I do not consider this a chore, it is a task that needs to be done -- Giving our two young children a bath and getting them ready for bed, followed up by reading them 3 stories.(He does this every night! Every.single.night.)
My favorite meal? Salmon Scallopini or Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. (Irony of this is I don't make these that often, and neither has been a Tasty Tuesday feature...yet).
That's it! This is Mamma again, and I just want to give a huge thank you to my husband for being (mostly) a good sport about this. Can I let you all in on a little secret? I did mention this idea to him in a passive way, but I never actually got his consent before I drove forward with it. He was thrilled, let me tell you! He thinks I am bound and determined to have him start a blog. In any case, I think he did a great job. Thanks again, Andy for taking the better part of an evening to get these answered. I love you!
I have been remiss. Or just lazy. Or busy...something like that. I am usually fairly diligent about posting each day, but as my sister in law pointed out, I didn't participate in Not Me Monday, and I didn't have a post up today. I didn't realize she relied on me to pass the time while she pumped. Sorry, M...won't happen again.
Anyway, bittersweet goings on around these parts. I have spent the better part of the morning culling through old toys. Toys that have been in our home since the birth of my daughter. Getting rid of them is harder for me than it is for my children. In fact, Addyson was all too eager to dispose of her toys, merrily tossing them in the big box for other boys and girls. Yet for me it simply marks the passing of yet another era. No more baby toys. No more teethers or rattles. Actually, we are even giving away a ton of toys that are still age appropriate.
I have come to realize that having all those toys is just ridiculous. Not only are they constantly scattered ALL OVER MY LIVING ROOM, they never get played with anymore. Too many. So, with Christmas around the corner I decided it was time to do a major clean out. You know...to prepare for the gluttony to come.
In any case, we are donating our toys to a local charity that accepts gently used items. I would have taken them to Goodwill, but my husband just informed me that they just throw them out. They don't like keeping up with recall items...or something. But this local charity is specifically for children, and they assured me that my my children's treasures would indeed go to deserving kids. Awesome.
So today I say goodbye to old toys...and the passing of yet one more treasured time. Thank God that I treasure each and every moment with these guys. The passing days just bring more and more joy (and a few scattered headaches).
Last week I took a small break from Not Me! Monday...well, simply because I didn't have anything interesting enough to drivel about on the blog. I'm afraid today may not be much different, but I simply can't stay away two weeks in a row! So, on we go. If you have been living under a cow patty and don't know what it is...be sure to go here to check out others who confess, along with our host, MckMama, all that they have not been doing.
This past week I went on a major (and I don't use the term loosely) cleaning spree in our bedroom. Seriously, I think the last time I vacuumed behind our nightstands was...never? I honestly can't remember. Anyway, for some gnarly before pics, and some not so gnarly afters, go here. In any case, while cleaning the room and the pseudo officeshouldbeacloset...I did not find two empty beer bottles tucked into our desk/hutch. My husband would never just drink a beer, let alone two, in our office then leave the bottles there like some Jed Clampett descendant. He is much more civilized than that!
A couple of mornings ago, I was not aroused from my early morning slumber by the sounds of my daughter playing in my son's room. I did not hear her (over the monitor) ask her 17 month old brother if he wanted another mint ball. The sleepy wheels in my brain were not revved into hyper gear, as I clambered out of bed to go investigate. Upon arriving at my son's room, I surely did not find these Ice Breaker Liguid Ice things littering his floor and crib. My 17 month old did not have fabulous breath...not my children.
Anyone who has children or who has ever had the dubious distinction of "diaper changer," knows all too well the pungent stench that accompanies those nasty little bundles. That being said there isn't a person in their right mind who would change a diaper, exclaiming all the while to the little cherub what a stinky mess he made, wrap the diaper up, then sniff it just to be sure it was actually as stinky as he/she exclaimed. Since no person like that exists, I can safely and surely say that I did NOT do that!
Your turn. Share what you haven't been doing over the last week either here in the comments, or in your own Not Me! Monday Post.
Time for Fill in the Blank Friday with The (Un)Experienced Mom. It's so easy, and so fun! Here's the deal, I know there are a lot of Friday hops, memes, etc. out there...but this one is so simple you can do it in conjunction with any of your other favorites. One of the main reasons why it remains an old faithful of mine. Not to mention, she always has it posted early enough in the day that I get get 'er done and get on with it. Won't you please play along with me? Just copy the question and answer it, then link up with Tamara! Let's help her have a great turn out...what do ya say?
Her question today is:
The movie I could watch over and over again is ____________.
Sliding Doors. Ahhh, how I love that movie. Oh, and Tamara, if you haven't seen it, it is right up your alley. Definitely one you should carve out the time to watch! It's got Gwenyth Paltrow and some others who are not as well known. It's about her life unfolding in two directions simultaneously...one direction she makes the morning train, the other she doesn't. Just love it!
Now what about you? What movie can you watch over and over and over ad nauseum? Though I don't have lots of time on my hands, I could always use a good recommendation.
Monday, in addition to a multitude of other things, means Not Me! Monday with the mother of all Not Me's. That is where I confess, along with others, all of the things I didn't do this past week. It is NOT with great shame and embarrassment that I spill it this time around.
This last Friday we hosted my husband's holiday party. It was a lot of fun, and a success I would say. However, I had to spend the entire day preparing food and barely had enough time to get ready before everyone started to show up. So it certainly wasn't me who demanded to have a glass of wine before company arrived. After Andy told me it would be just a second...that he was doing something first, it most definitely was not me that said "no, I mean I need one NOW!"
Seeing as how I feel pretty wrecked the next day if I have anything more than a couple of drinks, you bet your sweet behind that it wasn't me who drank nearly a whole bottle of wine...and three beers! I would not be that reckless.
Saturday morning, since I was so responsible Friday night, I most certainly did not wake up feeling like I had been kicked in the head by my horse...or like I had been chewing old, dirty socks all night. Not me! It didn't take me the entire weekend to recover either, and I am not sitting here contemplating a glass of wine even as I write this. Sigh. There you have it.
For those of you who don't know what this is all about (and I am guessing that the number of you is 1 or less), you can leave your Not Me stuff in my comments, or do a whole post of your own and go link 'er up with MckMama. Then read what everyone else has not been doing.
Once upon a time there was a woman who had a clean house...where did she go? I'll tell you where. Crazy. That's where. Each night I go to bed with my crazy tank at full. I mean topped off. Morning comes, and I rise with slightly renewed vigor. Then it begins. My day as short order cook, washer of dishes, wiper of butts, healer of hurts, teacher of lessons. My day of being incessantly needed by these tiny little people. I once made a reference to the seagulls on Finding Nemo...about their mindless chanting of "mine! mine! mine!" Well, just replace "mine" with "mommy" and press repeat. So it's no wonder my house is no longer the place of cleanliness and order it once was. At first, I was in a constant state of distress. Frazzled at every coner turned within these walls. Not one five foot stretch of floor can be walked over without encountering a car, shoe, doll, ball, lego, unopened tampon (no, there is nothing sacred...no private space), action figure, stuffed animal, muffin tin, and the list goes on. Daily I precariously walked the fine line between this world and looney town. Until I simply decided to not care. That's right. I decided there are glass balls and rubber balls. Glass balls are the ones that will break when dropped...things like reading to Addyson and Colton, making their meals, giving them love. Rubber balls bounce. So the living room floor that is littered with toys and countless other articles, rubber ball...bounce. Having clean laundry... glass ball...break. Having folded laundry, rubber ball...bounce. This way of thinking keeps me hanging on to the last fraying thread that is my sanity. Now, I am about to post some very frightening pictures of my house at its worst. Bear in mind this is not (despite my proclamation) the usual state of my home. If it were, ain't nothin' that would keep me planted in reality! This is the state of my home post Christmas. I will say, however, that it stayed like this until just a few days ago. Oh, and the living room is exactly like this still. Be warned...not for the faint of heart.
One of the two living room couches in its usual fashion.
Part of the living room. Yes that's a bottle of facewash...in the living room.
More living room.
Kitchen island. See the Clorox bottle? Yeah...that helped. I will say though, my dishes are always clean. For me, that is another glass ball.
My nightstand. Sadly, this is always the way it looks. Oh, yes...I sleep with earplugs so I don't have to listen to the rattle and hum from the other side of the bed.
Sigh. My floor. This is gone now.
Just beside our entry. That is a hitch on the floor. You know, in case we need to make a quick get away and have to use the hitch. Really, I have no idea. This area has also been whipped into shape. So now that I have given you ample reason to feel better about your own house, kindly thank me before you leave.
My husband tells me I'm neurotic. He says I have full blown OCD when it comes to the covers on our bed. He says I am passing that neurosis on to our daughter. This might be true. As a cover control freak, I see the signs.
In the morning, I leave my bed in precisely whatever state of chaos it has managed to become through the night. It remains that way all day. Unless we are having company, and there is a greater than small chance they may see our room, I never make the bed.
Yet, when the time of day rolls around for me to crawl in and make my way to slumber land...the covers have to be perfect. I mean, perfect. They have to be pulled up and flipped back neatly, they must be covering both sides of the bed an equal amount, and the pillows have to be lined up. It causes me distress when Andy gets in the bed before I have had the chance to go about my ritual of crazy. I do it anyway...and this drives him right up the wall. It's not new. It's not something I have taken to doing since we've had kids, or since we've been in this house. No, I've done it always. I figure, he oughtta be used to it by now. He's not.
When he is in the bed first, I start on my side and work my way to his. He sighs and moans and complains the entire time. "Build a bridge" is what I say, "and get over it." I don't do it to torture him, though I bet he thinks I get some sort of impish satisfaction out of imposing my quirks onto him (hmph, he may be right...a little). The main thing is that I simply can't sleep unless the bed is "just so."
Anyway, I was just sitting here wondering why I seem to be afflicted with this particular brand of strange. The rest of the house is in constant disarray...and if you've been reading for a while, you've even seen pictures in this post. So what is it? What is this freak of nature need for neatness at bedtime? What I've come up with is nothin'. A big fat zilch. Oh well, I'm tired and the messy covers are playing a siren song.
This week marked the beginning of Colton's potty training, and the end of diapers during the day.
When he woke Monday morning with a dry diaper, I put him on the potty to pee, like I have done before. Afterward, I decided this time to put him in underwear and just remind him (constantly) to NOT go in his pants. We escaped the day without any accidents. But we did go through three pair of underwear. Good old Skid left his marks in two of them.
Tuesday there were two accidents, and since then we've been accident free. I just knew that when he was ready, he would really be ready. He even wakes from naps with a dry diaper (I put one on him for sleep).
I'm sure my brother, who will be watching them for 6 days in the near future, will thank me profusely for not having to change the poopy diapers of a 3 year old. Because, seriously...it's nasty. It is NOT baby poop anymore. Let's face it...it stopped being baby poop when he started consuming something other than breast milk, and just got worse from there.
So. My little man is out of diapers during the day, and I am now making thirty trips to the toilet with one of the children each day. I have promoted myself from professional butt-wiper to master butt-wiper. Sorta like a master chef.
I was all prepared to not do a Not Me Monday post. I feel like it's getting a little tired. So I spent the morning cleaning my kitchen floor and the inside of my bathroom cupboards. Not to mention the usual, making meals, picking up the same sippy cup a million times (well, at least 6 times), and refereeing the offspring.
Then I sat on my couch looked around my living room and said "This is not my house. Right? Someone tell me when the place will resemble a liveable space again." So here I am. Posting Not Me Monday. Go to MckMama's blog to see some more.
In order to do this post, I didn't send my children out back to play with some very flimsy rules about not shoving, and not throwing rocks.
I'm not still in my pajamas, hair a mess, and without a trace of deodorant. Pft...deodorant...who needs it?
I am not sitting here wondering what the heck we are going to have for dinner tonight, because I am always prepared ahead of time with something taken out of the freezer. Nope, I'm not sitting here complacent with nary a plan in sight.
Finally, I received the sunshine award from three people (I will post it later), and I did NOT misplace one of the names of the people who forwarded it to me. So when I do the post, and your name is not mentioned, please let me know, and I do NOT give you permission to beat me about the head with a big stick.
Admitting I am wrong is not something that comes easily or naturally to me. Perhaps it has something to do with my descending from a line of people who tend to believe they are most often right. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that usually...well, I am right. Ahem. Moving right along.
I can liken my marriage to a favorite c.d., a faithful old mix of my most favorite songs. Songs that are familiar, comfortable. Feel good music by which I can dance my way through life. My husband and I groove through in the dance that he and I have perfected over time. Then, just like with that faithful old c.d., my husband and I hit a scratch. Errrrrr...music stops. Like today.
Part of our Sunday routine is my preparing the menu/grocery list and his going to the store to retrieve the items on said list. Nap time for the little ones rolled around in the middle of my making this list (as it usually does), and Addyson decided to pitch a fit today. Instead of immediately squelching her tantrum (because, come on, every dad knows how to do this), Andy gave a little try, then waited for me to do something about it. At least that was my clouded perception at the time. So I grew bristles. Bristles the likes of which you usually only see on the teddy bear cholla. Sounds cute and cuddly, right? Guess again. Get too close to one of these little suckers and OUCH! Well, Andy was unfortunate enough to get jabbed with a few of my prongs today. My attitude went from bad to worse when his response to me was just to bristle right back. Seems normal, right? Well, sadly it too often is...normal I mean.
Why should it be though? I am sitting here now thinking about what I jerk I was. Seriously. Was it that big of a deal that he didn't fix the situation to my satisfaction? How sad that in that moment all I could think about was myself, and the fact that he wasn't behaving as I thought he should. How quickly all his other good deeds went by the wayside. Both days this weekend, Andy got up with our daughter (who seems to be closely related to the rooster), so that I could sleep in. This morning, as he does every Sunday, he got the two little ones dressed and ready for church (after feeding them breakfast) so that I could get ready myself. Awesome, right? So you think I should be able to cut him a little slack, and loose my nasty attitude. I know, I think so too.
That's why I have decided to make the proclomation here on my blog for all to read. Andy has some wonderful qualities, and I like to think that a good deal of the time I am able to bring out those qualities. Sometimes, though...I clearly do not. So from now on I will work my hardest to behave in such a way as to bring out those fabulous qualities of which he is chock full. In doing so, he in turn brings out my most redeeming qualities as well. Because let's face it, while the Teddy Bear Cholla sounds cute, it's just not.
