Crazy Life

So I'm going to shock everyone and actually update my blog. I check everyone else's out pretty frequently even though I don't always comment (quite often I'm interrupted or have a child in my lap).

We've had so much going on the last 6 weeks or so. First we had Logan's christening out at my mom's along with my cousin Brandy's daughter, Ella. We had it at my mom's for several reasons. The biggest being that the minister, Fred Hall, that performed the ceremony married my parents and christened my sister and I. He also married Bobby and I and christened Austin. He also married Brandy's parents, christened her and married her and Chuck. Fred is retired and no longer has a church. We had just close family and it really made it a much more intimate event.


I forgot we also went to the aquarium with some family that got to dive with the whale sharks. That was really cool! It's worked out where we've taken Austin every year for the last 3 years. We didn't plan it this way but it's been great to see how he reacts differently each time he goes.


We also had several weeks of colds, sinus infections and ear infections but we're finally better.

Austin finally adjusted to me dropping him off at school in the mornings only to begin having discipline problems at school i.e. biting, hitting, pushing, etc. I almost pulled him and to send him to a different school due to the lack of communication from the teacher about trying to resolve these issues but we ended up having a conference and now have had two great weeks of much improved behavior. Of course this is a summary because if I had written about it at the time, it would have been multiple pages because it was incredibly stressful for me. I read a quote recently in a magazine that was something like "parenting gets physically easier as your child gets older but it gets much harder mentally." This was incredibly true for this situation and made me fear the problems we have ahead of us.

Coinciding with Austin's behavior problems was my grandfather having lung surgery to remove a spot that was believed to be cancer (I think this might have affected Austin's behavior but it's really hard to know at his age). Once it was removed it was confirmed as cancer. He stayed in ICU at the VA for a week before he got to come home. It is a hard recovery for a 76 year old but he's doing well. They haven't decided on a treatment plan as of yet but will soon. This is my mom's dad and I'm quite certain he'll make it through this. He's already had 2 other types of cancers and beat them. He had prostate cancer when I was younger and I really don't remember all of the details. Then he had colon cancer in 2000 just 4 months before my dad was diagnosed. (Yes, that means I have a VERY high risk which is which why I'm a little paranoid about toxins in our homes and environment, demanded to have my 1st colonoscopy at 26 and will have one every 5 years...it is not fun but it's really not that bad and anyone who won't do it because that don't want to go through it is an IDIOT because it could truly save your life like it did for my grandfather).

I also went to my 10 year high school reunion, which was really disappointing. Ida, you did a great job but I know you were disappointed in the turnout as well. Either way I got to catch up with a few of my friends I don't really see often enough so it was definitely worth it.

This week has been one Halloween party after another and sugars highs and crashes. :) My kids are at such a fun stage right now and really make you realize how wonderful life can be.

Boys

I've been meaning to share about a book that I read recently. For those of you that have boys it's a must and if you're a teacher it will help you understand a little more about these troublemakers that just can't sit still like the girls.

So last year Austin had some problems in preschool. He'd hit, throw toys, tackle the other kids and not listen to the teachers. When his teachers would tell me about his days it always seemed like they were implying that I needed to do a better job of parenting yet in the same conversation they would say "well he's just a boy." So...is this normal or did I somehow end up with one of those kids that teachers hate despite my best efforts to raise a well-rounded child. He also never really talked to them the whole year.

We tried all kinds of things at home to get him to behave at school but to no avail. So the school year ended with his teacher recommending that he repeat 2 year old preschool. What?!? There are more details but after talking with many friends that were elementary school teachers with a lot of experience, I went with my gut feeling and their advice and enrolled him in a 3 year old program at another school. I couldn't believe that I was having to deal with such decisions so early.

So over the summer I finally bought this book that I had read about a few months prior called "It's a Boy! Understanding Your Son's Development from Birth to Age 18" by Michael G Thompson PhD and Teresa Barker. I felt so much better about where Austin was developmentally and realized that the problem wasn't him but the teachers he had. Boys just need a different type of approach.

Which leads me to another great source about this same topic. I was watching the Today show yesterday morning when they ran a segment on Why Schools Are Failing Boys. They showed a school that was teaching kids by using more physical activity throughout the day instead of requiring them to sit still. This way the boys were more engaged and focused but the girls weren't left out by this type of teaching either.



So while I think it's great that strides are being made to help us understand and educate boys, I fear that these advancements won't be in place by the time my boys are in school. I know I'll have to find a way to be an advocate for them if they're ever in an environment that doesn't facilitate their learning while trying not to become one of those parents that teachers hate.

The Complications of Making Mommy Friends

I know it's been forever since I've posted. Although I've probably drafted 100 posts in my head. The boys are doing great and we're liking Austin's new preschool. But this post isn't about my kids but me. Those other stay at home moms know how little time there is for that. I'm not discounting that working mothers don't have a lot of time either but there is that escape even though I know it's hard to be away from your kids.

So back to where I was going. Why does it become so much harder to make friends once you're a mom? I've been staying home for over 3 years now and happen to be the president of a moms group but I have still not found that person that I really click with. There have been a few times that it's been "maybe this is someone I can get close with" but then it doesn't happen. Maybe it's that there are so many more criteria. If you really disagree with someone's parenting choices, it's hard to be good friends. Of course the amount of time that you have to get to know someone is much smaller because well you keep getting interrupted by the kids.

The financial differences can make it complicated too. Some moms have to pinch every penny and others have a little more freedom with their money. The hurdle here is that some are inconsiderate about the costs when planning things while on the other spectrum others are constantly complaining about how much things cost.

I do still have a few friends that have been around forever but distance keeps us apart. Some would be there for me no matter what and others have disappointed me when I really needed them. But that the way things work out as time changes us and our situations.

So what is a mom to do? Obviously I need to quit feeling sorry for myself and just keep putting myself in new situations because that other mom that's also looking for a friend is probably just around the corner.

Quotes From A 3 Year Old

Austin has said some pretty hilairous things this week that I just had to share.

Last night Bobby and Austin were outside and Austin was trying to catch a butterfly (he is obsessed with ALL bugs). The butterfly flew away and he said, "Bye-bye butterfly, thanks for coming!"

After having an accident in his bed earlier this week we let Austin climb up in our bed and sleep with us the rest of the night. As he was snuggling up with his daddy he said, "Put the blanket on me, my skin is cold!" The very next day he told me that, "I got seaweed in my pants last night." Hmmm....I wonder if this is why we had the accident?

Catching Up

OK so I FINALLY got my computer back last Wednesday. The IT guy had to run several reboot programs to remove the 5 viruses that had decided to make my computer their new home. Thankfully my hard drive and files were all saved. However, I am not using McAfee anymore because it obviously did not help. We're using avast! which is supposed to be a lot better so check it out if your virus program expires soon.

In other news, the boys are growing both physcially and mentally like weeds. I amazed at how well they can play together now. Logan just thinks Austin is the absolute coolest person in the world. Austin will take a toy train and push it across the room and here comes Logan chasing after him. Of course there are still bad days like today when Austin bit Logan on the head twice! I keep a close eye on them but it happens in an instant. It's maddening to deal with but I know that it's all about jealousy.

Playing with their Leap Frog Learn Around Playground

Austin's language skills are improving at such a dramatic rate it is just blowing my mind. He misses nothing. The other day Bobby was looking for a lighter for the grill and wondering out loud where it was. Austin of course told him exactly where it was because he knows where everything is. (Thankfully it's in a drawer that Austin can't open) He's also begun "reading" his books and I set him in his window seat that Bobby's dad made him and he stayed there for a long time.

He looks so grown up!!

Also Logan has started standing up and makes it his mission to pull himself up on everything possible. He also wants you to hold him so that he can walk. I know that walking on his on is in the not so distant future.

Colds, Computer Viruses and Time Flies By

Title says it all! We all got a cold the week of the 14th. I think I had it worst though! It's probably due to the sleep deprivation. It was one of those where you just keep going from hot to cold because of a fever. Trying to take care of 2 kids who are also sick just plain crazy! This is definitely one of those times when I wished we lived closer to the grandmothers. Thankfully my mother-in-law came over the day I was the sickest to take care of the boys and let me sleep! Of course as I was getting better Logan got sick. At first he was the happiest baby with a fever I had ever seen but then the only way I was able to get him to sleep was by snuggling him into bed with me and setting the Pack N Play back up in our room. Did I mention that Bobby had to go out of town 1 night during all of this? Well all better now and it trully proves how much more you can handle than you think you can.

As for the computer....It has a horrible virus. One of those that attacks from multiple fronts. I think it was an e-mail that Bobby opened the night before I started it up and it attacked. After an unsuccessful fix provided by McAfee (think I'm switching after this thing got through) and the advice Jessica gave me didn't help (which I trully do appreciate), I sent it to work with Bobby to let their IT guy reformat the hard drive. I know I could have done it but I just don't have the time and he can do it so much faster. Evidently they had a similar virus on a couple of their work computers a few years ago so hopefully I'll get it back tomorrow! Two weeks of only being able to check my e-mail when Bobby brings his laptop home from work has been quite an adjustment. I haven't even been able to balance my checkbook (I manage all of our finances with Quicken).

So I was going to originally post about the great week that I had at the beginning of July. For my birthday my mom got me a horse back riding trip at this great ranch near Madison, Southern Cross Guest Ranch. It was only 2 hours but wonderful to get out and do something for myself. I took lessons in elementary school and had horses until middle school so it was passion that I let go and was glad to experience again. Me and sister have both been about having experiences to remember lately. So I didn't want anymore "stuff" and wanted to do something I enjoyed. By the way this place is a great bed and breakfast if you need a weekend away that isn't far away. It might seem a little pricey but considering all that's included it's a pretty good deal.

I also organized a speaker from Safe Kids Georgia to come talk to our local MOMS Club about car seat safety. I somehow have been talked into being the president of our group going on 2 years now so I'm in charge of keeping things interesting. Anyway she was able to answer a lot of questions for moms about car seat safety including the more controversial issue of booster seats. I was so glad to be able to provide my mom friends info to help protect their kids. One mom is now on a mission to get the elementary school her daughter goes to, to get the staff informed about safety and only allow children to be placed in the back seat of the vehicle. It is really scary so of the stuff we've seen people do including police officers. Which reminds me, if you do ever get your seat checked make sure that it is done by a Child Passenger Safety Technician. Sometimes there are seat checks provided but the people doing the checking don't really know what they're doing. So make sure that you ask to be sure!

Sorry no photos. I'll get some up when I get my computer back. I'll post more later but this is already so long and it's getting close to my bedtime. :)

Photos

Here is the link to our photos. Phanfare is back to not requiring you to register. I'll put a permanent link on the blog. I'll post more later. We've been busy this week!

Logan is crawling!

I will admit that this did happen last week but being a mommy of 2 boys leaves little free time to do things like update a blog when something happens. It's just a little bit crazy that he's doing it at 6 months. Austin crawled at 7 months and Logan was constantly kicking when I was pregnant so I guess it's to be expected. Here are a couple of action shots.

Getting ready to go



Off he goes to get into big brother's toys

Exhausted from all that activity!

Austin is also getting a lot better with Logan. They'll play together and Austin wants to help take care of him. Sometimes if Logan is napping he'll ask where he is and want to go get him up. Logan thinks Austin is the funniest thing and it is so wonderful to hear him cracking up over somthing his big brother did. I still have to a constant eye on them though because every now and then Austin will do something to hurt Logan on purpose. I think he just wants to see what Logan will do and what I'll do as well.

Cloth Diaper Experiment Update

It truly is not harder to cloth diaper. It didn't seem to make a bit of difference to Logan. I know some people think its gross but wait until you're in the midst of potty training especially if you have a boy. Cloth diapers are no worse than that and honestly the messes are contained unlike the accidents your child has in their underwear. Of course Austin was one who would pull his pants down and pee and poop in the floor because he thought it was funny (that's boys for you). The gross factor has long since been overcome in this house.

One thing I was disappointed about in my trial pack of diapers was the number of diapers that weren't cotton. A lot of them were made of polyester including fleece and microfiber. They just seemed really warm especially with the heat we're having now. So my favorites so far are the cotton prefolds and the Bum Genius Organic All in One. Only cotton touches your baby with these unlike the others. I like the idea of the fitted because they're faster than the prefolds and you still have to use a cover but I didn't like the one that was sent to me. I'm going to try some bamboo fitteds because bamboo is super absorbant, organic and naturally antibacterial. I thought I'd also try a wool cover because it is a breathable fabric and waterproof. So we'll see how these new options will work.

I admit I was thinking about not continuing to do this because I already do so much laundry but Logan got a rash Monday that covered his entire diaper area and I'm really not sure what caused it. It's not like a typical diaper rash but more of a reaction to something (I know this because Austin has a grass allergy and that's what it looked like). I've been using the cloth diapers and airing it out and it seems to be going away now. So that pretty much sealed the deal for me. I'm still going to use disposables when we leave the house and at night until I'm more comfortable with the cloth though.

Austin is 3!

I admit that I fully intended on keeping more up to date on my posts but Austin's 3rd birthday was last weekend so I was incredibly busy getting everything ready for that. I have got to find a way to make these birthday parties less stressful for us. I mean hamburgers and hotdogs with a few sides are supposed to be easy and stress free. Yes, I did make the cake (it is a caterpillar) but it was done on Friday night. Yet somehow I was running around like crazy and didn't get to socialize with everyone and enjoy the party. Next year I think it's nugget trays and hoggies from Publix so we don't have to cook anything while everyone is here.

Waiting patiently to eat the cake.

Austin did get a lot of cool stuff this year though. He was actually interested in all the things that he got which is a change from the last few years. Every day he seems more grown up to me. It is going by way too fast!

Green Mama

It started innocently enough with eating healthier, buying more organic foods and using cleaning products that don't let off VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Then our sanitation service started offering free recycling and we recycle as much as we can. I've even bought the reusable grocery bags and yes I do use them. I'm even phasing out some of our plastic dishes and toys due to the possible health risks. http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/17/914073.aspx

But now my husband thinks I've lost my mind. I decided to try cloth diapers. I mean considering how expensive disposables are, why not? Also how safe is that gel that collects all of that moisture anyway? People haven't been using them long enough for there to be any information on the long term effect. I was inspired by a cousin of mine who has cloth diapers on her baby registery. I actually researched the gDiapers (cloth with flushable liners) when I was pregnant with Logan. But we have had issues with our septic tank and I didn't think it would be a good idea to flush all of that stuff. So I didn't do anymore research until this week.

There is SO much info on cloth diapers and so many options. There are All In Ones that are pretty much like disposable and you just toss in your laundy. There are Pocket diapers, where you insert a pad into the cover. Then there are prefolds, which are much like what our mothers may have used except you don't have to use pins but something called a Snappi. There are also many types of material including cotton, wool and bamboo. You could spend hours researching this stuff (and I have). So basically I found this site that allows you to try out various types for 21 days for only $10 http://www.jilliansdrawers.com . I ordered it and they arrived today. I need to wash them and then we'll try them out.

For all of you green mamas, I found this other cool site of earth friendly shops that you might want to check out. http://www.hyenacart.com

Beginnings

I've recently gotten addicted to reading other people's blogs so I guess the next obvious step is to start my own. Basically for me it's going to be away to get some stuff out of my head. My husband doesn't always want to hear about it all so why not just share it with the world? :)

I first wanted it to be like a vent but after a week at the beach I've decided it's going to be more positive than that. I'm working on complaining less and trying to be more positive.

I admit the positive thing has always been a challenge for me. However the last 3 years have brought some seriously life altering events. My first son, Austin, was born in June 2005. He brought more joy and happiness to my life than I have ever experienced.

Also during this time my dad was undergoing treatment for colon cancer. He was first diagnosed in October 2000. He had surgery to remove the massive growth and went through chemo. Tests in 2001 showed he was cancer free. Unfortunately tests in April of 2004 showed that the cancer was back. It was mine and my husband's one year wedding anniversary and we had originally wanted to wait until we were married for 2 years before trying to get pregnant. But I had this gut feeling that maybe this time things wouldn't work out for my dad and I wanted him to at least get to meet one of his grandchildren. Thankfully my dad did get to do that if only for a short while. He passed away in March of 2006. I'm sure I'll get more in depth about this later because I'll admit that I have not fully dealt with it.

We decided to have another baby and my second son, Logan, was born in December 2007. I'm sure that anyone else that has boys can understand how crazy it can get with their nonstop energy. Right after Logan was born, Bobby's dad got sick and doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. They finally figured out at the beginning of March that he had an extremely rare uncurable blood disease called Amyloidosis. He probably had had it for a few years but the symptoms are such that it makes it hard to diagnose and it had affected all of his organs. He ended up passing away the middle of March.

So you see, we've been through quite a lot. It's change the way that I look at A LOT of things. I am determined that these events are going to make me a better person. I appreciate my friends and family a lot more. I try to let go of any anger I have more easily but thats hard. Hopefully this blog will help me do those things.