My Head is Going to Explode

Yes, I have some weird allergy/ear thing going on giving me headaches and dizzy spells, but that's not why my head is going to explode. It's going to explode from spending the day "communicating" with a toddler.

I was reminiscing today on Parker's baby days. You know, back when he would cry and cry and cry and I would wish he could talk so I could know what he needed right away. As a first time mom, I guess I didn't fully realize the implications of that wish. I decided that (as Parker finally finishes eating breakfast) I would share with you what a normal day is now like since Parker can talk (bear in mind I've already had to get up twice three four times to serve help Parker in the two fifteen minutes since I've started writing this).

So earlier this morning Parker was taking a bath after waking up soaked with pee, even after being wrapped in two overnight diapers (off topic question - at what age do kids usually stop needing a diaper/pull-up at night after they've already been potty trained? I'm seriously thinking it might still be worthwhile to invest in cloth diapers if P's still going to need something at night for awhile).

Back to the bath. He's in the bath playing with a toy shark while I'm sitting on the toilet drinking some tea. The shark he's playing with starts talking to me in a deep voice.

P: "Hello Mama. What are you doing today?"

Me: "I'm drinking some tea. What are you doing?"

P: "I'm just fine."

Me: (I bust out in a pathetic explanation of the difference between "how" and "what")

P: (still in shark voice) "Mama, how are you today?"

Me: "I'm OK -- a little tired though. How are you today?"

P: "I'm fine. What are you doing today, Mister Mama?"

Me: "Well, after I drink my tea, I'd like to eat breakfast, read my Bible, get dressed and then go grocery shopping."

P: (Reverting back to Parker) "No, I don't want to go! I want to stay here with Dada and play!"

Me: "Sorry, Bud. Dada went to work. It's Monday (start singing a lousy rendition of the Mama's and The Papa's song)... Hey, don't drink that water! It's soapy!"

P: "It's not soapy."

Me: "Yes it is. I just washed you with soap. Look at how cloudy it is!"

P: "Sharks like dirty water."

Me: "They do, huh?"

P: "Yes."

(A minute or two passes while Parker sings "Monday, Monday" and then he pauses to pick his nose and flick his prize into the water.)

P: "I put boogies in the water. Water boogies!" (He laughs like he made the best joke ever and proceeds to dig for more "water boogies.")

Me: (Clearly annoyed) "Are you ready to get out yet?"

P: "I don't want to go to the store! I want to stay here and play!"

Me: "Don't worry, Bud. You'll have time to play. Look at me. I'm not ready. I still have to eat breakfast and get dressed."

P: "I want to eat breakfast, too!"

Me: "OK. What do you want for breakfast?"

P: "Hmm... maybe nothing."

Me: "How about oatmeal?"

P: "Hmm... maybe juice."

Me: "You can have juice if you get out."

P: "OK. I want juice Mister Mama. I want to stay here in my warm towel and YOU get my juice."

Me: (Tempted to bow) "OK, fine." (Proceed to take him out of the bath and then get his [mostly water but don't tell him that] juice.)

P: "I want to go pee-pee, Mama!"

Me: "OK. Stand up, please, and let's go on the potty."

P: "No, I want to sit down on the potty."

Me: "OK, but you need to stand up first, Dude."

P: "I want my towel on. Put it on my back and make sure it doesn't get pee-pee on it. (After peeing) I want to go poo-poo, Mama. I need a magazine."

Me: (Thinking) Oh man, this is going to be a loooooooooong day.

In my prayer later: Thank you, Lord, for my son's ability to talk. I know I complain, and please forgive me for that, but I do appreciate his whiney cute little voice and his demanding sweet demeanor. May he live a long, full, blessed life. Amen.

Thank goodness God has a sense of humor (I hope).
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"Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him." - Proverbs 30:5

Thankful Thursday... in Pictures

It's been awhile since I've done a Thankful Thursday blog, so I thought it was about time!

I'm thankful for my sister and her hubby's generosity and for giving us a gift card to The Cheesecake Factory!


I'm thankful Parker partook of the squaw bread at the restaurant. He called it chocolate bread (and we didn't correct him).


I'm thankful for my silly husband


I'm thankful for Parker's grandparents always doing fun things with him that he doesn't get to do with us very often....

Like riding in a cool wagon.

And getting to eat Mickey Mouse pancakes in preparation for a day at Disneyland!

I'm thankful Parker enjoys playing pretend now....

Here he is pretending to be Grandpa with his new
Hawaiian shirt from Auntie Leann and Uncle Greg.

Giving himself a bubble goatee so he can be Dada

I'm thankful for "baseball" in the house!


I'm thankful for the day Parker kept asking for more raisins. Hey, it's fruit, right?


I'm thankful for Parker's art work...


And for him inspiring me to do my own...

(OK, so I was just using up the paint he didn't use and it took

me only a few minutes to do both of these, but it was still fun!)

I'm thankful Parker has been interested in spelling (especially if it's related to cars).

(Parker: "Mama! Come see! I spelled GMC!") =)

I'm thankful for hot days in the shade with a kiddie pool!


I'm thankful for play dates and silly boys!


I'm thankful Parker can make a car out of just about anything!


And lastly, I'm thankful my husband just sent me a text message saying he was taking a surprise vacation day tomorrow! Woo-hoo!

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"Let love be your guide." Ephesians 5:2

Date Night Mad Lib

I couldn't decide whether to post this here on my family blog since it was a true story about hubby and I or put it on my writing blog since it was a story within a story. I compromised and decided to put it on my writing blog and then post a link to it here.

Date Night Mad Lib

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Alone At Last

Guess what this Mama got to do this week? A visit to the OB/GYN ...

Again?

AND a root canal.

Waaa!

But with the bad, also came some good. Jake's parents took Parker Monday morning and didn't return him until Wednesday afternoon! Thank goodness for grandparents! Yes, I went to my appointments (neither of which was fun), and I did my usuals - Bible study, light cleaning and cooking, grocery shopping (Costco and Ralphs) - BUT I also got so much alone time I almost didn't know what to do with myself. I had so many things I COULD do, but I decided to actually relax, veg and just "be."

Call me lazy if you wish. I call it smart. I stocked up and restored energy and patience for my time with the little man. I caught up on reading and responding to people's blogs, caught up on writing some blogs (including this one), spent way too much time on Facebook, enjoyed some nature, prayed, and spent some quality time with the hubs. We debated doing something fun like going for a walk on the beach and getting ice cream, but decided we'd save money, time and the environment by not driving anywhere. Instead we took an evening walk around the neighborhood. We also trespassed on some private property, which made us feel like naughty teenagers. Tsk Tsk!

Haha - look at the shadow of my nose on hubby's shirt! Wowzers!
I've read your nose and ears never stop growing. Scary.

Trespasser!

Ooh... I'm gonna tell!

So fine me, I joined him. It was my idea in the first place.

View from one side of the "gazebo"

From Jake's phone's camera

View of houses from the other side

Talking on the phone?

My mouth is moving... do I ever shut up?

Chalk outline! AHHHHHHHHH!

Can you see the termite rot?

I can hear the violins playing now for this lonely, sad, dying plant
(OK, weed, as my friend Jelly, also a biologist, pointed out).

More dying plants... AKA fire hazards.

It's been a dry summer!

I found this lovely shed snake skin, noticed all the snake holes
around my feet, and we hightailed it out of there!

Did end up indulging in ice cream after all. I had bought a large bunch
of bananas for 99 cents at Costco -we had to use them up!
And I had a root canal, cut me some slack!

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Some verses that hit home for me this week:

"Accept correction, and you will find life; reject correction, and you will miss the road." - Proverbs 10:17

"You will say the wrong thing if you talk too much - so be sensible and watch what you say." - Proverbs 10:19 (I really need to memorize this one and recite it to myself daily... no hourly!)

"You should be happy to give the poor what they need" - Deuteronomy 15:10

"Three times I begged the Lord to make this suffering go away. But he replied, 'My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.' So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. Yes, I am glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles and sufferings, if it is for Christ. Because when I am weak, I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Pictures For My Mother

Facebook lovelies, I know these pics are already up, but my dear technologically challenged mother hates Facebook and I decided to put them on the family blog as well... just for her. Enjoy, mom! I do not have a real camera at the moment (just my phone) so I apologize for the quality (or lack thereof) of most of these.

Playing Dress-Up

Super Parker!

Look at him fly!

Sheriff Mama!

Together we're cleaning up this town!

And of course, Parker had to have a turn being Sheriff!

Auntie Leann's text/photo response to our pics
"Arrr, I'm the Pirate Mama!"

Another day...
P: "I'm wearing Uncle Drew's shoes!"
Me: "What? Uncle Drew wears high heels?"
P: "No... but he likes them!"

Coloring Fun




What happens when P asks me to color with him

And speaking of corn....

This is a bite P took of his corn on the cob... right through the cob!