Buddy

He is too smart for my own good. Today we drove to Africa, fought fires, & rescued animals (all outside our own door @ the playground). For quiet time & bedtime he's been listening to the Choose the Right CD (songs for the Primary program this year). He already knows more than I do (I've never even heard the first song on the cd & he was singing along the whole first verse).

Now if we could only get him to the toilet (he's had a serious regression since our vacation and we can't figure out why or what to do to help him).

J (no longer Baby J because he's 1 now) is also very smart. I was putting him down for nap just now & he was just looking at me & talking. So I closed my eyes for a couple of seconds then opened them & he would squint his eyes for a second then open them & laugh @ me.

Both boys are now singing or talking upstairs. I guess afternoon naps will soon be a thing of the past -- sad :( .

Adventures in the Airport are not Allowed

On our way home from a great vacation in Norfolk VA we had a three hour layover @ McCarren National Airport in Vegas. The first thing Buddy said was "I want to play that game" pointing to the slot machine. John responded with "No Buddy, that game isn't for kids." Then Buddy said "I want YOU to play that game." - LOL.
After about an hour it was getting tedious. We had just finished a 4 hour flight from Norfolk & everyone was pretty tired of sitting. My brother Mike called to tell me that there is a giant turtle in the airport. So.. being the awesome mom that I am I said "Buddy! Diego said there is a turtle in the airport that needs rescuing." Off we went - Buddy, "J" & I. No stroller, no diaper bag, no tickets, no drivers license. Figuring we just missed it & it was around the next corner.
We asked a worker & he said "Oh yeah, it's in concourse D" & pointed the direction to go. Kept walking & found a map of the airport & turns out concourse D is separate from all the other concourses in a completely different building. Buddy was sad.
Then we found the moving sidewalks and Buddy created a game. Run on the moving sidewalks then turn around & go back using the other moving sidewalks going the opposite direction. Repeat. I was thinking "hey he's a kid." I'll walk quickly after him (holding 'J') & he's not hurting anyone. Just being kind of annoying to the other passengers.
After about 10 mintues I saw a PSA worker & figured I would ask him if going to concourse D was a possibility without a ticket to one of those airlines. "Sure" he said "as long as you are past the security point you can go where ever you want. Just have someone open the door for you."
So I did. Boys in tow. Arms are starting to ache a little from "J" but not too bad & hey we get to ride the tram/train to the other concourse.
Concourse D was made for kids. There are giant statues of a Lizard, a Bunny, & the infamous Turtle. There is a kids play area. Plus you get to ride the tram to get there.
Well "J" is starting to get tired & I figured it's about an hour before we leave - we need to head back. Buddy doesn't want to. So I hold his hand & he does the dead body drop. So I'm pulling a 3 yr old by his arm (who is going between laughing at how fun this is & whining because he doesn't want to leave) & in my other (now aching) arm a 20 lb, hungry, infant.
Ride the tram back but then get to the other side of security & I don't want to cross that line because I have no ticket or id with me. I check with a PSA officer & going past "the point of no return" through security again is the only way to get to the other concourses. (now all these people I've had to explain that we had a layover & wanted to go to D to see the turtle & they definetly think I'm crazy).
So... I go past the point of no return & talk to a different PSA officer on the other side & she explains that even if John comes he can't hand me anything over the red line. So he is going to have to come past the point & go through security again.
By now Buddy is whining "I'm hungry" J is screaming the same & my arms feel like they are going to fall off & I'm sweaty & tired.
John brought me my ticket & they examined the ticket (while I was waiting 50 ft away) & id to make sure it indeed was tickets & not a form of terrorism, another TSA officer brought me the tickets & my id. I go through security with 2 screaming kids (yes shoes off, pockets emptied, all the joys of that as well). & then we rush to get back to the gate because John says it is boarding any minute (which he was wrong - we still had 15 minutes until boarding).
Needless to say -6 TSA agents spoken to (and story explained), two aching arms, two hungry kids, and one tired - now wiser mom later - we had an adventure & saw (or saved - in our Diego make believe story world) the turtle!



What should we learn from this lesson boys & girls?
1. Always keep your ticket on you in the airport
2. If you have a child - bring a diaper bag with you wherever you go
(with a change of infant clothes - but that is another story about the flight TO Norfolk)
3. Strollers are worth their weight in gold
4. Becky is going crazy trying to keep her children entertained.
5. Airports are NOT for Adventures

Sayings from Buddy...

He used to say:
"Poo Poo" for purple, "Reese" for red, "Mano" for snowman, and an elephant sound for elephant.
Now he's counting to ten (except he repeats 4 for the number 10), singing his ABCD's (yeah, it's not the ABC song, it's the ABCD song), and speaking in sentences.
For example: I was changing his diaper (which he always fights me on - so why doesn't he want to be potty trained?) and he was crying/screaming. I said "Buddy, you need to be good so Santa will bring you toys." He replied: "I have lots of toys, downstairs. I have balls, kitties, a puppy."
When I was telling my mom over the phone that apparently he didn't need Santa, he copied / replied "No, I don't need Santa." He thinks he doesn't have to be good because he already has toys. I tell him "Buddy, you need to be more obedient." He replies: "No, I not obedient."
By the end of January I'm going to have two of these trouble makers in my house. I'll be lucky if I don't have all gray hair (or if I haven't pulled all my hair out) by age thirty.

kids = no sleep

I've decided that being a mom I have to give up a lot of things. Hobbies, going through the drive through & getting myself a treat (cause unfortunately Buddy recognizes any drive through as "sandwich"), not paying for daycare while working out (or working out for more than 1 hour cause I have to speed back to pick him up or I have to pay for another hour & 15 min), going window shopping, long showers, and many more.
Until today, I didn't think I'd have to give up sleep. Sure when you have a newborn - you sleep when they sleep and wake when they need feeding, but you usually get a nap. This morning I was woken up by a new regular feature at our house - the speaking alarm clock.
"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaam, Moooooooooom, Get Up!" "Get Up!" repeated endless times.
But this time it was an hour before I usually get up. UGH!
Ok, I'll get up. And I did, reluctantly, like I do every morning.
But after lunch I am very strict about naps. We read stories then we take a nap. This works cause Buddy is still in a crib (we are thinking - I am dreading - about transitioning this weekend to a twin). I put him in & turn on his music, grab my ear plugs & eye mask, and return to my cocoon of warm blankets & try to sleep for a little bit.
Not today.
Skeletor (aka the baby growing in my womb) decided that nap time meant time to punch mom & jump around for 40 minutes. Yes, for 40 minutes straight I felt more movement out of this little guy than I have in our entire history together.
Seriously, my kids are taking away the one last enjoyment I have to myself. I guess I asked for it when I wanted to be a mom. But someone should have warned me that with two kids you don't get any sleep, it might have deterred me for a little while.

Good Night, Bad Night

Buddy had a great night Friday night. He even let us sleep in until 8:30 ! It was wonderful. Then on Saturday he took a 2 hour nap so I could clean the bathrooms and work on my lesson. I was in motherhood heaven (plus John cleaned all the floors during the nap so our house was awesome).
Last night was complete opposite. I didn't feel good - so woke up at 2:30. Then between 2:30 and 7:30 Buddy woke up four times crying and screaming (and wouldn't be comforted).
I didn't think he would last through church but he surprised me and did fine. Now we are home and off for a (hopefully very long) nap.

First Day Observations in a New Experiment

Today is my first day of a new experiment: being a mother of two. No, I haven't had another quite yet. We're going to watch a baby once (or twice) a week and see how it goes.
Buddy was ok with Baby. He, of course, wanted his blanket and a bottle of milk when the baby got one. And there was a time where Buddy was covering his ears (while Baby was crying). When Baby went down for his morning nap, Buddy was concerned that he couldn't find Baby until I showed him that Baby was sleeping in the crib. Baby didn't sleep long - he's not used to the noise level that exists here in our house.
I have forgotten how much I longed for an extra hand when Buddy was an infant. I think that we should be able to grow an extra arm and hand and then it goes away when not in use. Luckily Mike came by (after a subbing job) around lunch and got Buddy to eat some more (since Baby decided he was hungry at the same time Buddy's mac & cheese was ready).
I also forgot how loud a baby's poop is. He had two explosion sounds and I thought for sure we would have a blow out but no, there was just a yellow goo in the diaper. Buddy didn't want to feel left out and his diaper was WAY worse than Baby's. (I can' believe I'm blogging about poop - I guess I'm officially a mom).
But both are down now and we've reached a half-way point for the day. I haven't done anything except make my bed, do the dishes, care for the kids, eat a quick bowl of noodles, and now blog. But who says moms have to be productive? Dinner is soup that I made, then froze - so that's taken care of. Maybe I'll go do some chores now or maybe I'll sneak in a chapter of two of my book.
Until tomorrow.... :)

Time Change

I missed the joy of the actual time change last week because I went on vacation. I guess Buddy slept until 9 some mornings. That is not the case any more. He is waking up every morning at 7:30. I guess it could be worse but I thought we had him trained to sleep until 8 and with the time change that would be 9 now. I decided I'm not a good mom until 8 so this morning when he woke up before 7:30, I stumbled in and gave him a bottle and told him it was too early for mom to get up. He didn't really understand (and started whinning to tell me so) but I put in my earplugs and went back to bed until 8. After that extra bit of sleep I was ok to get ready for the day. An extra half and hour does make a huge differrence in my day.

TWO!

Buddy is so cute and such a stinker at the same time. Although I'm on vacation, I've Skyped with him four times since I left.
Pretty much he ignores me or wants to watch YouTube instead of Skyping. He'll run away and go play with his cars while I talk to John and when John made him (by bringing him over to the computer and holding him there) say goodbye - all it was was screaming.
The day John's mom got there he kept saying grandma and when he saw that my mom was with me and John asked him how many grandmas he had he energetically said "TWO! Two Two Two" It was really cute. When we are counting he only counts by saying "Two" not one or three or any other number - just "two". Maybe because he will be two soon - so he's practicing for when people ask him how old he is. I don't know :)
Yesterday he would say "Bye Bye" and Kim, Mom & I would say "No No No" and shake our heads. He thought that was hillarious so he did it about a dozen times.
He is cute but I'm sure when I get back he won't let me out of his site. That's ok, I'll enjoy the suffocation for a day or two and then need another vacation. ;)

Tears

but when I left last night, I was in tears. Buddy was watching "Leah" (Signing Time - one of his favorites. He thinks all little girls with brown hair are named Leah now). I know he'll be ok, I just hope that he'll forgive me. And not think I'm "gone" (he does this with his hands palms up and shrugs his shoulders) for good.
It will be fun (and nice to sleep in a couple of days and catch up on the four books I brought). But everything reminds me of my little Buddy.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Maybe I'm a bad mom but I am SO excited for this up coming week. I am going on spring break (insert Joey saying woo hooo here) with my little sister and leaving Buddy (aka the Raptor) and John behind (only because John has to work otherwise I'd let him escape reality with me). I have a bunch of books packed (audio & regular - it's going to be a long drive) and I'm bringing my swimsuit (although the weather there hasn't been too warm - it's still warmer than here & there is a pool). It is just what a need - a break from reality (and motherhood) - to recharge my batteries.
Last year John & I went to Ecuador in January and left Buddy with my mom. It was an amazing trip and Buddy cut his first three teeth while we were gone.
This year my mother-in-law is coming to our house to watch Buddy. I think it will be a great bonding time and John will still be here at night so I think Buddy will be fine. I have an awesome hubby (& wonderful mother-in-law) - thanks (in advance) for watching him.
I've decided that I need to take a Buddy-free vacation every year. Makes me appreciate him more and lets me do some mommy-free activities (I'm especially looking forward to sleeping in). Next year - we'll go international again (like Paris or Hawaii) - who's in? Start saving now. Oh - a cruise would be awesome too. Let's do a cruise.

Didn't think I'd ever miss the foot of snow on the ground

Went to Arctic Circle today to visit their play area. Didn't plan on going there but after we went to the park, I decided the $1 rootbeer float was worth it.
It's true that you don't know what you've got until it's gone. I've been complaining and moaning all winter because it's cold and it's snowy here. We went to the park last week and made sure to wear our boots because of the snow everywhere. But it was actually kind of nice because there wasn't the usual bitter-cold wind and the snow was solid / hard (not the kind you sink into or the powdery mess) and it wasn't on the play structures - just all around it. Like a white, hard play mat.
Well today we went and the warmer temperatures have made the white play mat transform into a lake of bark. The grassy area (which was the same hard snow with a little path where people had trudged through it) had been transformed into a marshy, muddy, gloop with trash & decomposing leaves everywhere. I drew the line when I saw a squirel at the base of a tree. Well it was the squirell head/front (the little paws poised like it was ready to climb) and the squirell tail - the rest was missing / decomposing. ewwwwwwwwwwwwww
Needless to say, Buddy wasn't thrilled about leaving the (nasty) park and it took some major coaxing on my part. Once we got to the fast food play area, it was a much better afternoon. Plus the rootbeer float was a nice treat.

adventures @ the library

Every Tuesday I try to get up and ready in time to take Buddy to our library story time. I don't really understand why they always have activities for toddlers in the morning - especially since it usually takes most of the morning for us to get up, bathe, get dressed, and eat something (this task is the longest some days). To add to that getting the coat & shoes on and getting out the door - well it's a work out. And Book Babies (the library storytime for children under 2) is CROWDED! If we're not there by the time the library opens then we usually have to sit in the second or third row - which is hard for Buddy because he has hard enough time focusing on the story teller when we are in the front row.
Today we made it! On the front row! I asked him if he wanted to sit on the floor & he agreed. Two minutes later he said "ma ma". I asked him if he wanted to sit on my lap & he said "No". Turns out he wanted me to sit on the floor with him. Well I'm not going to sit on the floor in a crowded (parents sitting knee to knee on the chairs) room. He got pretty ticked at that. Needless to say story time wasn't as productive as I would have liked it to be.
After story time we (meaning Buddy) wrestle the giant pillows they have in the center of the children's section, go find some books (Buddy loves taking books off the shelves & I have to hurry & grab a few board books & show him the chairs before we have 12 or so books on the floor), and find a seat. Buddy loves the little chairs & tables. He gets up & goes down. Occasionally looking at the book I am trying to read him.
Then we go to look at "mommy's books" - if I"m lucky and he's not running / yelling by then. I grab my "reserved" books - this is the greatest idea: you can go online & request books, the librarian will pull them (when they are avaliable) and put them on the shelf with your name on a slip of paper. It's awesome because I never have time to browse or look up a book in the catalog & find where it might be.
After that sometimes we go to the video section - again with me being quick to pick out a video with an animal or train on it & put it in Buddy's hand so that we don't end up with half a dozen dvds or vhs (which we don't even have a player for any more - so VHS are pointless but Buddy still likes the boxes). Then we go & see the fish.
Well the library we go to has a circular ramp that goes between the three levels (and you can see the fish pond in the center on the first floor). Today after grabbing a few books, Buddy didn't want to see the fish or look at the videos - he just wanted to go up & down the ramp. After all, who needs books when you have an awesome ramp to run up and down.

I would walk two miles...

January blahs - that is what is going on with Buddy & I.
John is VERY busy with work, teaching, and freelance. He is loving teaching and he got an award the other day for something he accomplished at work (although he isn't going to hang the certificate up in his cubicle like his other coworkers do). We are very lucky to have such a great provider for us and that we get to spend a couple of hours a night with him is even more of a plus.
But Buddy and I (well mostly me because Buddy would be satisfied if I would let him watch youtube all day - he's addicted) are ready for spring already. It's a constant battle to get him to eat anything (that sugar isn't the main ingredient aka "treats" - one of his few words), use his words (he knows some - or used to - sign language), and get him to self-entertain ("Momma" always has to be at his side playing with him).
So Wednesday we went for a walk (thanks for the suggestion Mom) - two miles. Although it seemed like more - I was wearing my regular shoes (to which I now have a sore on my heel thanking me), jeans, and a coat. Buddy was pretty pleasant most of the time. By the time we were about to turn around and head home he started to get restless - pulling off his hat (I still can't find one of his gloves from two weeks ago), kicking out of the leg cover I had on him, and showing off his self-made tatoo to the passing motorists (which is from his "draw"ing experience Tuesday - scribbles on his shin).
We have had the blessing of visits to/from "mikey" (said in a whisper & sounds more like "bikey") when Ali is working & Mike gets substitute jobs in Ammon. We also have book babies @ the library on Tuesdays and now preschool open gym @ the rec center - so I shouldn't complain. Sometimes it's just hard to answer the call to get out of bed (which this morning was Buddy telling his blanket - "No No No!") with a smile.
Well this blog post is ending - Buddy is going "uhh uhh uhhh" and has climbed onto my lap (inbetween me and the computer).
Reader participation time: what do you do to stave off the winter blahs? oh & any suggestions on how to paint with a toddler on your heels? Thanks in advance!

My body doesn't like my 1 a.m. reading

I still remember clicking off the light, putting my book aside, and pretending to be asleep whenever I would hear my parents come down the stairs. I felt lucky because my room had a built in alarm system to whenever someone might be coming to mae sure I was in bed.
Now that I have a place of my own, I can stay up and read to my hearts content - ha ha ha . The only consequence is how I feel the next day (to which I always vow to go to bed earlier). That and the fact that Buddy doesn't care how late I've stayed up- or what I was doing - it's time to get up MOM!
Well I'm showered & semi ready for the day - it's 9:20. I really should have saved finishing that book for today - my body would have felt better. Oh well. Lesson learned. At least until the next book. (and then I'll go to bed by midnight, I promise)

"This is Poison Control, how can I help you?"

"Yes, I think my son might have accidentally ingested hand sanitizer."

That's what happens if you don't pay attention to your 16 month old. Who knew that Buddy could scramble in my purse, find the hand sanitizer, and screw off the lid? (Yes it has a poppable lid, but obviously unscrewing it was easier than flipping the top)

So I called Poison Control. They verified the type of sanitizer (60% Ethyl Alcohol) and told me that he probably didn't drink it because it would taste really bad. But hey - kids eat everything. They told me to have him eat a sugar and a protein (since he hadn't eaten since lunch) to help his blood sugars (or something) and watch him for an hour. If he staggers (don't all 16 month olds stagger?) or vomits, then we're going to the ER.

Needless to say - Buddy had donuts and cheese as a pre-dinner snack. I'm sure he'll eat well tonight.

John thinks it's highly unlikely - but at least I know 1. what to do if a child does ingest hand sanitizer and 2. that all hand sanitizers should be kept on high counters and away from any possibility of Buddy reaching them.

Two new job roles

Along with my other responsibilities, I realized that I have two new job roles.

Fast food server: This morning Buddy didn't want to eat much of his breakfast. As usual, he had "too many things to get into." So after trying to feed him, cleaning him up, and letting him crawl away for the second time (I allowed 15 minutes or so in between for me to get breakfast); Buddy crawled over to where his baby food is stored. On one of the shelves above the cupboard, there was a container of peas. He proceeded to try to feed himself by biting the lid and banging the container on the ground. So I said "ok" and we put his bib on and opened the peas. At this point I was beyond enforcing the rule of eating only in the highchair, so I proceeded to sit on the floor and feed him. He would take a quick bite, crawl away to some other part of the kitchen, and come back a minute later for another bite. This proceeded until he was "done" (with 1/2 the container still left) and he started his usual spitting. At least I got some more calories in him. Apparently he is concerned about gaining weight so he's devised this new system of literally eating on the run.

Pro wrestler : For a while now Buddy has started rolling when I'm trying to get a clean diaper on him. Once I get the diaper on him I usually move us to the twin bed where I try to do up his snaps & get his pants back on. He prefers to crawl to the top of the bed (aka pillow mountain) or anywhere he can try to escape the evil mom, whose goal it is to not have her son be a streaker at the age of nine months. Over the last couple weeks, John & I have realized that sometimes we have to pin him down (with his arms under our legs) in order to get him dressed. It gets a little tiring after the fourth or fifth time in a day.

So in addition to all the roles that motherhood brings each of us, you can add pro wrestler and fast food server to your resume.

Sunday - always an adventure

For the past month now, I've been struggling to feel the spirit at church. Maybe its because I have a ten month old who won't stay still (or quiet) for more than ten minutes (unless he is asleep). I've even thought of posting a countdown until nursery (but then it's like I'm wishing Buddy's childhood away).

Well today, while out in the hall for the second time during sacrament meeting (John took him out one time too), a song popped into my head.

"Jesus once was a little child, a little child like me."

And I began to wonder. We know Jesus once was a baby, a toddler, a child, a teenager, and eventually an adult - that he went through most of the stages of a mortal life. But since He was perfect, did that mean that He wasn't a rambunctious toddler during church? I asked my sister-in-law and she solved my dilemma. She said (very matter of fact): They didn't have three hour church back in Jesus' time. I liked that!