the shoe patch

a friend of mine recently said that God made our children with our weaknesses in mind. i'm sure that's true in many ways, but one in particular stands out to me... maybe because it's an every-day occurrence here in our house.

i tend to be very absent-minded and distracted most of the time... especially when it comes to misplacing things. in particular, my keys. i can never, ever remember where i set my keys down. in fact, my entire adult life i've given myself a ten-minute-key-finding-time allowance as part of my daily routine. my son however is quite attentive to detail and always knows where everything is...everything. so naturally, i've learned to ask him as we're heading out the door where i put my keys, and he will either go get them, or tell me where they are. it's fantastic! so much better than one of those key chains that beep when you whistle.

among the many other things i misplace are my shoes... also at the top of that list. however, i've found that i usually kick them off under my desk or in front of the bookcase as i walk in. usually. this story has a point, i promise. so the other day, i'm searching for my shoes and i call on the services of my little finder.

me: "z, do you know where mommies shoes are?"

z: "no, did you check your shoe patch?"

and that is how my closet became known as the shoe patch.

The Mob... and other stuff

I got stopped by The Mob earlier this week… let me back up.

There’s a group of moms that stand outside z’s school every morning. They’re your stereo-typical private-school-moms. They stand in the parking lot in their Ann Taylor capri’s and LL Bean trench coats, gabbing about who knows what… I can only assume it’s about how wonderful their husbands are. I’ve affectionately named them The Mob.

Every day for the past four months I walk past them, trying my best to not make eye contact. Even so, I find myself intrigued. This whole mom-thing is such a challenge for me, and I wonder what it must be like to be one of the “super-moms”. I love being a mom, and have experienced nothing greater in my life… but know sometimes I'm not that good at it. I crack under stress and pressure... struggle with finances and time, or more so the lack there of. I find myself wondering what it must be like to have nothing to do all day… other than chauffeur my children to school, soccer, and ballet... in a leather interior Excursion with decals on the back that say Caleb and Skyler.

Anyway… back to my story…

On my way back to my car, passing by The Mob, I felt a pair of eyes staring at me. I look over and make eye contact. I smile, she smiles back. I’m thinking to myself… ‘crap, I don’t have my sunglasses on and I think she saw me?’ … then she reaches out and touches my arm. ‘oh no… what? What do they want with me? Am I about to be recruited to decorate the cafeteria?’

Then she says, “You have the most beautiful skin. It’s like a porcelain doll, and we want to know what you use.”

“oh!” … “um... noxema,” I say.

As they chatter amongst themselves... I nervously look away then back, smiling. ‘Could that be all? Are they done with me? Can I go?’

“do you wear makeup”… one of them asks.

“yeah, sometimes,” I reply. ‘Is this friendly fire?’ … asking myself as I look around at their skin, hair, nails, eyes… contemplating whether or not to respond with compliments, I choose to say nothing.

“My husband would be mortified if he saw me dressed like this, but sometimes I just don’t feel like getting showered and dressed in the morning.” She looked cute to me, but what do I know. Well, I know she had a Louis Vuitton handbag…

Anyway… back to my story.

“I really need to get back to work” … I say nervously, and duck away.

Letting out a big sigh as I start my car, ‘that was torture’, I think to myself.

However the drive back to my real life was pretty thought provoking.

The past few years have been rough, but have I become so completely jaded that I’m now the person that judges others? Judges others for no reason? Am I THAT person? The truth is, I don’t know. But I don’t like it.

Nothing thrills me more than driving my son to school while he sings along to Bob and Larry’s Sunday Morning Songs. And part of me sometimes wants to be one of those moms with nothing better to do than chauffeur my kids around. But, I’m a career mom. I love my work, and I love the people I work for. My career is not only essential for survival, but it’s a part of who I am. I’m very lucky to get to balance the career/mom lifestyle. Sometimes, I just wish I knew how to do it better.

um, no

whoever thinks that this is okay...

i'm here to state for the record that it most definitely is not.

dermawhatever

i saw this ad on ebay (trying to christmas shop and avoid malls at the same time.)

this is so stupid.

i'm all for anti-aging products. but give me a break.

at the bottom it says (results not typical)

uh, ya think?

can i just say, i'm SOOO sure!!!

um, exsqueeze me... you did NOT just say that!

you can never be prepared for the day that your son says to you,

"hush your mouth... (wait for it...) ... ho."

yup, "ho"

after an in-depth conversation, he has no idea what it means. thank goodness.

but still... ho?

i guess it's a good thing he's not an angry teen spewing hatred at me. i guess it's better that he's four and has no idea what it means. i guess.

he attends a private christian school... which is where he picked up that lovely line.

how much more protective can i get? what will happen when/if he attends public school... what kinds of things do kindergartners learn these days?

pine cones and forced distraction

i'm so tired of the news, the economic crisis, and the political race.

i usually make it a point to avoid such things, yet as of late have found myself utterly wrapped up in the mind-numbing mix.

so... i'm done. what will be will be. i've cast my ballot and i'm moving on.

to pine cones.

yes, pine cones.

i walked into the store today and my nose led me directly to these heavenly smelling cinnamon scented pine cones. i wish you could smell them.

go get your own, and you can.

they remind me of everything i love about this season, and make me smile every time i walk past them.

it's a little piece of heaven on earth.

Life...

today i had to explain to z the concept of not always getting what we want.

he is used to getting a toy EVERY time we go to the store... dependent upon his behavior. in hind site, not the best way to get a child to behave. but hey, it worked. and you learn to do whatcha gotta do.

but... times are tough. my new single-mom budget is down to the last dollar. literally. so, even a $5 toy seems excessive these days.

i've been breaking him into it gently... explaining that i'm very proud of him for doing so well, but we can't always get a toy.

i think i took it a little too far today though, in my stress-ridden state. as i carried him screaming from the store, because he wanted a bear that he saw, and was terrified that some other child would get it, i told him that some other child WILL get the toy and that is life, and he will just have to deal with it. "sometimes we just don't get the things we want, and sometimes other people do, and that is just life." ... i think is how i put it.

to which he replied "i don't want life then"

yeah... i get that.

lord help us!

another weekend almost gone...

week after week... time seems to be slipping away. we just started a new month, and the new year will be here in the blink of an eye....

i remember the days, pre-motherhood, that i use to look forward to the weekends of relaxation, long baths and getting lost in a good book.... starting back to work on monday rested and refreshed.

boy how things change. now my weekends consist of cleaning crusty cheerios off my dining room furniture, figuring out how to get gum out of the carpet and melted purple crayon out of my vacuum cleaner... not to mention meal planning, grocery shopping, washing the sheets... and all the other household chores we all do.

weekends are much busier than weekdays now.

today, i found an interesting stash zach's been collecting in his bathroom drawer... it consisted of an earring, a sharpie lid, a spool of thread, a barrette, an eraser, a straw, a cotton ball, and the plastic tray that lifesaver gummies come in, but instead of candy it was filled with coins. strange. it made me think of thimbletack, from the spiderwick chronicles. it also made me smile, and cherish the uniqueness of the precious little gift God has placed in my life.

as much as i miss the carefree days... and boy do i miss them... i wouldn't trade the life i've enjoyed as a mother for anything in the world. as challenging as it can be at times to balance a full-time career/full-time mother lifestyle... i know that all too soon i'll be sending him off to college and have nothing to do but take long baths and read books. with that in mind, my goal is to not only cherish the beautiful moments of motherhood, but do my best to create meaningful moments we'll both hold on to forever.

when i arrived home from picking up z after school today there was a woman standing in my front yard, smoking a cigarette and holding a small chiuaua.

she informed me that she had been trying to catch a small black dog that ran into my back yard. not her dog, but a dog she saw on the street in front of my house.

she then informed me that she had been in my back yard, chasing after the dog.... and moved some toys of zach's and my potted plants... trying to block the dog in.

then she says... "i hope you don't mind."

uhhhh, yeah i mind. hello, boundaries people. i guess she's one of those that asks for forgiveness instead of permission.

anywho, time to get a lock for the gate.

WOW

leave it to my good friend julie to unearth this article.... she always sends me good stuff but THIS is something we should all take a look at.

check out her latest blog post.

my pinky purse

my childhood friend, now blog friend pinky, posted a great blog the other day.

i've since given it a lot of thought and have pieces of it on my mind throughout the day. i've always been one to conform... fly under the radar.... hide in the shadows as to go unnoticed. i'm for sure one of those that has lost the spark and joy that she talks about... the me i used to know and like.

i've often found myself basing my decisions on what stands out the least... and not so much what i like.... hence my closet full of black clothes. i've even been known to not wear something if i get complimented too much on it.... because attention makes me uncomfortable.

BUT.... i've decided to actively work on that...i'm going to stop hiding.

so, with that in mind, i've taken my first baby-step. i've been eyeing this big ... really big... bright fire engine red canvas bag. i really like it... but said to myself i could never carry it because stands out too much ... then i bought it anyway. and i love carrying it. it's working as a major confidence booster.

thanks pinky, for the inspiration! i may not have fire engine red hair... yet. but with my pinky purse strapped to my shoulder i have the confidence and attitude! :)

this isn't just about a purse... but the step towards valuing my own opinion... liking something because i like it, and not basing my decisions on what others will think. this may be a very small step, but the concept is huge for me, thank you pinky for opening my eyes.

empty me

this is the most amazing and wonderful song.

i wish i could photoshop out the heads. :)

weekends

the weekends without z are bittersweet. the time alone to de-stress is nice... although most of the weekend is spent cleaning up after his week of experiments and exploration.

the other day i found a cup of honey sitting on the counter, next to the empty bottle of syrup. when i asked him what that was all about, he replied that he tried to drink a cup of honey, but when that failed he chugged the syrup instead.

nice!

nonetheless, i always find myself anxious to pick him up and get things back to normal. i don't know how dads, and even some moms live without their children. it must be excruciating.

the only positive i can find out of it all (and i have to find one because i'm a half-full kinda gal) ... is that i often find myself taking the time to reflect on the week and figure out how i can improve myself as a mother and improve zach's life... and then commit to doing that.

parenting is hard. really hard. so this is in honor of all the mom's and dad's who have made the commitment and sacrifices it takes to be a parent.... and the kid's that have to put up with us....

how to peel a hard-boiled egg

my mom sent me this... i haven't tried it yet but i definately will... and then let you know how it worked out for me. somehow, i don't see it working this way for me. i dunno?

Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. Stand up with our President and fight. We're Americans. We're Americans, and we'll never surrender. They will.

-John McCain

best thing / worst thing

since zach's been in school, i've been trying to stick to a best thing / worst thing about the day... otherwise he says he doesn't remember anything.

today i asked him what the best thing was... and the conversation went a little something like this...

z. "i don't know... oh, ice cream."

m. "you didn't have ice cream today."

z. "oh yeah, that was the other day."

m. "so what was the best thing?"

z. "i dunno."

m. "what was the worst thing?"

z. "i got a yellow face."

(the goal is to have a green face... yellow is middle... red is bad)

m. "oooohhh. why did you get a yellow face?"

z. "i dunno"

m. "well let me see...."


i pull out his folder to read this note from his teacher...


" Zachary has been eating the other
children's erasers off their pencils. "


that was unexpected.


so we had a discussion about all the reasons why eating erasers isn't a good idea.... while i did my best to suppress the laughter welling up inside me.

oh, the reason for eating the erasers...

z. "i like them"


fair enough.

politics on the brain

what a busy time of year... the THIRD week of school is starting tomorrow... i can't believe how time fly's.

i'm excited about the upcoming election... FINALLY... after watching the republican national convention. so much so i've already been online to order my yard sign and bumper stickers. i even signed up to go door to door! what was i thinking?

busy... busy... busy

heard this song today... liked it

counting my blessings

i've been asking God a lot lately why bad things keep happening to me.

it just seems like i've been taking one hit after another lately.

i think He gently reminded me of something today.

i used to really not like the song, Praise You In This Storm, by Casting Crowns.

it's hard to do, praise God when things are bad.

until a few years ago, when looked back and saw through my lifetime the countless number of times i experienced storms... and on the other side of every one was something far better than what i had before.

so i've learned, to praise God not only during a storm... but for the storm.

it's really hard to do, when it's happening. but i have faith that God has some reason for all this.

now i love the song, and i'm so thankful to God every time i hear it. storms aren't fun, but they're a part of God's plan... and even feels like He's working on something.

i remember when i had to leave my husband under not so good circumstances... i had been a stay-at-home mom with zachary for two years. i had to find a job, and there were NO job openings in my field.

talk about a storm.

i took a leap of faith and started a job, in sales of all things. i was successful, in spite of myself. but i HATED my job. it was not the field or job for me... but it lead me to my current employer. i'm so very blessed to work for people and a company that i adore and respect.

so... bring on the storm. i'm in God's hands.

i need a "seacrest out"

i don't have a good "out" line





my friend pinky has a great one.... "Steady on,"






i'd like to have something to take for a test drive.





any suggestions?

we saw my sister and her family recently, for the first time in over a year. watching zach interact with is cousins was so precious.

i wish i had been able to video tape every moment...

this one in particular was the cutest thing i have ever heard. my niece, kyla, was born ten days before zach.... and are now both four and a half years old. they were discussing God as i listened and tried to record every word to memory. the conversation went something like this:

z: did you know there's blood in your head?

k: yeah, you know that there's blood in your eyes?

z: my eyes?

k: everyone's eyes.

z: can you see the blood in my eyes?

k: no, it's like God in your heart.

z: what?

k: like God is in your heart.

z: not my heart.

k: yes He is... or you'd be dead

z: mom!!???

k: He's in your heart or you would be dead. He's in everyone's heart...

z: how does that work?

k: all the blood goes out of you and you die.

z: oh. how does God get in your heart.

k: i don't know...

z: i think he divides himself in to lots of little gods and crawls into your heart. God can do anything, He can do that. what do you think?

k: yeah, maybe.

z: mom?

m: yeah?

z: how does God get in your heart?

m: well, it's like this... God lives in heaven... but he has a spirit, that is called the Holy Spirit. the Holy Spirit lives on earth and can divide Himself like you guys were saying to live in everyone's heart.

thinking pause...

k: i think it's robots.

z: yeah, it's robots.

mystery solved

song of the moment...

to feel bad... or not to feel bad?

that is the question... for today anyway.

yesterday i was in the grocery store picking up a few things and z asked for some gummie-worms.

i said "no"

he shoved them back on the shelf, crossed his arms, and huffed... mumbling something under his breath i couldn't understand.

anyway, the lady in front of us kept staring at him... then me... then back at him. looking us up and down.

i'm used to us attracting attention... but usually i get a laugh, or a knowing nod or wink. but she relentlessly looked us over with disgust.

i gave her the what-look.... you know the one... shrugged shoulders, hands palm up.

to which she replies... "don't look at me, i'm not the incompetent parent whose child is throwing a fit in the store."

i was actually impressed at the way zach handled that. he was disappointed... but didn't take it to the extreme.

she kept staring at me... expecting a response. obviously looking for a fight.

so i just gave her my most sincere empathetic look and said in my sweetest voice ... "it must be so sad, being you."

she turned bright red and for a second i thought she was going to hit me... then tears welled up in her eyes. she didn't look at me again... finished checking out, then left.

normally i don't think i would have responded... but she happened to catch me at a time when i've been REALLY stressed, tired, and a bit edgy.

plus she was talking about my kid... and that brings out the fighter in me.

the cashier was grinning ear to ear at me.... but i couldn't rejoice. i felt too bad.

i can't help feeling bad.

but then again... people shouldn't go looking for trouble.

i simply do not understand people that obtrusively involve themselves in other's personal business.

i'm EXTREMELY shy, a little anti-social, and somewhat private. yet, i seem to attract all the weirdo's that butt in where they don't belong.

anyway... i'm torn between feeling just in that she got what she deserved... and feeling bad for not just turning the other cheek.

the ATTACK of the CRAZY NEIGHBOR... or something like that

today ranks up there in the top of my worst days ever.

ugh!

i'm a wreck after this morning's incident.

i guess it's my own fault... because as i was going to sleep last night i thought to myself..."what's number three?"

bad things always come in three's...

yesterday zachary stuffed a tiny ball up his nose. i called our doctor (who pulled a rock from zach's nose about a year ago) but it was after 5pm and the nurse said to go to the emergency room......

in a last stitch effort to avoid that nightmare... i plugged the opposite nostril and told him to blow. on the third try the little yellow ball went flying across the room.

... THEN... after dinner and a bath we were brushing our teeth. i left zach to go floss and upon my return he had emptied the toothpaste onto the counter and proceeded to eat it.

why is my four and a half year old acting like he's going through the terrible twos again???

anywho... i called poison control and after assessing that he would had to have eaten over a half a tube to be toxic, she gave me some instructions... which required me to stay up for a few more hours and monitor him. he's fine.

as it happens... number three hit this morning. and boy was it a doozie.

my sister dropped off my niece for the morning, the kids were playing and i was working in my office when the doorbell rang profusely.

i hurry to see who it is... and it's the crazy neighbor.

i open the door... hesitantly... and she begins bellowing at me that her dogs have been attacked and she thinks it was my dogs. she demands that i come over to her house immediately.

of course i can't with the kids here so i tell her "let me go to the back" and i hurry to our backdoor... only to find my two sweet dogs half asleep on my patio. ???

i go outside and over to the fence and see her two lhasa apso's jumping at her feet... looking pretty beat up. one's eye is bloody and the other has blood on his little neck. so sad. she said his eye is coming out of it's head... but it's a lhasa apso. don't they do that anyway?

my neighbor begins yelling at me and telling me that my dogs come into her back yard "all the time" through a hole in her fence.

i notice small dog poop in my yard where i'm standing and say "looks like yours come over here too"

"yes" she replies... "they go back and forth all the time" ... and then begins to yell at me about that.

it's her darn fence.

but nonetheless... i humor her then ask "why haven't you told me about this?"

this is the woman to comes banging on my door when any dog in the neighborhood barks. my dogs were fast asleep in my bedroom one afternoon and she came over accusing them of barking and disturbing her nap. there are dogs at EVERY house on my block.... next door... behind us... they're everywhere. my dog's reside in the house most of the day... and sleep locked in every night. yet still she insists they bark at night. i've tried explaining that it's impossible... but no... to her, it's them.

what can i do? the woman is impossible.

she yells at me for even questioning why she hasn't told me about the hole before and then demands that i come with her to the vet. "you're taking responsibility for this" she yells at me.

i try to rationalize with her to no avail. she's just an irrational screaming mess.

she threatens me.... cusses at me ... and freaks out zach and grace... so i tell her i'll have to talk to her about it when she calms down. and we go back inside.

then... animal control shows up at my door. almost instantly. they were in the area because a pit bull has been on the loose and attacked a beagle up the road.

so i give my side of the incident to the officer... let her know that my dogs seemed to be asleep when the attack occurred. i told her she should look in to the possibility of it being that pit bull that attacked my neighbors dogs... and she leaves shortly after.

so then my neighbor comes banging on the door again... "what are you going to do about this"

"my sister will be here this afternoon, i'll come talk to you about it then"

then she rants off... ending with "if your dog attacks my son in a wheelchair i'll own you!"

i'll own you???

she has a 22 year old son with cerebral palsy who sits in the front yard a lot in his wheelchair. zach calls him "my friend"

she comes BACK over a few minutes later and begins her threats and demands again... so i ask her to leave, "you're upsetting my child" .. i say "i'll have to come talk to you this afternoon"

to which she replies "B-TCH" "you f-ing b-tch"

i mean... who does that? what kind of person acts that way? it's not like i did anything to her... IF anything... my dog messed up. but that is SO highly unlikely i'm not even willing yet to look at that as a possibility.

so i slammed the door in her face.

took some deep breaths.

then called the police. yep... i did.

the deputy i spoke to was really nice, and he said based on her actions i should file a trespassing order to keep her away from us.

i didn't do that... but i told him that if she comes back over here i will.

then, a few hours later, the sheriff of the county calls me. evidently the crazy lady is after me and i think he took pitty on me ... said he would drop everything if maddie, my sweet mellow little lab mix, is removed from his county.

well... what he actually said was that as long as i live next to the wacktard, maddie can't be in the county... but if i move then there would be no issue.

so basically... they don't think my dog is dangerous... but because craziness won't let it go.... she's forced his hand and me and my dog have to take the fall.

so... my sweet dog has to go. it's not right... it's just not right.

she's going back to live with my ex-husband, permanently.... which will be fine.

z's a little sad... but such is life i guess.

i'm mostly upset about being attacked by miss crazy pants.... and that this is my neighbor. she actually said to me "i've had nothing but problems with you since you've moved in"

me!?! i don't have parties, i don't even own a stereo, and i'm in bed by 10:00 every night. i hardly ever see her... and when i do i try to avoid her. i just don't get it.

so... it's been one big fat bummer of a day.

meal of the week...the best salmon in town

if your a "foodie" like me you love trying the "best" of whatever it may be.

i've had some good salmon... but nothing compares to the grilled salmon my best friend's husband fixed for us on my recent vacation to el paso.

store bought... FROZEN salmon fillets. who'd of thunk it!

he grilled them... but i cooked them in the oven.

simply wonderful.

add saffron rice... from the little yellow bag.

yum.

and some asparagus... with a little salt and butter buds....

and my friends.... THIS is the best salmon in town.

i gua-ron-tee it!

AND... for the frugal gourmet... keep the left over salmon for tasty salads during the week!

here's soap in your eye...

or is it spit... or mud? either way, it's a dumb saying. but it just so happens to be what popped in to my head when i began this blog.

single parenting can have its advantages.... as an independent person, i prefer having the ultimate say-so in the happenings of my child. there's that... and the absence of a stinky man around.

there are plenty of disadvantages to boot... most have to do with time and money. i know the same issues exist with two parent households. but in the single parents world the time factor gets to be a bit tricky. for example, i have to pay someone to mow my lawn because i can't watch my kid and mow at the same time.

as a single parent, you can't say "i'll be right back" and run to the store without stopping first to find shoes, take a potty break, check the car seat... and then there's the ever so challenging "can i have that..."

and a single parent has to plan simple things like showering around naptime... or plan to get up early. i've skipped showering all together at times because the schedule just didn't allow for it.

now that z's a bit older, i've found ways to keep him entertained while i'm in the shower.... mostly with the use of the television and spongebob squarepants. you are free to judge me all you want. spongebob used to be off-limits in this household... but it seems to be the only show that captures his full attention and therefore you do what you gotta do.

so... saturday morning when i woke up early to shower it was inevitable that zach would follow suit. i fed him breakfast and plopped him down in front of the television carefully selecting little einsteins, an all time favorite of mine. after a quick briefing of the rules... no going outside... come get me if the doorbell or phone rings... etc... i was off to the shower.

ahhh! five minutes of alone time.

until i hear the jingle of a dog collar and open the sower curtain to reveal maddie, our black lab mix, licking water from the side of the tub. my first thought "oh no, i can't remember the last time i watered the dogs!" ... quickly followed by "how the heck did she get in here?"

clutching a towel to my chest i dart for the living room dripping water. the back door is wide open... which is not only upsetting because it's against the rules... but we have a small pool set up and zach can't swim. so, with nothing but a towel covering everything but my butt, i race out the door and strait to the pool. he's not in there... whew! so now on to the next problem... where is he?

i begin calling his name... but he's not responding. i search the back yard, which by the way has very little privacy from the neighbors. i'm just relying on the fact that they're either asleep or not at home. after traipsing all over the yard and calling his name, i finally spot him hiding IN the house under the end table.... uh, yeah.

as i'm heading back to the door, the shampoo dripping from my head finally reaches my eye and OUCH! shampoo in the eye hurts ya'll. it hurts bad! i reach the door and have to remove the towel from my naked body to wipe the mud off my feet that accumulated while i was searching through the yard. i close the door, and with my one good eye i look at zach, still under the table and say, "we will discuss this when i am out of my shower." then in a bit of a louder voice "DON'T GO OUTSIDE AGAIN!"

so... i get back in the shower and try to rinse the soap from my burning eye.

i get dressed, get zach dressed, and spend the rest of the morning running errands looking like a mom who just walked out of the gas pipe at 4:20.... cursing myself for not just letting him watch spongebob!

sigh.

climbing the walls...

not just an expression.

Independence Day Celebration

What a day!

What an awesome place for fireworks.

We sat out by the lake, enjoyed watermellon, parachuters, neon sticks... and a beautiful fireworks display.

Couldn't have been a more perfect day.

take me to the zoo...

at zachary's request we visited the zoo.

there is no real zoo in austin, only a rehabilitation center, so we drove to the san antonio zoo. i've been there twice before, once as a child and once with my nieces before zach was born. both times i remember it being a really great zoo.

we were both just as excited about going. we are both animal fanatic's!

upon entering the zoo, our first stop was to admire the flamingos. they were beautiful... but i couldn't help noticing how green and polluted the water looked.

zachary very animatedly exclaimed... "shew weee what's that smell!?"

i started an explanatory reply...

"well, we are at the zoo and there will be many different sme--"

when the very smell in which he was speaking of hit me and i started to gag. i tried to stop... but couldn't. it was absolutely the worst smell i have ever encountered.

both of us gagging... we walked away as fast as possible, and unknowingly passed right by the reptile exhibit. (reptiles are zachary's favorite)

zachary kept saying "i'm going to throw up... i'm going to throw up"... to which i would say "i know honey, me too."

we kept walking to free ourselves from the smell, but apparently weren't quick enough and he blew chunks. i stooped to make sure he was okay, but i had no doubt it was from the smell alone.

as i was cleaning him up and getting him a drink of water, we were distracted by a loud howling noise. we searched on to see where it was coming from, and were amused to find these two bears.

the lower one was poking at and howling at the one resting above in the cave... then that one would yell back. finally the other responded by crossing the pin to where his food dish was and slammed it around, obviously very perturbed. it was really pretty funny!

next were the monkeys. momentarily hindered once again by a different, but still putrid smell, yet determined to have a good time we enjoyed them from a distance. one was in the mood to entertain, and z and i cracked up as he bounced around... taking time to look at each of us with an animated expression.

our next stop was really neat... walking through a stone tunnel and looking through glass panes we saw lemurs and wild cats. there were no bad smells here... but i couldn't help but notice that the water in every exhibit was green and full of debris.

we next came to the indoor aquarium where saw lots of beautiful fish, hippopotamuses.... and more dirty green water.

the african exhibit was a total disappointment. it was undergoing re-construction and there were no lions, no giraffes, only one zebra, one elephant, and a rhinoceros in the entire exhibit!

once again the smells were horrid... and comments from everyone confirmed that i was not being overly sensitive. mothers were not allowing their children to view the animals because the smell was so bad. even so... the rhino smells were nothing like the flamingo's earlier.

the rest of the exhibit was barren and dry. a dirt path with tall brown grass and no animals to enjoy... walking on the dirt in view of all the dry grass exhausted zachary and he determined then that he was ready to go home.

on the way out we stopped by the reptile exhibit. this was z's favorite. turtles, snakes, lizards... and air conditioning. we stayed in there for a long time.

on the way out, we were once again hit with the flamingo smell. i covered my nose with the map, and zachary once again, threw up.

i tore off a piece of the map for him to hold over his nose, and we hurried out of the zoo.

across the street we stopped for a 20 minute train ride, which was pretty fun.

our next stop was downtown at a really great authentic mexican food restaurant. then... home!

what a day!

although i think he enjoyed himself... all zachary can say is "the zoo is gross, and stinky!" hopefully i'll be able to change his mind soon. i think a visit to the fort worth zoo is in order.

the name game

zachary is learning to write his name. well... the letters in his name anyway.

he's very good about practicing. in fact, if it can be written with or written on, he has used it to practice his art of name creating.

for example my to do list...

my desk calendar...

my bills...


i even opened my checkbook to find...


i'm so encouraged that he is finally showing an interest in learning his letters, that his lack of discretion in where to practice is easily forgiven.

last weekend, all his hard work was shown to have paid off when he brought me this...


isn't it beautiful!??!!

it may not be perfect... but there are definite letters. Z A C H..... all in a row

can you see it?

it's the most beautiful thing, i believe, as mom, i have ever received.

things that make you go hmmmmmm?

z, calling to me from the bathroom:

"mommy!"


"yes?"


"mommy, do clowns poop balloons?"

...

another day... another antic

i've been trying to teach zachary that making smaller messes while playing means less cleaning time. it hasn't sunk in yet.

i'm a firm believer in leading by example.

he's a good mess maker... as am i. but i'm a good cleaner... i just hope he gets there one day. soon.

i've spent all memorial day cleaning... and zachary was supposed to clean his room. well... so far he's managed to get most of his toys scattered throughout the house back into his room.

i've tried making him stay in his room and not come out until it's clean... which usually leads to a larger mess and amusing antics.

today's antic... mr. pantshead

the superhero that doesn't have to clean his room.

electrolytes and children's health....

i stumbled across some pretty important information regarding the health of your children last week. in my experience as a mother, i've found that there are so many things, important items of information, that seem to go undisclosed.

in an earlier post i talked about not knowing so many things that have the potential to cause serious conditions in your children... things that no one talks about. for example, i never knew to count poops in the first few days after my son was born. you are supposed to count poops to insure they are getting enough food... this is extremely important if you are breast feeding because otherwise it's impossible to tell how much milk they are getting. well... i didn't know that and my son, who was born perfectly healthy, developed jaundice because he wasn't getting enough milk. it was caught in the hospital the day we were supposed to leave and we were sent home with a billieblanket. nothing serious happened and he was perfectly fine.

still... this was a major concern for me because he was at a stage 11... and brain damage occurs at stage 14.

i had read all the books, watched TLC for months... done everything i knew to prepare... and within the first few days... failed.

as a result, i'm quick to take zach to the doctor and always ask dozens of questions.

recently my three year old niece was running a low grade fever. my sister is mom to three little girls... and has much experience in how to handle a sick child. as any good mother would, she stayed up with her, bringing her water as she requested it throughout the night.

the next morning my niece had a seizure.... a four minute seizure. the paramedics rushed her to the hospital where she had another seizure. dozens of tests were run, including a cat scan and spinal tap.

it turns out it was a lack of sodium. all the water drinking flushed the sodium from her system, causing the seizures.

evidently now they're saying 8 glasses of water is not so important anymore... drink water if you think you need it... but be sure to get your electrolytes....gatorade/powerade.

really?

i think this is an important fact every parent should know.

don't light saber the dogs

i sometimes find myself laughing... when i should be disciplining. there's just so much that a four year old boy does that will surprise and amuse.

how can you not laugh while saying...

"no, you may not pee in the grass... i don't care if you're a dog"

"i don't thing juno (dog) wants to ride your scooter"

"your gum did not crawl over there all by itself. no, it didn't"

"putting on a mask does not change who you are... you're still you and you're still in time out"

"grace isn't even here... she did not turn on all these lights on"

"getting mad isn't going to make those gloves help you climb the wall"

"the turtles do NOT like it when you "scare" them"

"don't light-saber the dogs...."

Seven Random Things

my big sis tagged me with a post topic... seven random things about myself.

this is a difficult topic... but i will try to think of the least boring seven things. :)

1. i love books. it seems i haven't had the time lately to read much, but that hasn't stopped me from collecting. i love half-price book stores... because usually they are waaaay less than half price and you can pick up several good ones. i once was a barns and noble junkie, because you can read and go... but who has time for that anymore??? i collect the classics, although they take quite a while to read...

2. the perfect get away for me would be a secluded island somewhere... with my family. i imagine myself lounging on the beach with a good book, a spread of fresh tropical fruit, and some coconut milk. (is coconut milk even good? i sure hope so.) i'm relaxing and watching my son and nieces build sand castles and collect shells. someone else is taking care of everything, because i'm just relaxing.

3. i'm a homebody. i never go out. i've lived in austin for six years and saw some of it for the first time last month, when a friend came to visit. since becoming a mom i just find it more relaxing to be at home. no wrangling up sitters and worrying all night if everything is okay.

4. i have a crazy neighbor. she talks non-stop, asks a dozen questions, never waiting to hear a reply. i try not to make eye contact... but that usually ends with her yelling at me to get my attention. she is always on hyper-drive and over-dramatizes everything. she came over once to tell me my dog was barking... it ended up being her dog, but the weirdest part about that event was that she rang my doorbell about fourteen times non-stop. weird. i'm pretty unapproachable, so the fact that she even feels comfortable coming over points a lot towards her craziness. hey, there's another thing about me.

5. i'm unapproachable. i don't try to be... well, maybe i do. i like people... most people... the majority i would say. but i'm quite shy and i get nervous and stumble over my words, so i try to steer clear of confrontation... well communication really of any sort, unless absolutely necessary. or, unless you are a close friend or loved one, of whom i have very few. (consider yourself lucky :) )

6. music makes me happy. i'm not musically talented... but i love to listen. i love rhythm and bass. i'm not a band freak... or concert junkie. i don't really like concerts... all the people, and you can't really hear the music. i did attend a smithereens concert once that was pretty awesome.... but i also saw u2 and was just annoyed most of the night because the jerk beside me kept spilling beer on my sandaled feet. (worst date ever) anywho... my point is i love music itself. yes lyrics, and yes the vocals... but mostly the music.

7. i love the Lord. i don't say it often enough, to anyone but Him.... He's held me and guided me through a whirlwind of a life and He's still right here beside me. i'm thankful and grateful for where i am because of Him and try in every way to be who and what He wants me to be. i find it difficult to discern what that is, but i try.

so... i'm tagging kim. tag, you're it.

strep throat...

me... not him.

i feel terrible! fever, chills, aches... and the worst pain in my throat. excruciating!

i hope i'm feeling better by the time little spidey gets it... i hope he doesn't... but i'm sure it's inevitable. that is, if you can get strep twice in one year. if so... poor little guy.

he's been so great, sitting next to me as i shiver in bed... looking up from his coloring and cartoons long enough to pat my back and say "i'm going to be your best doctor, 'cause you're my best doctor"

that's good medicine.

green schmeen!

i'm all about taking care of the planet. i love to garden... i grow things. i try to stick to whole grains and natural or "organic" foods at the grocery store. i look forward to the advances we are making towards chemical-free food processing, recycling, and conservation... but there's got to be a balance.... a happy medium between hemp-toting, straw-house-living hippies and the everyday american mom.

i have bricks in my commode, open my windows on cool days, recycle some things, collect rain for my plants... heck, i've even pulled out tote bags to carry with me to the grocery store in lieu of the evil plastic bag.

however... it dawned on me that my son most likely contracted pinworms on our last visit to the whole foods headquarters in austin. i would guesstimate that the largest concentration of the unmediated and unvaccinated frequent such places... it's not my intent to judge that decision, however i choose steer clear of the disease carrying masses.

it's a personal choice, and as with anything each person has to be happy with their choices made. i love the environment... even moreso i love a sanitary environment. i need lysol and clorox. so don't judge me because i will not be trading in my germ-demolishing chemicals for apple-cyder vinegar and corn starch. i will continue to scrub my tub and toilet with bleach... and leave the lemon juice and baking soda for my poppy-seed muffins!

HELP!

i was running spidey's bath as he went potty, then asked...

"does my buddy jax have a tee tee?" (referring to his... okay, i can't even type the word)

"yes."

"he does?"

"uh huh."

"but you don't?"

"no, i'm a girl."

"what kind of tee tee's do girls have?"

(...pause.... deep breath.... think)

"girl tee tee's."

(..."whew, dodged that one!" ... then)

"what do girl tee tee's look like?"

"huh?"

"what do girl tee tee's look like mommy?"

"ummmm...okay, your bath's all ready, hop in!"


holey spidey undies batman! i'm not prepared for this! just another issue not covered in the multitude of books i've read. HELP! how do i address this???

he has WHAT?

"uummmm, what?"

that is a phrase commonly uttered by me to the various doctors my son has seen during his little lifetime.

i remember "nesting" the months before i gave birth... we had new carpet installed in our tincy tiny apartment... then i had it steam cleaned.

that little place was so easy to sterilize. i had this notion that a sterile environment would lead to a healthy kid.... and that breastfeeding and staying home with him would help dodge illnesses.

ha!

i avoided giving medicines, and read every book published on what to expect, breastfeeding, and parenthood.

i don't believe any of those authors have ever actually raised a child.

i don't recall reading anything about billieblankets, ear tubes, BRAT diet, scarlet fever as a result of strep throat, recurring pneumonia, breathing treatments, rocks in ears and noses, salivary gland infections... when to go to the doctor right away and when you don't really need to go (i always goof that one up) and now.... pinworms?

apparently it's the most common parasitic infection among north american children??? really?

sooo... anyone can get them... but mostly it's kids. they're highly contagious... you can ingest or inhale the eggs.... (vomit)... the worms develop in the intestines... (vomit) and at night the female worm (vomit) leaves the nest in the intestine (vomit) to lay her eggs in a jelly-like (vomit) substance around the edge of the anus. (vomit)... apparently this causes severe itching.... so the child scratches their butt and the eggs are transmitted through the air and on anything they touch.



so.... yeah

now i get to disinfect the entire house.

and wash..... everything in hot water.

good times!