Mom on the Run

Opinions needed

2009-02-17T13:20:00.006-05:00

Trying to redecorate when you have no money to spend is a real challenge. So in order to keep my sanity, I have decided to try to makeover my master bedroom and guest room by basically switching bedding. I am hoping to paint the guest room, but the master bedroom will not be repainted because the high ceilings are very difficult and I doubt I should be climbing a ladder in my condition. I think that the wall color looks pretty good with the bedding. What do you think? I also think that the bedding looks pretty good with the bed finish.

So the next question: skirt or no skirt? (bed skirt that is?) I've always thought bed skirts were absolutely essential to having a finished looking bed/room, but because the footboard and side boards, I'm kind of thinking I don't need a bed skirt?

My next dilemma is color of the sheets and curtains. I bought some chocolate colored sheets, but I did not like them with the wall color or bed finish. So I guess I'll just try some other colors. I think the green (in the bedding) is a little too much for the curtains, but will work for sheets. I would love to do pink or coral sheets (from the bedding), but I'm not sure Jerrod would go for that.

On to the guest room. This lovely blanket that Candace crocheted for Tyler, is my inspiration for this room.

I was looking through a magazine in the ob/gyn waiting room and all of these colors were listed as favorites for 2009 from some of my favorite designers on HGTV. Candace, you are so great at color schemes and way ahead of the trend since you did this in 2007. I really love chocolate brown, so I want to do an accent wall with that color. Not sure about the rest of the room. The room is small with one window, but since it is on the back side of the house, it gets a lot of sun light.

I am having a yard sale in the spring, so I'm hoping with the money I make, I will be able to buy a few accessories for both rooms. Lamps, wall decor, etc. I'd like to get both of these rooms mostly finished by the end of March, because then it will be time to do John and Tyler's room, and the new nursery.

Any suggestions are welcome. You will not hurt my feeling if you think my ideas stink.

My little student

2008-10-23T18:49:00.004-04:00

Here is John doing an activity from a lesson I made for the online graduate class I'm taking. I can't believe he'll be four in a few weeks.

The birthday boy

2008-09-02T04:11:00.000-04:00

Hope you had a great Labor Day weekend. Ours was busy with Tyler's birthday party and time with family. Friday was Tyler's first birthday and we had a wonderful party with friends and family at Kid's Cove. Here are some pictures from the party. As you can see Tyler really enjoyed his cake. Thank you to those who came to share this special day with us. We had a great time!

The past year has flown by, and I can't believe fall is right around the corner. John starts back to preschool this week and Tyler is walking all over the place. Here are some pictures of Tyler from the past year.

Attitude

2008-08-01T07:25:00.000-04:00

For some reason, not because I felt like I've had a bad attitude recently, something I remember seeing in my college dorm came to mind today and I felt like posting it.

Attitude

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.
It will make or break a company... a church... a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude...
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you ...
we are in charge of our Attitude." - Chuck Swindoll

Have a great weekend and a blessed Sabbath.

John and Tyler's first baseball game

2008-05-05T07:58:00.006-04:00

What a great weekend! Beautiful weather and a baseball game with my boys. It doesn't get much better. Jerrod's best bud from CA was in DC for a lawyer's conference, so we decided to meet him and watch a Nationals game in their brand new stadium. The weather was perfect (sunny and mid 70's). The boys did great on the three hour car ride up and back. No throwing up by John and Tyler slept the entire way there and back. The DVD player wasn't working due to the fact John threw up all over it on the last car trip, but he didn't whine, complain, or cry the whole day (we left @ 8 am and got back @ 10:30 pm).

As you can see from the pictures, we had awesome seats (second row behind the visiting team dugout). It was nice that John got to experience his first MLB game so close to the action. John really liked the fireworks when the Nationals hit a home run and the eagle mascot. I'm so glad he's not scared of things like loud noises and people dressed up in crazy furry costumes like some kids are. Tyler also enjoyed the game, but didn't get an afternoon nap due to the fact he was so interested in all of the sights and sounds at the ballpark. He reached his breaking point during dinner and had to be held, but on the way home, he fell asleep in the car before we even got out of the parking lot.

I'm sure this was the first of many baseball games we'll see as a family. Here are some pictures of our day.

My little biter

2008-03-21T08:20:00.001-04:00

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS VIOLENT MATERIAL THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SOME READERS (i.e. - future breast feeding moms)

Don't get me wrong, I am a big advocate of breast feeding, but when your six month old with razor like teeth decides to take a bite, it's not a lot of fun. His biting has gotten so bad that it broke the skin, so needless to say, feeding has been an excruciatingly painful event. It is very hard to heal when it has to be used so frequently. John bit me once and I screamed and he never bit me again. Tyler just looks at me and smiles. I would wince in pain when Jerrod would hug me. After a few days of very painful breast feeding, I decided to call the local lactation consultant, also known as the breast feeding nazi, and see what advice she had. She starts the conversation, "First you must meet his biting need". After 5 or so minutes of telling me how to meet his biting need, I'm thinking "Lady I told you this was my second child, I'm not completely clueless". In the end she was very helpful. She recommended these cooling gel pads that would speed the healing. They worked great. I was feeling much better after using the pads for a couple days. She even talked me into trying these brand new cloth diapers, something I thought I would never even consider doing.

To all those pregnant women who will be breast feeding soon, I pray you don't have a biter.

Here are some recent pics of the boys. Somehow Tyler managed to get his shirt sleeve off and chew on it while bouncing in his jumper.

My Christmas present came a few days late

2007-12-30T13:06:00.000-05:00

Today is a red letter day at our house. About a week before Christmas, I told John, "Do you know what mommy wants for Christmas? I want you to poop in the potty." Well today I got what I asked for. After much coaxing, begging, and bribing, John pooped in the potty for the first time. We have been working on potty training for @ 6 months now. He was doing pretty good this summer, but regressed back to square one a few weeks after his little brother arrived. Everyone told me this would happen, but now that he is three and his poops are so disgusting, I am sooooo ready for him to be potty trained. Even though we are not completely there yet, John has shown improvements in the last week, so I am hopefully optimistic that he will be potty trained very soon. For those of you who have potty training in your near future, I wish you good luck. I have the book "Toilet Training in Less than a Day" if anyone wants to borrow it. As you can see it didn't work that well for me, but maybe you'll get some useful information from it.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T18:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T09:16:00.000-04:00

As you can see, John was Bob the Builder and Tyler (who slept most of the evening) was a bear. We had a great time trick-or-treating with perfect trick-or-treating weather.

Finally, here he is!

2007-09-13T14:15:00.000-04:00

We are proud to introduce the newest member of our family, Joseph Tyler. (We are going to call him by his middle name). Jerrod is already callling him Ty. Tyler was born on Wednesday, August 29th at 5:14 p.m. by c-section (which was a big surprise to everyone). He weighed 7lbs 8 oz. and 20 and1/2 inches long. I think there is a good chance he will take after his dad and have green eyes, and his hair is brown (even though it looks darker in the picture).

Here are some of the first pictures in the O.R. The anastesologist was great and really helped Jerrod get through the delivery without passing out. My parents and sister just left town last weekend so this is our first week on our own. I will post more pictures soon!

I'm done!

2007-06-15T19:04:00.000-04:00

I can officially call myself a SAHM once again! Yesterday was the last day of school for the students and today was a teacher workday. I have to say I enjoy being a teacher, but I love being a SAHM more than any other job. I am looking forward to doing some fun things with John this summer, as well as some projects around the house. I am also really getting excited about meeting our new little boy. John and I are flying to Savannah next week to visit my sister and my niece.

Just wanted to share one of the highlights of my week, John got up early and as I sat at the table drinking coffee and checking e-mail, I hear "Momma, look, I readin."

Baby pictures and first family car

2007-05-07T18:26:00.000-04:00

Well here is a picture of our baby boy. I'm still getting used to the fact that we're having another boy. We're not going to change the nursery, but are currently working on John's new room. We hope the transition to a new room and new bed will be an easy one. He thinks that the room is Nana and Papa's room because that's where they stay when they visit, which is pretty often. I've decided to go with a theme of one of John's favorite books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. I found the bedding at Target.com and the colors go well with the furniture. We're hoping to have the room finished by the first of June.

In other news, we just bought our first family car. When I was pregnant with John, we knew that our cars would be fine with one child. Now that our family will be adding a new member, we needed something bigger. So here it is! I love it! It's a 2000 Saab wagon.

It's a boy!

2007-04-25T15:49:00.000-04:00

I had my ultrasound this morning, and the baby #2 is a boy! Everything looked great. I am 21 weeks 3 days and he measured 21 weeks 4 days, so he's right on track. The ultrasound lady was awesome. She gave us a lot of great pictures. I'll try to post them by Friday.

First pictures

2007-02-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the pictures from our first ultrasound. My appointment with Dr. Phemister went great. I am almost 11 weeks, and our official due date is September 2nd. I continue to have good days and bad days, but overall I am feeling better. I decided to take the day off and catch up on laundry and try to make a dent in my extremely messy and dirty house. My parents are coming to town this weekend, and Jerrod and I are going to a marriage conference on Saturday afternoon. I'm hoping I have enough energy for dinner and a movie after the conference. I am really looking forward to some time with Jerrod. Jerrod took John to Mamaw's house this morning and I am going to pick him up at noon, so I have @ 4 hours to clean without a toddler making a mess behind me.

Gingersnaps are my new best friend

2007-01-18T12:38:00.000-05:00

For the last few days my diet has consisted of gingersnaps, gingersnaps, and more gingersnaps. They are the only thing that my stomach likes right now. This is a new experience for me because I had no morning sickness with John. Tuesday was bad; very bad. I felt nauseous the entire day, until Jerrod brought home some gingersnaps. My sister recommended them and a friend of mine who is about 2 weeks ahead of me said that she doesn't go anywhere without her gingersnaps. Well today, not only do I feel nauseous, I think I could fall asleep while I'm teaching. Usually the fatigue doesn't hit until 5 p.m. A snow day would be so great. I'm taking off Monday because I have my appointment with the nurse to do family history, blood work, and of course the best part, to see how much I weigh. My first ultrasound and appointment with my doctor is next Thursday. Right now I am counting the hours until I can go home, lay on the couch in my pajamas eating my gingersnaps and watch Grey's Anatomy.

Praying for a snow day

2007-01-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

For the teachers out there, January, February and March can seem like an eternity. The rest of the school year flies by, but these months tend to be very long. The one hope that you do have during these months is the possibility of a snow day. With the weather we've had recently, I didn't see a snow day coming any time soon. Since I'm in my first trimester and the only thing I want to do is stay in elastic waisted pants and sleep, I am praying for many snow days. I've checked weather.com about a hundred times today, and I think the best case scenario for tomorrow for Lynchburg City is one hour delay. Hey, its not an entire day, but it I'll take it. I can cuddle in bed with John while watching Sesame Street instead of running around the house trying to get his lunch/snacks/juice/milk/clothes packed for the day and be out the door by 7:30; and I can eat breakfast at home instead of in the car. If you don't like snow, I'm sorry, but I'm praying for many snow days in the coming months. John got boots for Christmas and I'm looking forward to letting him try them out. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

What a way to start the new year!

2007-01-01T23:31:00.000-05:00

I can't wait any longer. Jerrod and I received a wonderful Christmas gift. We're adding another member to our family. Yes, we're pregnant! I'm due the beginning of September. I apologize to friends who are offended that I did not tell them in person. I just couldn't wait any longer to share this happy news.

A great trip

2006-12-27T08:20:00.000-05:00

Jerrod and I returned home Thursday night from 4 wonderful days of skiing in Aspen, Colorado. I will briefly describe our trip, but words can not do justice to how beautiful and exhilerating it is when you get off the ski lift and see these majestic mountains, so here are some pictures. I feel like a bad mom, because I didn't miss John as much as I thought I would. We were very fortunate that we got back. Our flight was one of the first out of Aspen in two days because of the blizzard. If we would have had a flight to Denver we would not have been home till Christmas or later. I felt really bad for those people who had to spend days in the Denver airport. If you like to ski and you haven't been to Aspen, you've got to go! The snow is incredible and the downtown area is very nice especially with the Christmas lights and the snow. It was a winter wonderland. It was a trip I will never forget. Thanks Jerrod for the great birthday and Christmas gift.

Better late than never

2006-12-13T18:52:00.000-05:00

John's second birthday was Saturday, December 2nd, but I've been a little tired the last week or so because a certain little boy has been climbing out of his crib and has been wide away for hours in the middle of the night, so I am just getting around to posting about his party. We had an Elmo/Sesame Street themed birthday party, and John did a great job opening his presents. He was very excited about all of them and has enjoyed playing with them too. He was most excited about the tricycle Jerrod and I got him. In the morning he would point and say very excitedly "Tricycle, tricycle!" When we would leave for school he would say "bye bye tricycle". He also, to my surprise, ate cake (maybe because it was an Elmo cake). The party was a lot of fun. I still can't believe he's two. So I have a crazy busy week. Jerrod and I leave on Saturday for our ski trip to Aspen, and my to do list seems never ending. I am so excited, this time next week, I'll be enjoying the beautiful Rocky Mountains!

My little monkey

2006-11-28T19:39:00.000-05:00

While we were at my sister's house over Thanksgiving, John decided he did not want to take a nap and sleep so he climbed out of the pack n play numerous times. I knew the days in the pack n play were numbered because of his height, but I was hoping we could get through Christmas. Then last night when I put him down in his crib at his usual time (8:00) he decided to climb out of the crib and play with some toys in his room. By 10:00 he was still not asleep, so I put him in the bed with me and when Jerrod came to bed at 10:30 he put John (finally fast asleep) back in his crib. I was planning on transitioning John into a toddler bed in the spring. This would give me plenty of time to get his big boy bed and bedroom ready. Today I started looking for bedding and I am hoping to have his big boy bed ready before I go back to work in January. I found bedding I love, but since it was on sale, the twin sheet set was no longer available. So I looked on ebay, and of course I found it. Please pray that John will make a smooth transition to his big boy bed.

My beautiful new niece

2006-11-24T22:40:00.000-05:00

This is Ava Elizabeth, she was born on Tuesday, November 21st weighing 6 pounds 13 ounces and 19 and 1/2 inches long.

Last day of my twenties

2006-11-11T08:18:00.000-05:00

I am ending this day with a special dinner with my best friend!

Oooooohs!

2006-11-07T13:24:00.000-05:00

John has a new morning ritual. Here's how it goes: 1. Go to the pantry and get the bag of cheerios. 2. Take the bag and sit on the bottom step. 3. Shove 3 to 4 handfuls of cheerios in my mouth. 4. Return bag of cheerios to pantry and close the door.

Don't forget to vote!

It's Friday!

2006-11-03T19:33:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for weekends. The weeks have been flying by, but this week seemed never ending. I am also so thankful for a very easy week next week. We have a teacher workday on Monday, and since Tuesday is election day I have the entire day off (yay!!!!). The PTO at my school made Brunswick Stew today so I bought two quarts, that means I won't have to cook much this weekend either. Hot stew and a grilled cheese sandwich sounds so good on a cold day like today. I took John to get a haircut this afternoon. He did great. He almost falls asleep when he gets his hair cut. He is very quiet and still which makes it easy and quick. He always looks older when his hair is short. Jerrod is giving John a bath and I am looking forward to a relaxing evening curled up on the couch with some hot cider and my pj's. Thank you God for weekends!

A month of thanksgiving

2006-11-01T18:27:00.000-05:00

Since today is the first day of November, and also the month I turn 30, I have decided to try to post on my blog every day. I thought since Thanksgiving is also this month and I can think of a lot to be thankful for, I would focus on one thing I am thankful for each day. So today I am especially thankful for the health of my family. John is just getting over a pretty bad illness called herpangina (similar to hand-foot-mouth disease). He had a fever @103 and the worst part was he had sores all in his mouth, tongue, and throat. He didn't eat very much for a few days, and had two night of waking up every hour screaming. That extra hour of sleep on Sat. night was such a blessing. Even though he has had a few sick days (roseola, vomitting, diarrhea, cough, colds, fevers) over the last year, they have all been viral so he's never had to take antibiotics. I'm hoping all this will pay off one day (maybe he'll get perfect attendance in kindergarten because his immune system is so strong) or maybe I can help out a friend who's not sure what her child might have or how to treat it. Today he is back to his adorable self, eating, talking, and playing as usual. Jerrod and I have also been blessed with good health. I am especially thankful that the problem with my thyroid a little of a year a go was nothing major. I had my thyroid check last month and every thing was fine. Thank you God for the health of my family!

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T20:57:00.000-05:00

Here is my cute little puppy! John had a great time trick or treating. We went to a few houses of the neighbors we know. John loved his costume so much he did not want to take it off. Even though he didn't eat any candy, he had a fun time playing with it.

There's no place like home!

2006-10-10T18:30:00.000-04:00

I had a great weekend with my sister in Savannah, but after spending the entire day in the Atlanta airport on Monday, I am so happy to be home. My mom and I were up at 3:45 on Sat. morning to catch a 6 am flight from LYH. (John stayed home with dad and Papa) We arrived in Savannah @ 9:30 and spent the entire day shopping. Needless to say, I was exhausted by the afternoon. Sunday was a relaxing day. I went for a run and went to the beach. The weather was awesome. The main reason I went to Savannah was to attend a baby shower for my sister. It was Sunday afternoon and was very nice. I finished the blanket I was knitting for my new niece. My sister admitted that she didn't think I would finish. Here's a picture of my sister Julie with the blanket. While I was in the shower this morning I started thinking how excited I am to meet my niece, to see her face, and to hold her. I am hoping she has her mother's eyes, hair, and skin (i.e. practically identical to mine). Babies are such a blessing from God! I am also very excited about meeting the three other girls arriving this November as well.

I heart chiropractors

2006-09-19T20:48:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have never experienced a part of your body being out of place/alignment, just let me tell you, it's not fun. I have had issues with my back and neck, but more recently it has been my rib out of place. Every time I breath, stand up straight, turn in a certain way (especially when I'm sitting) it feels like someone is stabbing me in the lung. It started Sunday with pain in my right shoulder and I was miserable the entire day on Monday. I couldn't get into the chiropractor, but I did feel a lot better this morning, thanks to ibuprofen. I did see the chiropractor this afternoon, but I'm still not feeling that great.
John has a bad cough and stuffy nose due to teething. One of his two-year molars have broken through the gum and the other three are not far behind. Once all four of his two year molars come in, he won't get any more teeth until he's around six. Yea!!! For those mothers-to-be or mothers of infants, I will be praying that your children are better teethers than my son has been.
I began this post complaining about my ailments, but I want to end on a note of thankfulness. This is John's third week of preschool (he goes Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9-12) and he is doing great. Today he had a green hand when I picked him up, so I assumed that they played with finger paint, but Jerrod informed me that the teacher traced their hands with a marker. Last week I found yellow playdough on the bottom of his tennis shoes. Yellow is the color of the month. The teacher also told Jerrod that John was "not one of the criers and was a good eater". I am so thankful that John is able to go to preschool and has a wonderful loving caregiver while I'm at work. I am very thankful to have a great job, but I am looking forward to being a SAHM once again.

Great News for a Great Day

2006-08-19T20:44:00.000-04:00

My Saturday started bright and early (after only about 5 hours sleep) when Jerrod, John, and I arrived just in time for the 8 am start of the Lynchburg Half Marathon and 5K. Jerrod and I ran the 5K, and of course, John just went along for the ride (Jerrod pushed him in the jogging stroller). We didn't stick around for the results since the half marathoners were not even finished, but I was very pleased with my time. I found out later I got third in my age group and I got a really cool medal.
I talked to my mom later in the morning and she told me that my uncle accepted a job in Lynchburg so their family will be moving from Greensboro. I was very excited about this news because my parents would like to move to Lynchburg when they retire (in @ a year and a half), but my dad's only reservation was leaving my grandmother with no one to look after her. Now that my uncle will be in Lynchburg, they can move my grandmother here as well.

With all of the family issues that I have dealt with over the past year this news made me think of the verse in Ephesians that says, "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think..." God has given me more than I could imagine. I've wanted my parents to move to Lynchburg so that they could be an important part of John's life (and future siblings), but I never dreamed He could also allow my grandmother, uncle, aunt, and cousin to live so close as well. All I can put into words right now is: God is so good!

Summer projects

2006-08-10T08:48:00.000-04:00

I don't consider myself very handy, so whenever I do something using a drill (and it comes out ok), it feels like a big accomplishment. So I took some "before" pictures of these ledges that we bought about 5 years ago for our first house. When we moved into our current house, we couldn't find anywhere to put them so they have been sitting around for 4 years. So I decided that they would be great in the dining room, but they needed to be white. So I sanded, primed, and painted the ledges white (this was the easy part). These ledges are particularly hard because they have three hanging slots on the back that have to be level, flush to the wall, and the holes have to be very precisely measured. Anyway, it actually took less time than I thought it would, and I'm very happy with the result.

I also completed my first sewing project. This is a picture of some curtains I made for a bookshelf in my classroom. My mom was in town last weekend and gave me a quick lesson on using the sewing machine. The stitches are very crooked, but you can't really tell because the material is gathered. I am excited about making more things. I'm not sure what my next project will be, but my step-mother-in-law is a great seamstress, so I'm hoping to get another lesson from her when Jerrod's family comes to visit (possibly this weekend).

I am going close this post with some pictures from our vacation in Savannah (about a month ago). I didn't post the pictures earlier because the cord needed to download pictures from the camera to the computer was missing. Jerrod blamed me and said I was the last one to use it. He reminded me that I needed to be more responsible, and I looked everywhere for it. Well, it turned out that the cord was in Jerrod's bag the entire time. He forgot he put it there.

The mailbox is no longer green!

Why we have an ugly green mailbox

2006-08-06T19:16:00.000-04:00

Our mailbox was attacked on Friday night. Molly (the dog) found it laying on the grass when she went out on Saturday morning. Jerrod walked around the block to see if any of our neighbors had been victim to a mailbox assault, but it seems our mailbox was the only one. This has happened to other neighbors in the past. We heard fireworks going off late Friday night (Molly was going crazy), so we assume that it was probably just some mischievous kids. Jerrod did inform me that when he was in high school (in CA), he (and a friend of his) got in big trouble for destroying mailboxes, so I guess this is payback from @ 15 years ago. Luckily we did have a spare mailbox in our garage (it was from our first house). The mailbox had a golden retriever and our old address printed on it so Jerrod spray painted it with the only color he had. So if you come to my house any time soon and you see the ugly green mailbox, you know the story behind it. We don't plan on keep the mailbox this way. I'm just not sure when Jerrod will get around to changing it. I'm hoping soon, because it is really hideous looking.

We've been tagged

2006-07-31T23:14:00.000-04:00

Conner tagged us, so here's John's list:

3 things that scare me:
I don't get scared by most things other people my age are scared by. I like loud noises from the vacuum cleaner, blender, coffee grinder, etc.
I do get scared when mom or dad leave me with someone other than Nana or Papa.

3 people that make me laugh:
Mom
Dad
if I'm in a good mood, anyone who tickles me in the ribs or neck

3 things I love:
playing outside
looking at books
music (especially if it has a good beat and I can dance to it)

3 things I dislike:
when mom tries to make me eat yucky food
getting my face wiped off
getting the shampoo rinsed off

3 things I like to play with:
phones - not the toy kind, the real kind, especially cell phones. I like to pretend to talk to Aunt Julie because that's who mom talks to all the time.
clocks- I can find a clock (or anything that remotely looks like a clock) as soon as I go to a new place.
dad's golf clubs and golf balls

3 things I don't understand:
how a key makes the car go

3 things on my dresser:
diapers
singing and talking puppy
lamp

3 things I'm doing right now:
I'm sleeping right now (that's the only time mom really gets anything done), but when I'm awake I'm learning new words and climbing on anything and everything I can.

3 things I can do:
gallop (when I get excited and try to dance or jump)
feed myself with a fork
Pee pee on the potty whenever mom puts me on it (I usually just go in my diaper, it's much more convenient)

3 things that describe my personality:
loud
outgoing
happy (when I get my way)

3 things I can't do:
use a spoon
poop in the potty
speak in complete sentences

3 things I think you should listen to:
when I say "please"
when I say "thank you"
the sound I make when I blow kisses

3 things I think you should never listen to:
my mom sing
my temper trantrums
when I say "no" in an ugly tone of voice

3 absolute favorite foods:
watermelon
grapes
blueberry waffles

3 beverages I drink:
juice
water
milk (with a little bit of chocolate)

3 shows I watch:
Sesame Street
Little Einsteins
Sometimes Elmo DVD's from the library

John's going to preschool

2006-07-26T13:35:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I found out that one of the ladies that watched John during the school year had taken a job. I wasn't too concerned because her mother-in-law, who John loves and calls "Mamaw", would be watching him and two other boys (3 1/2 and 4 1/2). Well, then I found out that there would be one other child as well, a newborn. Jerrod and I were a little concerned with this, because a newborn needs a lot of attention and "Mamaw" is probably in her late sixties. Some friends of ours have a little boy who is @ a week younger than John, and they are planning on sending him to the preschool at their church two mornings a week. I checked into sending John there as well because it is right across the street from where Jerrod works so he could drop him off and pick him up. I just got off the phone with the director of the preschool, and I am so excited. They have one spot left, so I am going this afternoon to do the paper work. John will go Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 9-12. He'll get to play outside, do musical activities, and sometimes even fingerpaint with seven other boys and girls his age. There are two teachers and they do not watch videos. The kids even get to participate in the Christmas and Mother's day performances. There is a parent orientation the end of August. I am feeling much better about going back to work.

First summer project complete!

2006-07-12T14:45:00.000-04:00

I just completed one of my first summer projects. Yay! I painted the master bedroom a nice warm golden color that was custom mixed for me at Sherwin Williams (my dad is a manager at another Sherwin Williams store so he hooks me up with advice about colors and a sweet discount). The shade is in between Inviting Ivory and Harvester. I thought the "inviting" part was especially appropriate for a bedroom. I am very happy with how it turned out, its always good when it turns out exactly how you envision it. Now the fun part of putting the room back together. John helped me remove the tape from the baseboards yesterday. He thought that was loads of fun until we were all done and he threw a temper tantrum because he wanted to do more. It feels great to get this project completed.
Now for the rest of the week: laundry, packing, and cleaning. We are going to be out of town for a week and a friend is house/dog sitting. I always have this incredible urge to clean the house whenever we take a trip. I usually stay up really late the night before cleaning and packing. Jerrod gets mad @1 or 2 a.m. and tells me to come to bed. Then I can't sleep because I think about the stuff that I didn't get done. I feel like the house has to be immaculate now that someone will be staying there while we are gone.

Yummy!

2006-06-28T22:28:00.000-04:00

First day of swimming lessons

2006-06-26T15:01:00.000-04:00

Today John and I went to the Y for his first day of swimming lessons. There were a total of four moms and four toddler boys in the class. One being my friend Shannon and her little boy who is almost 2 1/2. John was the youngest. At first John was very clingy, but as the lesson progressed, he did great. He even kicked his legs. He also became very interested in putting his face near the water. He looked like a puppy lapping up water from a bowl. By the end of the lesson, he was loving it and I knew he would probably get upset when it was time to go. Another little boy who was almost three, dumped a whole cup of water over John's head. Luckily, John did not fuss at all. The same little boy threw a cup of water at me just a few minutes before. His mom did not see either incident. John also got very brave walking in the pool and did a face plant. He went under for a few seconds. When I grabbed him up, he did not cry. I praised him instead of freaking out, just like the teacher instructed us to do if this happened. What a great first day! We went back to the locker room and changed from our wet swimsuits and were all ready to go the grocery store when John did another face plant, but this time on the hard tile floor. He was crying pretty hard when I picked him up, and then I saw blood. I was praying that his teeth were still attached securely to his gums. His teeth were fine, just a bad busted lip. It bled for a little while, but then it was fine. So for our first day of swimming lessons, this is what we have to show. A fat upper lip.

2006-04-28T14:12:00.000-04:00

Today was my last day of part time work. On Monday, I will begin working full time until the end of the school year (June 9th). "It's only six weeks", I keep telling myself and then I will have the entire summer to be with John. I think it will be harder going back to work in August after having the whole summer off.

John has been sick this week. On Tuesday, he woke up with a fever. His fever has been up and down for three days, he hasn't had his usual appetite, and he has been extremely clingy and irritable. The worst part of being a parent so far, is having to see your child suffer when they are sick. April has been a rough month for John. The first week in April, he had vomiting and diarrhea. It was the sickest he had ever been. This week, although no vomiting or diarrhea, has been just as bad or worse because he is feeling miserable and not acting like himself. Poor little fellow, sick this week and then mom leaves him all day starting Monday. Please pray for mom and John on Monday morning.

Today it becomes official that we're staying in our house. Our refinance is scheduled for 3:30 today. Yeah! Thank you Jesus for your wisdom, guidance, and blessings!

It's kind of ironic that I am posting this today because it is highly likely that I will not post again until after June 9th.