You Capture: Motherhood

Finn has started biting. 

It's a habit I want to break him of pretty quickly because: a) those 4 teeth hurt like you would not believe and b) kids get kicked out of daycare for biting - and while he's not in daycare right now, I don't want to have the biting kid on the playground or wherever.  So, when he bites, we flick his cheek and tell him "No!" 

It's hard to punish him.  Sweet Lord, is it hard to punish that little face.  I still feel that he's just a baby (and he is), but I keep reminding myself that it's for his own good.  And usually when he gets his cheek flicked, he laughs; I don't think he quite understands yet what it means to be in trouble.  However, yesterday Abby was the one who got bit while they were playing together in the grass, and while she didn't really want to punish him, she flicked his little cheek and told him "No!" 

I think they were both going to start crying.

Next week's challenge: Busy

Finn has started biting. 

It's a habit I want to break him of pretty quickly because: a) those 4 teeth hurt like you would not believe and b) kids get kicked out of daycare for biting - and while he's not in daycare right now, I don't want to have the biting kid on the playground or wherever.  So, when he bites, we flick his cheek and tell him "No!" 

It's hard to punish him.  Sweet Lord, is it hard to punish that little face.  I still feel that he's just a baby (and he is), but I keep reminding myself that it's for his own good.  And usually when he gets his cheek flicked, he laughs; I don't think he quite understands yet what it means to be in trouble.  However, yesterday Abby was the one who got bit while they were playing together in the grass, and while she didn't really want to punish him, she flicked his little cheek and told him "No!" 

I think they were both going to start crying.

Next week's challenge: Busy

On Motherhood

This week, in honor of Mother's Day, lots of people have been posting on their facebook pages the names and dates that their kiddos were born.  I've looked at each of these postings and smiled, comparing sizes to Finn's birth weight and thinking about how tiny he once was and how totally over the moon I was to meet him for the first time.  I've thought about adding his stats to my status - Finneaus Uriah, 07.14.10, 8 lbs, 12 oz.  21 inches long.

But what do I add for Abby?  I'm not sure how much she weighed when she was born or how long she was.  I don't know if she was born in the morning or afternoon or the dead of night.  I can't tell her if she was a fussy baby or what soothed her.  I'm not sure what her first food was or her first word or when she started crawling and walking.  I can tell her that I met her for the first time in April of 2007, she was 7 years old and she had a very squeeky voice; she loved to play Polly Pockets and perform dance shows for us.  On June 25, 2008, when she was 8 years old, she came to live with us for the summer and she never left.  That fall we walked to her first day of 4th grade and she held my hand.  On November 5, 2008 she became Uriah's - and, by default, mine - legally.  Uriah and I celebrated quietly with champagne after she went to bed.  On October 17, 2009, when she was 9 years old, I became her step-mom.  She cried like a baby during the ceremony. 

One summer, I think maybe the summer she came to live with us, she got me a key chain that said "#1 Mom."  I still have my keys on it.  The thing of it is, I don't need to know her "stats." She didn't grow below my heart, but she has surely grown in it.

This morning, in what I guess is my first official Mother's Day, Finn woke up before 7.  He needed his pants changed and a pre-breakfast snack and since I'm a single parent these days, I was awake, too.  I made a bottle and we went back to bed together, although there was no going back to sleep for either of us - even after my Dad came in to get him and gave me a few extra minutes in bed.  Abby was awake at 7:30.  She has not mastered a quite voice, but she did have some Mother's Day "surprises" for me - mostly in the form of flowers and  new rose bush that I can plant when we get into our new house.  She and Finn worked on a secret craft with my Mom (along with some help from our super sweet neighbor) as a surprise for me - vases with painted flowers that they used their fingerprints to create.  I got lots of hugs and slobbery kisses and Abby informed me before she went to bed that she told me "at least 60 times Happy Mother's Day" today.

And it was just that...a very happy Mother's Day with both of my kids.

Thank you Sarah, for taking the lovely picture! 

This week, in honor of Mother's Day, lots of people have been posting on their facebook pages the names and dates that their kiddos were born.  I've looked at each of these postings and smiled, comparing sizes to Finn's birth weight and thinking about how tiny he once was and how totally over the moon I was to meet him for the first time.  I've thought about adding his stats to my status - Finneaus Uriah, 07.14.10, 8 lbs, 12 oz.  21 inches long.

But what do I add for Abby?  I'm not sure how much she weighed when she was born or how long she was.  I don't know if she was born in the morning or afternoon or the dead of night.  I can't tell her if she was a fussy baby or what soothed her.  I'm not sure what her first food was or her first word or when she started crawling and walking.  I can tell her that I met her for the first time in April of 2007, she was 7 years old and she had a very squeeky voice; she loved to play Polly Pockets and perform dance shows for us.  On June 25, 2008, when she was 8 years old, she came to live with us for the summer and she never left.  That fall we walked to her first day of 4th grade and she held my hand.  On November 5, 2008 she became Uriah's - and, by default, mine - legally.  Uriah and I celebrated quietly with champagne after she went to bed.  On October 17, 2009, when she was 9 years old, I became her step-mom.  She cried like a baby during the ceremony. 

One summer, I think maybe the summer she came to live with us, she got me a key chain that said "#1 Mom."  I still have my keys on it.  The thing of it is, I don't need to know her "stats." She didn't grow below my heart, but she has surely grown in it.

This morning, in what I guess is my first official Mother's Day, Finn woke up before 7.  He needed his pants changed and a pre-breakfast snack and since I'm a single parent these days, I was awake, too.  I made a bottle and we went back to bed together, although there was no going back to sleep for either of us - even after my Dad came in to get him and gave me a few extra minutes in bed.  Abby was awake at 7:30.  She has not mastered a quite voice, but she did have some Mother's Day "surprises" for me - mostly in the form of flowers and  new rose bush that I can plant when we get into our new house.  She and Finn worked on a secret craft with my Mom (along with some help from our super sweet neighbor) as a surprise for me - vases with painted flowers that they used their fingerprints to create.  I got lots of hugs and slobbery kisses and Abby informed me before she went to bed that she told me "at least 60 times Happy Mother's Day" today.

And it was just that...a very happy Mother's Day with both of my kids.

Thank you Sarah, for taking the lovely picture! 

Roomies

In addition to bunking in with my parents, my sister, and for two nights, my brother, we are also currently sharing our better-than-hotel accomodations with a cat. 

Finn spends most of his time trying to find Kitty Todd and Kitty Todd spends most of her time time trying to hide from Finn.  It's pretty much a win-win for all involved - the cat stays away from me (because I do not care for cats.  At all.) and Finn is occupied looking for her (which actually just involves crawling after the cat when he sees her and not really any active seeking). 

I think the cat would let Finn pet her if I could guarantee that Finn wouldn't put Kitty Todd's tail in his mouth. 

In addition to bunking in with my parents, my sister, and for two nights, my brother, we are also currently sharing our better-than-hotel accomodations with a cat. 

Finn spends most of his time trying to find Kitty Todd and Kitty Todd spends most of her time time trying to hide from Finn.  It's pretty much a win-win for all involved - the cat stays away from me (because I do not care for cats.  At all.) and Finn is occupied looking for her (which actually just involves crawling after the cat when he sees her and not really any active seeking). 

I think the cat would let Finn pet her if I could guarantee that Finn wouldn't put Kitty Todd's tail in his mouth. 

You Capture: Outside

One of the benefits to being moderatly homeless is that we have been able to spend a lot of time outside enjoying the spring weather (by moderatley, I mean we have been boucing from family member to hotel to family member as we wait to get into our house).

Friday night we stayed with Uriah's parents.

The weather was beautiful on Saturay, so we planted flowers with Mimi. 

Abby thinks her bangs are "awesome." 

I can't get a good picture of her without them covering up her face.

 On Saturday night we stayed with Emily and Jerad. 

Abby helped Emily do some yard work (willingly) and climed the tree in their backyard.  After Finn went to bed, we had a fire and roasted marshamllows.

On Sunday we headed North to Okoboji, anticipating only one night in the hotel before we moved all of our stuff into our new house.  Unforunately, plans changed and we ended up needing to find a new place to live, so our time in the hotel was extended.  Needless to say, we spent a lot of time outside playing on the swing set (and some time inside playing in the pool, too!).  A hotel room, no matter how big, can get very small when 3 people are in there constantly.

On Tuesday, in order to kill some time, I suggested that we paint our nails outside.  It wasn't super warm, but the sun was bright enough and the wind wasn't too strong that we were able to stay outside for about an hour.  Finn kept himself occupied with sticks and rocks and occassionally playing with his toys.

Yesterday I loaded the kid into the car and we headed to my parent's house.  Laundry needed to be done in the worst way, and that hotel room was starting to wear on my nerves.  We should be in our house sometime next week and I'm pretty excited to start to feel normal again.  We haven't been together as a family for longer than 3 days at a time for the last 5 weeks.  I'm ready for family dinner and co-parenting and grocery shopping and sleeping in my own bed!

Next week's challenge: Motherhood

One of the benefits to being moderatly homeless is that we have been able to spend a lot of time outside enjoying the spring weather (by moderatley, I mean we have been boucing from family member to hotel to family member as we wait to get into our house).

Friday night we stayed with Uriah's parents.

The weather was beautiful on Saturay, so we planted flowers with Mimi. 

Abby thinks her bangs are "awesome." 

I can't get a good picture of her without them covering up her face.

 On Saturday night we stayed with Emily and Jerad. 

Abby helped Emily do some yard work (willingly) and climed the tree in their backyard.  After Finn went to bed, we had a fire and roasted marshamllows.

On Sunday we headed North to Okoboji, anticipating only one night in the hotel before we moved all of our stuff into our new house.  Unforunately, plans changed and we ended up needing to find a new place to live, so our time in the hotel was extended.  Needless to say, we spent a lot of time outside playing on the swing set (and some time inside playing in the pool, too!).  A hotel room, no matter how big, can get very small when 3 people are in there constantly.

On Tuesday, in order to kill some time, I suggested that we paint our nails outside.  It wasn't super warm, but the sun was bright enough and the wind wasn't too strong that we were able to stay outside for about an hour.  Finn kept himself occupied with sticks and rocks and occassionally playing with his toys.

Yesterday I loaded the kid into the car and we headed to my parent's house.  Laundry needed to be done in the worst way, and that hotel room was starting to wear on my nerves.  We should be in our house sometime next week and I'm pretty excited to start to feel normal again.  We haven't been together as a family for longer than 3 days at a time for the last 5 weeks.  I'm ready for family dinner and co-parenting and grocery shopping and sleeping in my own bed!

Next week's challenge: Motherhood

Things I don't want to talk about...

• I may or may not have a place to live...it's still up in the air.  The first place fell through.  Fingers crossed for the second one,
• My car still has not been fixed and now it has a crack in the windshield thanks to a super dump truck on Highway 71.
• Living in a hotel is fun.  Until it isn't.  And that happens pretty quickly.
• I need to do laundry (yesterday).
• I bought a swimming suit.  I cried.
• I have been doing lunges in the pool with Finn.  My thighs hurt...which makes me somewhat gleeful.
• I refuse to cry when buying a swimming suit ever again.
• It is cold here.  As in...cold.  As in...unseasonably cold.
• I. Want. My. MIXER!  I have not baked anything for going on 6 weeks.
• Watching Food Network is crack.  It's going to be a long, hard road back to sobriety when I move out of this hotel and no longer have cable.
• I should get my fix while I still can.
• Finn is sleeping on the floor.  Does that make me a terrible mother? 
• I sure hope not, but, honestly, it is too much work to take all of the crap out of the trunk of my car to get to the pack-and-play and then put all of that crap back in.
• Speaking of my car (again), I feel like a horder every time I look at it.  It. Is. FULL!
• I wonder where the grocery store is...
• I wish I had the energy to read.
• I wish I had a good book to read...maybe it's a good thing I don't have the energy for it right now.
• All of my plants are at my sister's house.  They have names and I'm sure she's taking good care of them, but I don't think she'll call them by their names like I do.
• I wonder what the planting season is here?  It seems awfully cold to be putting in a garden.
• Why am I worried about the planting season...I don't even have a house!

• I may or may not have a place to live...it's still up in the air.  The first place fell through.  Fingers crossed for the second one,
• My car still has not been fixed and now it has a crack in the windshield thanks to a super dump truck on Highway 71.
• Living in a hotel is fun.  Until it isn't.  And that happens pretty quickly.
• I need to do laundry (yesterday).
• I bought a swimming suit.  I cried.
• I have been doing lunges in the pool with Finn.  My thighs hurt...which makes me somewhat gleeful.
• I refuse to cry when buying a swimming suit ever again.
• It is cold here.  As in...cold.  As in...unseasonably cold.
• I. Want. My. MIXER!  I have not baked anything for going on 6 weeks.
• Watching Food Network is crack.  It's going to be a long, hard road back to sobriety when I move out of this hotel and no longer have cable.
• I should get my fix while I still can.
• Finn is sleeping on the floor.  Does that make me a terrible mother? 
• I sure hope not, but, honestly, it is too much work to take all of the crap out of the trunk of my car to get to the pack-and-play and then put all of that crap back in.
• Speaking of my car (again), I feel like a horder every time I look at it.  It. Is. FULL!
• I wonder where the grocery store is...
• I wish I had the energy to read.
• I wish I had a good book to read...maybe it's a good thing I don't have the energy for it right now.
• All of my plants are at my sister's house.  They have names and I'm sure she's taking good care of them, but I don't think she'll call them by their names like I do.
• I wonder what the planting season is here?  It seems awfully cold to be putting in a garden.
• Why am I worried about the planting season...I don't even have a house!