Bad to Worse
Posted: September 15, 2007 at 1:44 am
When we woke up this morning, Gracey had a low grade fever and she’s been teething so I didn’t think too much of it. Gave her some Tylenol and headed on over to my mom’s because we were going shopping. When I got to mom’s about 2 hours later, Gracey’ fever had gone up a degree so I gave her some Motrin, still thinking it was probably just teething.
We had to go get diapers because I was completely out and by the time we got back to the car, mom’s shrimp dealer had called and we had to meet him for a pickup. Sounds like a fancy drug ring, to me. By the time we got the shrimp home and then got back to the mall, it was 11:30am. Not much time for shopping before nap time but hey, we’re going to give it a shot, right?
We made it to two stores. Really, just one and half. In the second store, Carter is sitting in one of those little cart buggy things with Gracey and he says, “Oooohh… I spit up, mommy.” As I got closer, I could see (and smell) that he had thrown up a little bit on his shirt and shorts. But it wasn’t very much, it was wierd. Carter is ALWAYS putting things in his mouth and twice last week he stuck his hand down his throat and made himself “spit up” a little bit. (why that was fun for a 3 year old, I’ll never know) Anyway, I didn’t think he was really sick but since Gracey had fever also, we just gave up.
As I pushed the buggy towards the bathroom to clean him up a little bit, he turns around in his seat, holds up his hand and says, “Mommy, I just ate some of it.” Then I started dry heaving. I was afraid I was going to throw up in my mouth and end up eating some of it, too.
You’d think it wouldn’t get much worse, but I ended up taking Gracey to the doctor because her temp went up to 103.3. Meantime, daddyo is at his doctor because he hasn’t been feeling great the last few days and has been very “sinusy”. While I’m in the waiting room with Gracey, daddyo calls to say he has a low grade fever.
CAN I GET A FREAKIN’ BREAK, PLEASE?
Everyone is in bed now and my throat is feeling a little scratchy. I just took one of every pill and spray the doctor sent home with daddyo. I’d love to sleep but I need to stay up so I can give Gracey more medicine at midnight – I’m afraid if I go to sleep, I won’t get back up. 
Tomorrow is a new day.
tags: Parenting 4 comments
The “Talk”
Posted: August 6, 2007 at 12:03 am
Wow. I expected to have “the talk” when my kids got older but I never expected to be on the receiving end of “the talk” much sooner.
That’s exactly where daddyo and I found ourselves this morning after Carter’s Sunday School class. Only “the talk” wasn’t the one you might have initially thought of. Daddyo was stopping to pick up Carter and I was walking away to go get Gracey when I noticed Carter’s teacher stepped out side and started to talk to Daddyo. Uh-Oh. I walked back over and tried to quiet the mama bear in me and listen objectively to what he had to say.
I know this may come as a shock to you but Carter has a very difficult time sitting still and quiet for storytime. *GASP! He likes to get up out of his seat and play and disrupt the whole “congregation” in children’s church. Let’s see, I think the words used were, “Carter can be a little rambunctious and we just wanted to make you aware…..and we’re going to try……..and need you to reinforce at home………” Then the lady who tells the stories in children’s church stepped out and added her two cents about Carter and offered up a couple of solutions. I tried not to laugh because I honestly don’t think having kindergarden girls sit on either side of him is going to make one bit of difference. If anything, I think it will egg him on and he’ll have those girls in stitches before the story is over. But hey, if they’re willing to try it – I say good for them, maybe it will surprise me and work afterall. She did tell me to remind Carter that story time is for sititng and listening and singing time is for singing….. DANG, you mean I shouldn’t be telling him to run around and act a fool during children’s church?
I know. She’s only doing her job and they were both very kind in their approach. There isn’t a way they could have said what needed to be said without stirring the mama bear in me. I mean, Carter is perfect. Sure, he’s got a LOT of enthusiasm for life but he’s so adorable and so smart that his enthusiasm is contagious, not annoying. 
UGH. My first instinct is to quit my adult SS class and start working in Carter’s class so I can manage his behavior but that really wouldn’t solve anything. I mean, I can’t go to every class with him for the rest of his life. I’d much rather him learn this lesson now than when he’s in first grade.
And then I wonder if he is even capable of sitting still for ten minutes and listening to a story. But he can sit longer than that and watch television. Or play with the same toy for that long. So I think he is capable, I think he’s just smart enough to know that his teachers aren’t going to do much of anything except make him sit back down. I just don’t know. I offered to go in and sit in the back and when he starts to be disruptive to take him out of children’s worship myself. But she wants to try the girls and the kindergarden thing first. She did also say that he may just need to go back to the nursery for 6 more months or so but that isn’t sitting well with me. I want to help him learn how to behave appropriately in that situation, not just pass him on to someone else where he won’t be expected to behave.
The only two ideas I have for handling this are A) Find a “Mable”. Get someone I know and trust but not someone I hang out with regularly to watch Carter during our Sunday School hour. Someone who will be mean and nasty. Not really nasty, but someone who will not laugh at him or let him have any fun at all. Not make him cry or anything, but definitely not play with him. Then, his options are to behave in children’s church or sit with “Mable” because Mommy and Daddy are going to go to Sunday School. B) Go to his service and sit in the back where he can’t see us and when he becomes disruptive take him out and spank him.
Ugh. I am not even sure either of those will work. He can’t continue to disrupt everyone. I think today must have been especially bad because the teacher said that there were a few “rambunctious” kids this morning and that Carter kind of fed off of them. I know Carter is a leader – I can see it already in his play time. He’s a little instigator and I can only imagine that if there are a few other kids who are borderline “rambunctious” (i think that’s a nice way of saying OUT OF CONTROL) that he will have them going in no time.
My sweet little Carter. I’m afraid you are getting close to being kicked out of children’s church. But don’t worry, mommy will always love you and will always think you are absolutely perfect. If you do get booted out, mommy will wrap the teacher’s house with toilet paper.
Dear Gracey, please don’t be “rambunctious” in Sunday School.
They need me….
Posted: July 26, 2007 at 3:56 am
It was fun being in front of live class again these past two days and I have enjoyed the time to myself. Knowing that class over and I’m just staying one last night to catch my flight back tomorrow, I’m ready to go home.
The funny thing is that I’m not ready to go home because I’m missing them so much I can’t stand it. *gasp* I love my kids but I am enjoying my “break”. The reason I’m anxious to get home is because they need me. I know they are being well cared for and loved while I’m away but I also know that no one else can replace mom. No one knows what they need, when the need it, the same way I do.
It’s not that I’m super mom or that no one else is as good as me – it’s that I know them in a way no one else could. Because I’m with them more than anyone else is.
I guess that is why God knows more what we need and when we need it than anyone else. We are His children. Why do so many of us constantly question that?
tags: Parenting 2 comments
In the air again
Posted: July 25, 2007 at 3:36 am
Flying hasn’t changed all that much in two years. The seats are still cramped and the food just mediocre. I wasn’t even sure what I was allowed to bring on the flight so I just didn’t pack any hair care items or lotions or anything like that. Those of you who know me IRL are laughing because you know how rarely I use those products anyway – but I will be working, afterall.
Leaving today, daddyo and the kids all walked me outside and waved goodbye as I drove away to the airport. As much as I know I’ll enjoy the brief break from real life, it broke my heart a little to drive away from them. It didn’t help matters that Gracey was whining a little because mommy was in the car and leaving without her.
Don’t get me wrong. I know they won’t even miss me because they’ll have so much fun being spoiled by grandparents but still. I can’t help but wonder if Gracey will wonder where mommy is? Carter understands that I’m going to California and that I’ll be back after “three sleeps”. I’m guessing they will both be hell on wheels when I get home.
The strange thing about traveling away from my family isn’t how much I will or won’t miss them. Let’s face it, I am going to enjoy my time away. I think I may even take in a movie after class tomorrow. It’s things that are completely out of my control that have me a little paranoid. It’s not what happens to them while I’m away that I worry about it – I know they will be just fine. It’s what could happen to me while I’m away. The possibility of not making it back.
I’ve already admitted these morbid thoughts so it’s nothing new, but it surprises me still. Carter especially has already had so much loss in his life – I can’t bear to think of him suffering through more of it.
Am I weird or what?
tags: Parenting 3 comments
Weigh In Wednesday
Posted: July 17, 2007 at 6:46 pm
So tomorrow is weigh in day. I’m not looking forward to it nearly as much as I was last week. I haven’t done terrible but I also haven’t done as well as I did week 1. I’m a little afraid that my numbers may not drop – it just doesn’t “feel” like I’ve lost anymore weight. Oh well, there’s always next week.
Right now Carter is in his room having a fit because I closed and “locked” the door. Believe me, it is for his own safety right now. We had a great morning shopping and playing at the Mall until it was time to leave. When I told him it was time to leave the play area to go home, he RAN FROM ME! I didn’t chase him – I usually don’t, as a rule. Instead, I put Gracey in the stroller and waved goodbye to Carter as I walked away from the play area. This usually works like a charm.
He immediately came running and calling for me but when I stopped, he turned around and ran back to the play area. (I guess the little booger has finally caught on to my trick) So off I went again. (I had a friend still in the play area who was keeping an eye on him from a distance.) He would run to me and then run away before I could get him and we did this a few times. Finally, I said forget it. I turned around and walked off and didn’t look back. Not only did I not look back when I heard him calling for me, but when I turned the corner, I hid behind a wall so he couldn’t see me when he made the turn. Surely, he’d freak and run right to me when I stepped out, right? WRONG! He did freak, but when he got close to me he refused to get on the stroller and would not get close enough to hold my hand. So I walked out of the mall. I could hear his little footsteps trailing behind me, just far enough to maintain his independence, and I walked towards the parking lot. I didn’t know what I would do when I got to the parking lot because I couldn’t let him walk far behind me with all the cars. Thankfully, he must have been thinking the same thing because he came and got on the stroller when I stopped at the edge of the parking lot.
Mommy definitely needed a time out at this point. But we were all stuck in the car for another thirty minutes. He must have known I was pretty upset with him because when I said, “mommy needs some quiet time on the way home – no talking” he actually kept pretty quiet. He went straight to bed when we got inside and I told him his door would stay open as long as he stayed in his bed. Guess how long he stayed in his bed? 5 seconds.
So here we are. He’s screaming and crying and having a total fit in his room and I’m blogging about it. But I’m not irritated anymore. I’m just shaking my head wondering why it is so hard for him to submit to authority….then I remember he’s my son afterall and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I’m sure God is wondering the same thing about me – why is it so hard for me to submit to His authority sometimes?
I know the end result will be the same for me as it is for SPeedy. I’ll be the one throwing a fit and crying and all upset and He’ll be blogging about it. No wait. That’s probably not exactly how it will work.
On a brighter note, this morning Carter finished his toast and asked for more. I very non-chalantly said, “go poop on the potty and I’ll make you another piece of toast”. Off he went to the bathroom as I remembered I didn’t have his little seat set up. By the time I got to the bathroom, he was balancing on the big potty and POOPING! Go Carter, go!
tags: Carter, Obedience, Parenting, Potty Training Add a comment
Eat it or Wear it!
Posted: July 15, 2007 at 3:38 am
If any of you ever read the “Ramona the Pest” book series, you’ll know the phrase I’m refering to. Ramona didn’t want to eat her cereal and was complaining and griping and her Dad finally told her to eat it or wear it. She wouldn’t eat it so he took her to the bathtub and poured the cereal over her head. LOL This was a fictional book – at least I think it was. Anyway, Carter hasn’t been wearing his dinner but he has definitely been asserting his independence around dinner time. It seems that for the past week or so, it doesn’t matter what I present him for dinner, his response is always, “I DON’T LIKE IT!”
I swear sometimes he says that before he even hears what it is. And even when it is something I know perfectly well he does like. UGH! I tried reasoning (what was I thinking?) with him the first few times and bribing him to eat. Note to self: always avoid power struggles with a 3 year old – you will never win.
The past few nights I’ve tried something different. Here’s how the conversation went tonight:
Me: It’s time for dinner, Carter! We’re having mashed potatoes and chicken tonight.
Carter: BUT I DON’T LIKE IT!!!!
Me: Well, you don’t have to eat it. You can have that or nothing at all.
Carter: oooooh! I like it, mommy!
Sometimes he’ll say that and then won’t eat much or just pick at it. I figure he’ll eat when he’s hungry, right? I mean, you don’t know any 3 year olds who actually starved themselves to death, right? RIGHT?
Gracey does a lot of blabber talking and yesterday I thought I recognized her somewhat unintelligable chatter. I could have sworn she chanted out the first two lines from “Jesus Loves Me”. So I sang the first line and she smiled real big and then repeated the same thing she had just said for the second verse. She knows the words! She can’t pronounce them all, but she knows them! She also sings along with her ABC’s. I need to upload some videos.
tags: Carter, Parenting 2 comments
Humble Pie
Posted: July 11, 2007 at 11:17 pm
After a little bit of a rough afternoon (today was gymnastics….bleh), Carter was ready to crash early. I planned to have him stay up a little later but he was misbehaving in the bathtub so I sent him to his room while I got Gracey ready for bed. When I got into his room, I sat on his bed and we talked about listening and obeying, etc…etc…etc…
He was wearing just a pulll-up and he laid his head on my lap. I was reaching for a blanket to cover him and as I did, he sat up and smiled as he pulled the blanky closer. “Did you do that because you love me, mommy?” You bet I did, Carter.
He put his head back down on my lap so I started singing and he closed his eyes. As I sat there singing, enjoying the sound of my own voice and thinking that really, my voice wasn’t THAT bad (those of you who know me IRL can stop laughing now) – I looked down and saw that while his eyes were still closed and he was drifting off to sleep, Carter had his finger in his ear.
Little turkey.
He fell fast asleep in spite of my singing.
tags: Carter, Parenting 2 comments
Mommy has an owie
Posted: July 10, 2007 at 2:38 am
As I’m sitting here with one eye completely patched up and the other tired from doing all the work for the last day and a half, all I can think is that I never realized how freakin’ bright my monitor is.
Can’t type much.
Gracey has sharp fingernails. When sharp baby fingernail comes in contact with mama’s eyeball, mama wont’ be happy.
Saw the doctor this morning. He said when they do lasik surgery, they remove the outer layer of the eye to do their work. Gracey cut through two layers of my eyeball and I didn’t have any anestesia.
I go back in the morning and will hopefully be able to pass the eye exam this time instead of saying things like, “um, I think it is an H. Is it an H? Is this multiple choice?”
tags: Parenting 2 comments
Happy Fourth
Posted: July 6, 2007 at 3:30 am
What a fun few days we’ve had! Granny took Carter with her to the lake on Monday and Gracey and I met up with them Tuesday evening. We swam, we played, we really all had a great time. There is too much to tell about our adventures so I’ll just give you the highlights.
Overheard this morning:
Carter: I love you, Gracey.
….
Carter: Where is my little potty?
Me: Remember, we left it at Granny’s lake. She will bring it with her when she comes home.
Carter: Oh yeah. Dear Lord, thank you for Granny and my potty.
…..
Me: Awwww, maaaan…
Gracey: Ahhhhhh maaaaa
Carter was very well behaved this week. He is listening better and following directions better…..he’s even saying m’am and sir more often without being reminded.
Gracey loves to sing now. She’ll sing along with the ABC song and with Jesus Loves Me. I’ve just got to get it on video.
tags: Carter, Gratitude, Parenting Add a comment
Carter doesn’t bounce
Posted: July 1, 2007 at 3:34 am
Overheard yesterday in the van:
Carter: Where is God?
Me: Where is God, Carter?
Carter: He’s all around us. He loves us best.
Me: That’s right.
Carter: he can hear me?
Me: Yes, He loves it when you talk to Him and He always listens to you.
Carter: Gawd, peas help me have bedient heart and help me not get in trouble anymore.
We’ve been talking a lot lately about what it means to have an obedient heart and how God wants us to obey with a happy heart. Sometimes I think I tell him things he can’t possibly understand and then I see a small glimpse of his ability to absorb it. I’m going with the notion that Carter understands a lot more than I know and if he doesn’t, what harm is done, right?
Sigh. I love that kid.
We went swimming in the neighborhood pool today – twice, actually. We went before lunch but it started raining after we got there. Lucky for us, the rain waited until we’d all gotten into the pool ……. nice. Carter climbed up the diving board and walked to the edge (it’s about 3 feet off of the water) but then turned around and decided he didn’t want any part of that. When we went back after lunch, there were a few boys running and jumping off the board and laughing like crazy. Carter pointed and said, “I want to do that, mommy”! So we walked over there and I was fully prepared to back everyone up so he could climb back down. That kid walked fearlessly to the edge of the board and did not even hesitate before he jumped off into the water. All it took was for him to see someone else doing it and having fun. No fear.
Spending time at the pool today really warmed my heart. The older boys who were there were probably 11-13 years old and they were all so nice to Carter. They had a bunch of bouncy balls they would bounce off the diving board and then try to catch them before they hit the water – of course, Carter was mesmorized. He just watched them and laughed and laughed. When one of the balls bounced outside the pool, Carter ran to get it. As he was taking it back to the boy, the boy was calling out to his friend, “hey, get me another boy so he can have one to play with.” He told Carter to keep the ball and he’d get another one. It’s such a silly little thing but it still just about brings tears to my eyes. I guess I just haven’t been around many 11-13 year old boys who would even think to give a little kid something to play with. It was just really sweet.
And then right before we were leaving, Carter was climbing up the ladder to go down the slide (he’d done it several times already) when he FELL from about 8 feet! Yes, you read that right, EIGHT FREAKIN’ FEET! I was in the water waiting to catch him and felt like Jesus when I saw him fall. I must have walked on the water to get out that fast and get over to him. All the boys who were there were right by him asking if he was okay. He was fine, it just scared the crap out of him (not to mention the massive coronary it almost gave me). Once we all knew he was fine, just a little shaken up, the boys started clapping for him and telling him how tough he was. Again, it was sweet the way they went out of their way to be nice to him. Although he wanted to go up the slide again my heart just couldn’t take it. (now he’ll probably never do it again – but I’m okay with that)
It’s funny. I don’t usually panic or get overly concerned with Carter falls or bumps his head. Things that I see some other mommies really freaking out about don’t usually upset me. I always feel like the calmer I am, the calmer he will be and I can more easily determine if he is really hurt. And I guess I didn’t outwardly freak when he fell today, but it really scared me. I’m glad I was able to keep my cool and talk calmly to him while I was feeling his arms and watching the way he was standing to make sure nothing was broken. But on the inside, I felt a kind of scared I’ve never felt before. My heart still hurts thinking about it.
Little Miss Gracey had a ball at the pool. She loves it when I dunk her under the water and I’m amazed at how well she holds her breath. She seems to have Carter’s lack of fear and even tried to push away from me a few times so she could “do it herself”. But the only thing she can do herself is sink. She giggled and laughed and burped in a way that would shame any grown man. I was so proud.
At the risk of jinxing myself, Carter hasn’t had an accident in a few days and managed to poop on the potty all day today. (though mommy almost pooped her pants today when he fell) He claps and is just so pleased with himself when he does it.