Nearly Perfect

Our weekend was nearly perfect. Saturday began with a trip to town for our family, with a napping baby in the backseat, Hubby & I got to chat about our weeks and everything else. Then we came home, and Hubby headed for a nap, and Z & I headed outside. We walked in our nearby creek, threw countless rocks into said creek, splashed in mud puddles, and explored the camp's maintenance barn. Then we came inside for freezie-pops and a Smoothie, and went back out to enjoy the afternoon some more. Sunday was church, and in the afternoon, we managed to enjoy some pool time on the porch. The only part that WASN'T perfect, is the fact that Z fell off of his little slide on Saturday, and is now sporting a BIG scrape on his forehead. :(

When it came time for Monday morning registration, I was relaxed, and prepared, and ready. And it went smoothly. I managed not to stress out too much, for once, so that was positive. AND that was the LAST Monday morning youth camp registration of the summer - my LAST, since I'll be quitting in less than three weeks to stay home full-time!!!

Then I drove our babysitter home, and while backing out of her driveway, I just barely crashed into a trailer with a large piece of construction equipment on it. It just scratched the bumper of the car. So that put a little dent in my good Monday mood right there, especially having to tell my Hubby - I felt terrible, but he was very understanding. On a side note, when you're confessing something terrible to your Hubby like crashing the car, does anyone else have a really difficult time keeping a straight face??? I feel like such a dork, giggling as I'm describing the damage to the rear bumper of our car!

But the rest of the day went fine after all. Z spent the entire day with babysitters, playing outside around camp, so that's always a fun day for him.

Today, however, has been the aftermath of all that fun. Tantrum City. Wow. One of his tantrums this morning lasted twenty minutes. It began because I would not let him have a sucker. And continued when I put him in a chair for time-out. And when Daddy got him out of the chair. We were actually alternating between trying to help him, ignoring him, and laughing at him as he threw himself down on the floor and screamed. Because, what else can you do? Here's how I typically handle tantrums: I don't. I just say, "Z, I'm sorry, but you may not have a sucker right now. Throwing a tantrum is not acceptable." and then I go on with whatever I'm doing and ignore him. He usually stops within a minute or two once he realizes I'm ignoring him. But now, it is naptime. Oh, glorious naptime. :) Breathe a sigh of relief with me, will you??? :)

And then, breathe a prayer for Stellan, because he is again not doing well. I guess last night and today have been slightly better than yesterday was, but my heart just aches for MckMama and their whole family - I can't imagine the pain of watching your child's heart fail, and being able to do nothing about it. Updates can be found on twitter - from MckMama, and on her My Charming Kids blog.

What I'm Thankful For Today

Well, I feel like my blog has been a tiny bit whiny & sarcastic lately, so I thought I'd add some fun things that I'm thankful for to the end of this post. Just for a change of scenery. You're welcome.

1. All of Z's new words - today's included 'Jessica', 'hamburger', 'flush' and 'beep-beep' - said while driving his car backwards.

2. A great babysitter who Z loves so much that he doesn't even cry when I leave & he almost cries when SHE leaves.

3. A wonderful husband who takes time out of his SUPER-busy day to buy me cotton candy 'ittibittiz', which are like Dippin' Dots, from the Snack Shack, and also to chat with me & play with Z in the staff lounge each night for a couple minutes during chapel.

4. Days off - Z & I had a wonderful afternoon Saturday at a nearby park & playing in the creek while Hubby took a much-needed long nap, and then we had a fun family afternoon Sunday & I got a nap both days! :)

5. My Tiniest baby - we get to hear his/her heartbeat again tomorrow - so thankful!!! :) Ooh, I can feel him/her kicking as I type!!! :)

6. This boy:

So...what are you thankful for today?

Observations From the Day:

-My son is obsessed with balls. Anytime he loses a ball he's playing with or sees a ball but can't have it or play with it right away, he throws a tantrum.

-There are a lot of balls in the Dollar store.

-Skin really itches when it's peeling from a bad sunburn.

-It is very discouraging to find a gray hair while listening to the Backstreet Boys. (wait, did I admit to that out loud? Actually, Zachary loved the music, too - you should've seen him bopping his head!)

-Teething bites. Ouch. Actually, the other day, as I was attemping to lovingly apply Orajel to my son's molars (he's getting BOTH bottom two-year molars this week), he bit me so hard that my finger still hurt the next morning. Literally.

-When your son is getting two molars, it is probably not a good time to attempt to also change his nap schedule from two naps to one nap.

-One one-hour nap per day is not nearly enough for a 19-month old OR his mother.

-My son said 'bacon' today. Actually it sounded like 'boo-coo' but it was clear what he wanted. Boomama would be so proud. :)

-Here are the essentials that a fun toddler playground must have: Steps that toddlers can climb by themselves, which lead to slides. Period.

-Apparently, July 10th marks the END of the summer. According to Wal-Mart. ALL of their summer stuff is on clearance, so if you think you might need any sandals, beach essentials, or summer clothes in the next TWO MONTHS REMAINING IN THE SUMMER SEASON, I guess you should've thought ahead. However, if you'd like to purchase and put up your fall decorations on July 15th, they are in stock. Three aisles worth.

-If you need a plastic popsicle making tray because someone told you that you can use pudding in them to make delicious pudding pops and you've been craving them ever since, don't bother going to Wal-Mart. They're all out. And so is the Dollar store. But they have balls. Oh, yes, they do. Many many different kinds of balls. In nearly every aisle.

Typical

What follows is not a transcript of an actual conversation, but rather a description of a typical morning conversation between my 19-month-old and I, as we attempt to head out the door.

"Z, are you ready to go to camp and have breakfast?"

"Waffle."

"Well, I don't think they're going to have waffles this morning, but maybe pancakes, or toast, or oatmeal - do any of those sound good?"

"Waffle."

"Well, how about toast with honey? Or you can have honey on your pancake?"

"Honey. Honeyhoneyhoneyhoneyhoneyhoneyhoney."

"Okay, great. Let's get our shoes on. Can you please pick out a pair of shoes to wear - sandals or Crocs?"

"Mutt."*

"Yes, we can see Mutt in a minute, but first we have to get our shoes on. What shoes are you going to choose?"

"Mutt. Muttmuttmuttmuttmuttmuttmutt. MUTT!"

"Alright, why don't you wear your Crocs? Please come over here and let me put your Crocs on."

(silence)

"Z, please come here and let me put your Crocs on."....2 minutes later....."Thank you....one croc....two crocs...."

"Nine."**

"Nine Crocs? You're so silly! Silly Willy Billy...." (insert tickling & appropriate giggles here) "Alright, let's get going."

"Mutt!"

"Yes, we can see Mutt for a minute."

"Mutt! MUTT! Hi, Mutt! Hello, Mutt! Muttmuttmuttmutt Mutt! Ack!*** Chair! Slide! Mutt! MUTT!"....etc. :)

"Alright, well, we need to go to camp now. Let's go."

"Mutt!"

"Yes, say bye-bye to Mutt."

"Bye-bye, Mutt."

"Let's get in the car."

"Car! Daddy Car!"

"Yes, it's Daddy's car. And Mommy's car."

"Bye-bye, Mutt. Car. Daddy. Keys. KEYS!!!"

"No, Mommy's keys are busy, so you can't play with them right now. They have to drive the car."

The end.

- Now...does anyone wonder why I always get ready to leave ten or more minutes before we actually have to leave? And why we're rarely on time for meals at camp? :)


*Mutt is our kitten, who lives on our porch, and Z LOVES him.
**Z's favorite number is nine & he loves to insert it randomly while I count anything.
***Ack is Z's word for kitty - when he squeaks it, it sounds remarkably like a sound our kitty would make.


In other big household news, Z is adjusting rather well to our new schedule - I finally bit the bullet & put him down to one nap this week (he is 19 months old, after all). Monday was a big fail, I kept him up until after lunch at camp, which meant his nap didn't get started until about 1:30 (he gets up at 7, so that was a little late for his nap). He was overtired, and took a 45-minute nap & was grouchy the rest of the day. Yesterday, we came home at noon, ate lunch together, and I put him down at 12:30. He slept for two hours (which is practically unheard of for him), and had a great rest of the day. Then he went right to sleep at 7:30 and didn't get up until 7:30 this morning. So I'd say that yesterday went pretty well. We will try to follow the same schedule today, and see if it works just as well. Thank you all for your encouragement in changing his schedule - I really appreciate it!!! And it was actually really nice to only have to come home once from camp for a nap instead of twice - the only bummer is that we'll have to miss (free, delicious, already cooked for us) camp lunch every day this summer, if this is the schedule that keeps working for him. :( *sigh* Well, I guess we can enjoy leftovers, anyway! :)

My Child is My Responsibility.

Repeat after me: My Child is My Responsibility.

After talking with a friend today about her feelings towards the children's programs in her church, I was struck by a statement that she made. She does not think that her church has enough programs for her children, and her statement was this: 'My children are not being spiritually fed. Therefore, my church needs more children's programs.'

At the time, I knew her statement just didn't sit right with me, but I was busy with other things & couldn't articulate why I felt this way. After coming home, and spending a few minutes thinking about it, I realized that this is an attitude that I hear WAY too much of, in talking with many of my mom friends. There is a prevailing attitude today that my child is not my responsibility, but qualified others should take care of certain aspects of raising my child.

For example, how many mothers have you heard say, "I don't need to sit down with my preschooler and teach him/her to read, write, do math, etc. - that's what kindergarten's for. That's what teachers get paid to do." Maybe it isn't as common as I imagine, but I have heard it several times recently, and if you have heard this, do you agree with it? I wholeheartedly do NOT. Sure, teachers are paid to teach, and that is the purpose of schools, after all. But the ultimate responsibility for my child's education lies with my child's parents. Me and my spouse. NOT with the teacher. If my child is struggling with an area of his schoolwork, I need to be the one to figure out a plan - either to sit down with him myself and help him to understand the concepts, or to get him some tutoring in this area. It is MY responsibility. And if my child is gifted in a certain area, and bored with the work given to him by his teacher, I need to be the one to figure out solutions to the problem - to be proactive in finding and incorporating more appropriate work into my child's school day, instead of expecting the school to automatically provide extra programs to benefit my uniquely gifted child.

The same concept applies to our churches and our churches childrens' programs today. Sure, our churches would LOVE to help kids and teens grow spiritually through our ministries, and yes, that is our goal. But, again, it is not the church's ultimate responsibility to make sure our children are growing spiritually and to feed them daily with the Word of God. Just as with education, providing spiritual leadership is the parents' responsibility. This is not to say that children's programs do not have value, or even that I disagree with my friend's concerns about her churches' children's programs. We have a responsibility to make sure our children are being spiritually fed, and this starts (and ends) at home, and includes choosing a church which has programs that fit our family's needs.

Do you agree with me, or am I way off base? Also, is the attitude I'm presenting as prevalent as I imagine, or have you never heard anyone share statements like these? Tell me your thoughts!

All About Me

Well, I was tagged by Erin to tell you seven things about myself. So here goes. Why is it that when I sit down to do something like this, I suddenly forget every interesting thing that has ever existed about me?


1. I love peanut butter and dill pickle sandwiches. Even when I'm not pregnant. But especially when I am.

2. I am really short. 5'0", to be exact. I hope my kids don't get my short genes, 'cause when you're my height, it's really hard to buy jeans. :) And also to buy stuff from the top shelf at Wal-Mart without asking for help.

3. I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, very aptly, I must add, and was on Ritalin for several years (on which I blame my shortness), and I still have trouble focusing on things - I'm very easily distracted. :) Not a good trait for a secretary to have - I seriously forget EVERYTHING unless I write it down!!!

4. I think Veggie Tales & Sesame Street are hilarious, I love the hidden humor for adults to get (especially when pop artists do song remakes on Sesame Street - like this and this), and I really love watching them with my son.

5. Celebrities & all their doings really don't interest me. People magazine holds no great attraction for me, and I don't really understand how people can get so caught up in the lives of 'famous' people they've never met. I've never even really had a 'celebrity crush' (although I had plenty of other crushes in my day). :)

6. My son is almost 19 months old and he still takes two naps a day. And he's getting to the point where I know he really should be going down to one nap, but I seriously hate/fear changing my & his schedule SO much that I am trying EVERYTHING to keep him at two naps. Someone please tell me that this is insane. Maybe I'll listen to you, for once.

7. I am really excited & looking forward to meeting my new baby in December, but sometimes I feel really nervous about the changes it will cause in our family, too, and most likely changes in my relationship with my little Z (see #6 in case you forgot how I feel about change). Did anyone else feel this way when you were expecting your second? And how did it work out for you? I need to know that it did work out! :)


So, now I have to tag some lucky people to play along: How about Emily, Jason, Janine, and Shanilie?