Football Season!

WAHOO! It's THAT time of year again- football returns... cooler weather, bbq's, (root)beer, and the games!

I've always been a tomboy- with the exception of a few more recent years where I finally put forth effort to be more feminine, I still prefer to hang with the guys, play outside, and watch sports. Even though the idea of having a baby boy kind of terrified me- I'm starting to see a lot of fun in the near future regarding a lot of these things. In the past I've taken Kaely to professional basketball, baseball, hockey, and football games- because at least at these things- they can yell, scream, jump, and talk all they want- everyone else is! Looking forward to Chase's first games too!

One thing that I will add to my education promises from the other day, is to keep him active in sports, scouts, or other activities- you have to avoid boredom to keep them out of trouble! I guess we should start with crawling first- but until then... we have the games :)

Happy Belated 8 Months!

A solid 18+ lbs and 28" later... with a monster attitude to boot :) Nah... he's been incredible, and I find it crazy to have had more time with him now outside the womb than he ever was within. No more teeth have actually broken through, but those suckers have got to be right around the corner- based on the mood swings anyway :) He still speed rolls and "shrimps" throughout the house (okay, I don't actually let him go through the house, but he would if I let him).... and still makes diaper changes as challenging as he can.

On the bright side, I've found that taking him out places is no longer this big stress- at least regarding his unpredictable moods. He usually loves being in the stroller, outdoors, or even in the shopping carts, and unless he gets too cold (in a lot of stores), he is a happy camper. He did fall asleep right before we went into a store yesterday though, and I tried to use the infant carrier to just let him snooze- but holy crap that thing is heavy! He ended up waking up anyway, I don't know how those moms do it!

He's a (mostly) happy, fat, well-fed, growing baby boy- I couldn't be prouder!

(Okay, so he wasn't thrilled at this moment- a cranky boy after his bath the other night- but we can finally give him a mohawk! hahaha)

Word of the Day!

(ala PeeWee Herman's Playhouse style- before the "issues"...)

KARMA!

Ahhhhh, yes. That word. I've seen it twice in writing already today (thanks April & Dave), and my sister and I mentioned it earlier today as well... oh! and talking to Ginny (our lovely adopted family) about my sharing issues rubbing off on Chase.... So... yeah (I see the talking couch and all that random stuff with bells and whistles going off- google it if you're clueless)

Well, Karma with Kids is what it comes down to. Paybacks in reality. Your very worst traits (who wants the best???) are the ones these kids seem to be picking up. With Chase, it seems to be issues sharing... still... whoops. With Kaely, it's, ummm, every bit of my attitude. Crap. With a big dose of emotional (pre-pubescent) outbursts, and smart-@$$ remarks quickly being formulated... we're in for trouble soon.

The best part of this is Kaely's education. No, not my life-changing, goal-driven, education I'm talking about... but the basic reading & writing. Some of these "notes" she comes up with make me want to scream out of frustration- but at the same time I have to give her kudos for putting her thoughts together on paper and actually spelling most everything right. :) This first note was from last Friday after her dad got her from school, she had a mood swing (rolling my eyes) because she wanted to go to Target, then to Subway, and was denied... so being the prima donna that she is, put up a big attitude, made a nasty face (or so I heard), and pulled out her notebook & pen.

...and the bottom says "I Love You... mom not you jay (her dad) I love you mom I love you mom and sorry jay I still don't like you" ... My response to this was- "you better smack her little butt!" even though I can't recall the last time I've even thought about spanking her (actually, I think that was last Thursday, hmmm)... but still... her defiance and attitude is so frustrating! but it kinda makes me laugh... maybe that's why she gets called "JJ" -Jessika Jr... whoops.

As a slight reassurance, this is the note I got tonight, after a lot of cooking/cleaning/homework...

Hahaha... Master Manipulator in the making... 

Had to give my sister a hard time because her "creature" (our loving term- don't take too seriously), is of her making- he's spoiled rotten from being held 24/7- hey- even worse than Chase! Barely- but still... she was laughing at me with Kaely's stunts- when I reminded her that payback happens to us all... unfortunately for me, I believe Chase (this was what started the conversation- Chase being the troublemaker) following in his father's lead, which I have to deal with, while dealing with my own payback of Kaely. Ha! 

I find it amazing how early personalities emerge- from Chase's ultrasounds at around 20 weeks old, to their behavior now at 6-8 months... you see the differences... and it makes you dizzy pondering the theories of nature vs. nurture. 

Watching "So You Think You Can Dance" tonight with Kaely for a bit- seeing her trying to perform some of these dances around the living room- although she hasn't had dance classes in 2+ years, and is pretty clutzy, she still has an innate talent for it. The show had brief back-stories on some of the kids, going off at 14, 16 years old to attend dance schools in NYC, or other out of town locations, to pursue their dreams... makes you wonder the balance of it all- don't you want to give them everything? They are, no matter what, simply amazing little beings :) 

Hurricane Party!

 Ha! Not really... we got lucky where we were that the storm took a swing to the west and pretty much missed us all together. But the side perk was that the Miami area closed all schools down there for this Monday due to the storm, and therefore, most surrounding businesses, including Dave's office- were closed too- WAHOO! A surprise 3 day weekend- very nice! It gave me a chance to try to get back into a routine at the house by today, Monday, where I was ready for Kaely when she was out of school, even walking in the drizzling rain. Able to tackle homework, cook dinner, and have some playtime, with no meltdowns- especially from me! Not happy that the night had to come to an end, but how nice it was to have a sliver of normalcy for the first time in... well... I can't remember when!

Something about rainy days- and storms like this- just give you a chance to breathe and relax a bit. I could almost pretend it was fall today, and looking forward to the upcoming months!

Hope everyone had a great weekend and Monday as well! :)

What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up...

Sorry, no cute pictures today- was busy playing in the yard before the tropical storm/hurricane (Isaac), and cooking in the house. This is about my random questions that swirl around in my mind, never letting me rest. Makes me also reflect on how I plan to- or will- approach Kaely and Chase when they are older and are getting ready for college and deciding what they want to do with the rest of their lives.

When I was young, I wanted to be a marine biologist (didn't everyone? Hello, SeaWorld) and a teacher. Then in high school I studied American Sign Language for 4+ years and planned on dual majoring in elementary and deaf education at Flagler College in St. Augustine. I also had considered becoming an Athletic Trainer (sports medicine), and had seriously considered going to University of Florida for that. As life would have it, I made a series of immature decisions and mistakes, and slacked in the end and did none of those. I spent the next decade chasing business careers, merely for the sake of supporting myself (and eventually Kaely) rather than doing something meaningful beyond paying the bills.

Then, somewhere along the lines (in 2009), Dave gave me the courage, support, and firm shove to pursue an education again- namely, I decided on nursing because I love the medical field, and as much as I love teaching, the patience required is nearly impossible when you have your own child(ren) at home (speaking for myself). This venture I thought would take no time at all- but in reality, after a year of prerequisite courses, followed by a year wait-list, I wasn't able to even start the nursing program until last August (2011). I had managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA until this point working part/full-time and being "room mom" in Kaely's class. But, by the time classes started, Chase was already in utero and stirring up trouble (isn't he always? my love!). I managed to finish up the semester successfully, and had great ambitions as I took my final exam, to return the following semester. Buuuuutttt... well, things were rougher than I had expected, and when weighing options- as much as I wanted that degree, that career... Chase was waaaaayyyy more important and meaningful- and the past 7-8 months are invaluable and irreplaceable- no regrets there whatsoever.

However! Point I was getting to... the time is coming now, as I help my sister sign up for classes, get her ID, parking permits, books, etc... I realize, it's time. I need to get back to school, work, something! I need to be the person I was- the person I am somewhere deep inside- which isn't just "mom"- but a whole person. I love being around the kiddos, but I'm not teaching them things I wish to by simply being home all the time. Sure, we all need to know how to clean house, cook/bake, exercise/play, go for walks and read for pleasure. But I need to show them the importance of education- and that you can never stop learning! That they need to have skills that include working with people, computers, tools, their hands, etc. I need to be able to contribute more than just making lunches or being the silliest at making the stuffed animals dance. I wish I had a magic wand that would take the pressure off and I could be a full time mom, and a full time volunteer at the schools or hospitals, and still have the ability to not stress about finances or all those grown-up responsibilities. So far, I haven't found that wand.

The most distressing part was the other day, returning my uniform shirts (they were borrowed from the school due to being a little large around the waist- lol), hoping to talk to the dean or professors, to see if I can even get back into the nursing program where I left off- no one was there. So then I start trying to formulate a plan B (or C, D, E...)- and pull up the college's list of degrees. Hmmmm- nothing worthwhile. I pull up our university's list of degrees- and quite honestly, I was left wondering the point of it all. So many are dependent on getting the infamous "foot in the door," and the experience and/or "who you know" seem to trump the degree. I kept thinking "what's the point???" But I am a huge advocate of education- and love school- so I will not let the kids get away with slacking... but I am still searching years later, trying to find my calling in life. That feeling of "being more" or "doing more" is always haunting me- so... Hello Universe! Please send me a big neon flashing sign of what direction to follow, please! :)

My promise is this- to my children, that I want to know what you really want to do in life. If you want to be a singer (Kaely) or maybe work with the monkeys (Chase), then okay, let's find a way to make that happen. I want to promise you that I will hold you to your dreams- and not let you give up on them, or walk away when things get too tough, or you think that it's not possible. I won't let you throw away your talents, your gifts, your hard work because the other road looks easier. I will always believe in you, keep you focused and always be here to remind you of what you are capable of. So, for now, you get to be babies and children- and I have this short time to hold myself to the standards I set for you- to be the example. I promise to give you the knowledge and tools to be successful in life- maybe not rich with currency- but you will know how to take care of yourself and those you love. No more excuses! What I wanna be when I grow up for now is the mom who needs to say nothing, but teach by example... I have a long road ahead of me...

Babylon... Babble On... :)

Ah, the first real stringing together of sounds- our alert to the conversations of the future :) Chase has been making noises forever. It doesn't matter if he's eating, sleeping, playing, etc- he's constantly got his own dialogue going. But today he really busted out with forming consonants and speech- taking us a bit by surprise. I know it happens at different times for everyone, but since I'm used to his regular patterns of "speech"- it really stood out, and made us laugh. Now to look forward to the  "why" and "no" and "now" and all those other fabulous words they learn so quickly...

The changes every day bring us just keep us on our toes, never a dull moment!

How Old Is He? -Revisited

I wrote about this infamous question months ago- back when Chase was about 2 months old or so, and I kept getting the nasty looks, people asking how old he was, and then responding, you mean two weeks??? Uh, no.

Anyhow- the past couple of weeks I've had a lot of strangers interact with him, and ask that question again. I've gotten new responses! This time it's been "Wow, he's really big for his age!" Really??? AWESOME! That was from a dad who had a 13 month old little girl... today was a gentleman at the grocery store- he was making faces at Chase, then said "Let me guess how old he is... 8 months?" - Sweet! Almost! - He was a grandfather of an 8 month old, so good guess! I've had a few others, and it makes me puff up with pride- how far we've come!

Poor kid has been exhausted though- be it teeth, or growing- hopefully no sickness... but slept most of the day today, and in between we had some impish smiles. For the first time all week we had time to ourselves- and it was beyond needed to regroup, relax, and rejuvenate. Chase helped me in the kitchen- while he banged the wooden spoons around- I made some chicken marsala and french bread from scratch- my own mode of therapy in the pounding the chicken or kneading the dough. I can even go to bed early tonight... very nice :)

 Happy Friday everyone!