Connor Cat.

I don't usually share pictures of Connor on my blog, but I couldn't resist sharing this:

Connor went to a birthday party last Saturday and face painting was a major attraction for C and his friends.  They all looked so good! 

Today is my first day at home in a long while and the chores are stacked against me.  First on my list is a lot of work-work.  Lot's of grading and emails to send.  Midterm grades are due on Monday (already!) so it's time to get my gradebook in order.

Laundry is in progress, unloading the dishwasher is next.  Exciting stuff.  Hopefully I'll have a little time to work on my "Make it in March" challenge.  Who knew that March was going to usher in such a crazy busy schedule for this work at home mom?  Perhaps I should have made my declaration of craftiness in February.  I don't remember it being quite so busy.

I have managed to complete one little art project.  I've always been pretty traditional in terms of art, but lately I've seen a lot of contemporary pieces on Pinterest that have really appealed to me.  I've been thinking about trying to make two large "pictures" for my living room, but I wanted to try my idea on a much smaller scale first.  So here goes...

Definitely imperfect and the jury is still out, but it felt really good to just do something. 

March 2 much to do.

Okay.  Here's the scoop.  I started a craft yesterday and it failed.
Big time.

So I started another craft today and there is an 80% chance that this one is going to fail as well.

Time will tell.

All is not lost, however, because today I made significant progress with organizing the pile of Connor's school work that has haunted me for far too long.  I have a really, really hard time tossing anything that he has done. 

• Worksheets?  I've kept them. 
•  Artwork?  I've kept it. 
• Random scraps of construction paper stapled together?  I'm got them! 

Seriously out of control.

The sorting has started and now I'm looking for a great way of storing the items that we are going to keep.  Perhaps I'll find some ideas on Pinterest?  : )
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In other news, I went to Connor's class today to read The Cat in the Hat Comes Back in honor of  Dr. Seuss' birthday.  It was a lot of fun and t reminded me of how much I used to enjoy doing social skills groups with elementary kiddos back in the day.

Tonight, Connor attended his first school carnival.  His favorite activity was the bounce house. 

Tomorrow is a classmate's birthday party and a visit to Grammie and Grampy's new house. 

Busy days!

Hello Monday/Hello Halloween!

Hello Monday!  I'm linking up with Lisa again this week...

The pumpkin has been carved...

The costume has been selected...

Do you like his super serious pose?

The candy has been purchased...

Don't worry!  We have more.

And finally!  Today is the day that C has been anticipating for about 364 days!
 
We'll be saying hello to a Kindergarten Halloween party, trick-or-treating downtown, a Tumble Express Halloween party, and neighborhood trick-or-treating.

We'll possibly be saying hello to candy-and-excitement-overload, as well!

I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

Lonely Only!

I just saw that Kelly is showcasing families of "only children"  on her blog today and I thought that I would join in...

I am the mom of "C," a six-year-old boy who is currently in kindergarten.  He is awesome and squirrely and loud and sweet and obsessive about all things Lego and creative and a million other things.  As I sit typing this post, C is busy decorating his room for Halloween and dressing up in a self-made pirate costume while he should be getting ready for a little trip to town.

I never planned to have only one child, but my husband and I joined the parenting game a little later than most people.  I was 33 and J was 35 when C was born.  We were so excited about the little guy and totally clueless about he would change our lives.  See, J and I had gone to school for decades in order to become school psychologists and the plan was to have a baby, return to work, and live happily ever after.

Except...our original daycare option fell through and the back-up was a nightmare.  Throw in a baby who couldn't stay well for more than three days at a time, a mama who worried about her sick baby constantly, and you suddenly have a family living on one income and a slightly crazed stay-at-home mom.

Did we choose to have only one?  I'm not sure.  It just never felt like it was the right time to have a second one and then I had to have a hysterectomy when I was 37 so the decision was made.

Are we happy with our little family of three?  Absolutely.

Awesome things about having only one child:  You get to focus on the needs of only one child, you have only one college education to plan for, there's no need to store old toys and clothes in the attic "just in case," it's easier to schedule things because you only have one set of activities to plan things around...

Not-so-great things about having only one child:  Many people treat you like you're not really a mom because you only have one child, you worry about your child turning into a selfish tyrant who is incapable of co-existing with other people, you have to work especially hard to stay on his good side because he's the only one who will have a say regarding which nursing home we end up in someday (teehee), you don't get any second chances to redeem your parenting mis-steps...

Seriously, though, I am very thankful for my little guy and I would love to hear from any other moms out there who are traveling this particular parenting path.  What do you like best?  What are your biggest concerns?

Linking up to Show us your life at Kelly's Korner...

Friday.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_cardinal/id

Good Morning!  I went to bed thinking about the sympathy email I was going to write to my Dad about the Cardinal's loss...and then I got up to find that they had won the game!  That's what I get for going to bed early like an old lady!

C's first parent/teacher conference was...Awesome!  He's doing great and his teacher said that "everyone loves him."  Could a mom ask for anything more?  His "report card" indicates that he is doing everything at the "Satisfactory" (highest) level except "following directions the first time" and " working neatly and carefully."  Those areas are "Improving."

His teacher said that the reason that he sometimes doesn't follow directions the first time is because he's too busy talking and laughing and doesn't hear the direction.   What???   I cannot imagine.  (Haha!)   I'm just so thankful that everything is going so well for him.

C is out of school today and we are planning a trip to town.  C is hoping to eat some popcorn and I'm just hoping to get through the day without hearing "I'm bored" more than 245 times. Wish us luck!

Firefighter C.

This week has been "Fire Safety" week at C's elementary school and yesterday the firefighters came to visit. The kids got to explore the fire truck and watch the firefighters put on their outfits (C was amazed that they can get everything on in less than a minute!).  Fortunately for C, they did not turn on the siren.  That tends to freak him out a little.  Too loud!

Last night, C disappeared into his room for a bit.  When he came out, he was halfway to this:

He needed some help with putting on the mask, "breathing tube," backpack, and hat.

He searched the house for people who were trapped.  Fortunately, no one was found under the pillows, in the kitchen cabinets, or under the sofa cushions.  He put out the flames he found amongst the old newspapers and magazines.

Let's count the layers that he stripped off once the fire was out: 

1. Underpants
2. Socks
3. Shorts
4. Corduroy pants
5. Tshirt
6. Long sleeve tshirt
7. Hooded sweatshirt
8. Firefighter's coat
9. Boots
10. Breathing mask (aka Darth Vadar mask)
11. Firefighter's hat
12. Gloves
13. Backpack

He was one hot tamale when all was said and done! 

Tears.

Our boy started kindergarten one week ago today.  He was so excited and loved everything about it.

The next day:  Tears.  And the next.  And the next.  And the next.  And the next.

To say that we have been surprised by this is an understatement.  One thing that C has always been is enthusiastic about school.  But another thing that he has always been is unpredictable.  Just when you think he'll zig, he zags.  Just because he can.

He likes his teacher.  He likes the activities.  He likes recess.  He's making friends.  He likes everything about it.  Except...

"It's too long."

"The cookies taste bad."

"The school is too white."   (We thought he was being very smart about the need for ethnic diversity, but alas, he was talking about the color of the walls.  Clearly someone in this house has been watching too much HGTV.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

So even though C tells everyone he talks to how much he loves kindergarten, he's still crying every single morning.  No. matter. what. we. try.

Do you think that he is trying to break our hearts one tiny tear at a time?

Let's Get This Party Started!

Well, today is the day!  C awoke today at 6:22 and again at 6:45 and 7:00 and 7:25 when I actually let him get out of bed.  No, it's not Christmas.  It's Birthday Party Day!  We are just having a "family" party, but C is so excited. 

So far today, I have blown up 36 balloons, baked a cake, made a salad, worked on my classes, tidied up the house, fed the young critter lunch, and promised my husband (at least a hundred times) that the party will be over soon (i.e., the hyperactivity will wind down soon) and that--get this--he'll have the whole house to himself in less than 24 hours. 

Because not only are we having a party today, but C and I are heading home with my parents tomorrow for a wild and crazy corn-cation.  Watch out Iowa, here we come!

So if you don't hear from me for a few days, it may be because I imploded somewhere between changing the fish bowl and packing for our trip...or between decorating the cake with the birthday boy or planning the birthday party festivities.

Actually, I've already planned the party, but not all of the guests know what they have been assigned.  Here's the list:

Gma J:  Polka dancing in the living room
Gpa J:  Singing (a selection of his own choosing)
Uncle J:  Playing the ukulele backwards
Grammie:  A reading from the telephone book
Grampie:  Charades (e.g., he'll do his stretching exercises and we'll try to guess which animal he most resembles)
Daddy:  Special Guest appearance as a super hero
Me:  Poetry reading (about the birthday boy, of course

There may also be a conga line and/or running through the sprinklers.

Do you think they'll go for it? 
Do you think the birthday boy will be scared?

I'll let you know how it goes and perhaps--if everything goes as planned--I'll be starting my new party planning business when we return from Iowa.  : ) 

Call now for reservations! (555) IBE-NUTS

Noah McAllister.

We are proud to announce that we have a new family member.   
His name is Noah McAllister and he is a Betta fish.

For about 6 months now, C has been telling us that he wanted a fish and we have been telling him that he could have one for his birthday.  So, yesterday afternoon, we set off for "town" to adopt our new friend.  C picked out a bowl, some pebbles, and a cheesy "rock" for Noah and we now have a fish friend who has to be moved from room to room so that he doesn't miss out on any of the action.  In fact, he's here watching me type right now.  : )

I have to say, for the record, that I'm probably more of a fish person than a dog person.  I like to watch them float.  I appreciate their laid-back nature.  I especially like that they don't bark or shed.  I hope that Noah lives a long and happy life in his happy little bowl.
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In other birthday news, C took cupcakes to school yesterday which was exciting because it was the first time that he has been able to do so.  Having a summer birthday can be a drag that way, but being in summer school provided a great opportunity for taking Star Wars cupcakes with navy blue frosting.  I was worried that the other parents would hunt me down in car line for "frosting crimes," but as I watched the children coming out of their classroom yesterday afternoon, they looked no more grungy (or covered in snack) than normal.

Anyway, C said that it was the best birthday ever because his friends sang to him and kept thanking him for the cupcakes.  He was so happy. 

And that lasted for about 10 minutes.  For the rest of the 30 minute drive to town there was much whining.  Do they ever stop whining?  Please, someone, tell me that this is a phase and not just my particular child's personality.  You can lie if you have to!!!  Nothing makes me sadder and madder than a whiny child--especially when you are on your way to do something nice for the whiner.

Okay.  So we got to town and decided to go to the nature center to walk the trail.  Um, proper shoe attire for this type of activity is recommended.  Flip flops are not proper shoe attire.  But in an effort to stop the whine, I did it.  And it was all worth it when we saw a deer taking a bath in a small pond and a turtle sunning itself on a log.  Nature provided a moment of harmony that somehow erased all of the strife that had occurred earlier.

And then we had to hike half a mile uphill to get back to our car and, you guessed it, the whining returned.
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All in all, I think that C had a good birthday.  I hope that he had a good birthday.  We are having a family party on Saturday and I have a lot to do between now and then so I had better get going.  Noah says that he's not great at loading the dishwasher or vacuuming, but has some experience with dusting.  Long live Noah McAllister!

Six years ago...



c's first birthday (2006)

happy birthday to you
happy birthday to you.
happy birthday, dear c.
happy birthday to you.


six years ago today, our sweet, crazy, loud, silly, handsome boy was born.
i'm not sure that i've had a full night of rest since.
he drives me crazy at least 734 times each day.
but he makes me laugh at least 735.


i love him so, so much.
and i'm proud of him.
and, while i'm in no hurry for him to grow up, i can't wait to see what he is like as an adult.

i just can't believe that this neat little big boy is my boy.


happy birthday sweet c!!!

Blueberries.

Tuesday after school, C and I went to visit our friends at their blueberry farm.  Until I met this family, I didn't even know that blueberries grew in Missouri.  Strawberries, yes.  Blackberries, yes.  But blueberries?  Huh.

Lord help me, I have been missing out!  You know when you eat a blueberry muffin and you think, "Hmm, not bad?"  Well...fresh blueberries are more of a "Holy cow!  These are awesome!" experience.

Now, it might have had something to do with eating them straight off the bush, under the beautiful blue sky as puffy white clouds floated by.  But I've found that a little bowlful, eaten at my kitchen table tastes pretty awesome, too.

It was a lovely afternoon and as I drove C to school the next day he asked, "Can we go to M's house again today?" 

Alas, he's stuck with just mom for the rest of the week.  How can I compete with blueberry patches, super long snake skins, climbing trees, weeping willow tree/light saber battles, and blueberry parties in a treehouse?

Tail Tale.

Oh, I'm so disappointed because I wrote a big, long post yesterday before Blogger decided to go crazy and it's gone!  Not saved.  At all.  Not one word.  I finished writing it, hit "publish post" and received a message that Blogger was down.  And that was that.  Finally got back on just now and nothing was there.  Boo.

The main thing that I wanted to share was that C suddenly decided that he needed paper for a "now project."  I waited and waited to see what he was making.  Can you guess?  Me neither.

He made...

...a tail!  And not only that, but he made one for J and me, too, so that "everyone" in our house would have one.  We are so cool!

Don't you wish that you had a tail, too?  They're the newest thing for spring!

Art with my Boy.

Today, C and I made art together.  He lost interest after about five minutes, but I was pretty excited that he even wanted to give it a whirl.  Crafting is not usually his activity of choice.  So what did we make, you ask?

Cats.
Calico cats.
Collage calico cats.

Collage was my idea.  Cats were C's.

I think I'll do some searching for summer art activities that we can do together.  I feel inspired to find many different activities because I think I'll lose my mind if every day is filled with Star Wars play.  I've just about had my fill of droids and jedi knights and sith lords and bounty hunters...I'm glad that he loves it, but oh my!  Give me a different topic, please!

Slam that Door.

I would like to announce to the world that my son has inherited my extraordinary door-slamming talent.  He has the gift!

Yesterday afternoon, he was frustrated that he couldn't play a video game so he stomped out of the living room, stormed down the hall, and yelled "Fine!  Then I'm going to my room until dinner!"

...and SLAMMED HIS DOOR!

Exactly three seconds later (not kidding, we counted) he opened the door, came out, and said, "Okay.  Not really, but I'm still mad!"

I laughed so hard I nearly fell off the couch!  I know that you shouldn't laugh at your child and I hid behind a large pillow so he wouldn't notice, but bless his heart!  He is just so darn funny sometimes.  What five-year-old slams his door?  Mine, of course!

I need to go check his baby book to see if there is a special spot for documenting this particular milestone...

Call the Doctor?

Can you see what is happening?

(No, I'm not talking about the fact that my child is still wearing pajamas at 1:00 PM--it's spring break and we are getting into it!)

Last night while C was sleeping, a leprechaun bit him on the toe and this morning he awoke with invisible green spots. 

I thought to myself, "It's okay.  They're invisible.  We can deal with this." 

But now!  Now, they are starting to show up!!! 

What will we do if he turns completely green?  How will the other children treat him? 

Should I call a doctor???

Maybe it will be okay.
Maybe he'll start finding gold coins in his pointy little ears.

I guess we'll just wait and see...

I'm a Terrible Mother.

I just sent my son to school with a slightly runny nose! 
I've never done this before, but I was desperate.

He didn't go yesterday because he no longer goes on Mondays (long story) and he won't be going any other day this week because his preschool is closing for spring break...

And we just need a break from each other, some time apart to allow us to remember and miss all of the little things we love about one another.  : )

So, I sent him.
But, at least I pointed out the tissue box and trash can before I darted out the preschool door so that's good, right?

He is, actually, doing okay today with only minor sniffles.  No cough.  No fever.  No other signs of illness so I think that he is suffering from allergies--perhaps induced by the dog hair clinging to every single surface of our house no matter how much I vacuum or lint roller (yes, I used it as a verb).  I think it's time for Max-the-Dog to visit the beauty shop!

So, now I need to decide how to spend my two glorious hours of freedom.  Do I (a) continue with the painting project that I have already tired of; (b) go to Walmart--again--for more paint and other household items; (c) work on my classes--really, really need to do this; or (d) snuggle up on the couch with a novel and a cup of coffee?

We'll have to see...

Talking.

C is a talker.
He wakes up talking.
He goes to sleep talking.

Which is funny if you think about it because he was actually pretty quiet for the first three years of his life.
Maybe he's still practicing the skills he learned from his speech therapist two years ago.
Maybe he's making up for lost time.

For the most part, I enjoy C's conversation.  He's often really funny.

Other times, I'm just tolerant.  I find myself saying "uh huh" or "oh, really?" when he's telling me about Star Wars super battle droids because I'm honestly incapable of anything more sophisticated when it comes to the topic of Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, Empire Strikes Back, and/or Clone Wars.

And sometimes, I need for him to just stop talking.  Quiet down.  Hold his tongue.  Keep mum.  Zip it.

Usually when I'm on the phone.
Frequently when I'm trying to respond to a student's email.
Occasionally when I'm deeply engrossed in a magazine article.

And, I'll admit:  Sometimes I yell.  I lose my temper and I'm not proud of it.  I wish that I was one of those parents who can say that parenting has made them more patient.  I'm not.  I struggle with patience every single day of my life, usually on an hourly basis.

Which is why preschool has been so good for us.  Good for C.  Good for me.  Two and a half hours a day of goodness that allows me to be alone in a mostly silent environment so that I can prep myself for the chatter-filled afternoon ahead.

But yesterday, C came home from school and talked about how his teacher had "physically redirected" him because he was talking (too much and at the wrong times at school). 

And that made this Mom feel like a little mad...

Random Cuteness.

I've been sorting through pictures as part of my never-ending room renovation project.  This pic is from a day of shopping with Grammie in March 2006--back when my boy still napped.

I miss those days. 
I miss that little round head!