I've been thinking a lot about Memorial Day. I've been very grateful that all of my family members who have served have made it home to us. Grandparents, uncles, cousins... We are truly blessed. They were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice but thankfully did not have to.
With these thoughts on my mind, this year I'm really annoyed by all of the Memorial Day "sales" and "savings" and "blowouts" and "spectaculars." Just slap an American flag on it, and it sells, right?
Most Facebook posts detail plans for food, drink and travel. I just hope that all of my friends are remembering why they're able to do that this weekend.
Thank you to all those who have given their all in service to their country. And wishing peace this weekend and beyond for those they left behind. God bless.
Our little angel
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thinking
Just thinking about how much I love the "conversations" M has in her room when she wakes up in the morning. Anything from talking to Mommy and Daddy, to tucking in the stuffed animals for their naps, to discussions about rearranging her books on the shelf.
Makes me smile. I like her a LOT!! :)
Makes me smile. I like her a LOT!! :)
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
I. Should. Know. Better.
Letting the girl run around for a few hours here and there without a diaper. She's had a diaper rash and it won't let up because she just keeps POOPING!!
Anyway, the dogs needed to go out. This usually takes 3 minutes. Tops. Let M stay in (not taking her outside with no pants/shoes - it's sunny, but a bit chilly with the breeze). Showed her where the potty was in case she needed it. Came back inside within 3 minutes.
I felt like one of those C.lorox bleach commercials - for life's bleachable moments.
"Mommy! I pooped!"
"You did?! That's wonderful! Where is it?"
(points to the potty)
Except.... it's not there. Only poop residue.
"Honey, where's the poop?"
She tried to dump the little pail of poop (mushy poop, no less) in the kitchen trash. Except when you pull out the cabinet that has the trash can, there's a child lock on it. So the poop went all the way down the cabinet. And all over the kitchen floor.
And then she used a dish towel to try to clean it up. Smeared. Poop. Everywhere.
It's finally cleaned up. The smell is dissipating. And I have a candle burning.
*sigh*
Will I ever learn?
She's lucky she's so cute... :)
Anyway, the dogs needed to go out. This usually takes 3 minutes. Tops. Let M stay in (not taking her outside with no pants/shoes - it's sunny, but a bit chilly with the breeze). Showed her where the potty was in case she needed it. Came back inside within 3 minutes.
I felt like one of those C.lorox bleach commercials - for life's bleachable moments.
"Mommy! I pooped!"
"You did?! That's wonderful! Where is it?"
(points to the potty)
Except.... it's not there. Only poop residue.
"Honey, where's the poop?"
She tried to dump the little pail of poop (mushy poop, no less) in the kitchen trash. Except when you pull out the cabinet that has the trash can, there's a child lock on it. So the poop went all the way down the cabinet. And all over the kitchen floor.
And then she used a dish towel to try to clean it up. Smeared. Poop. Everywhere.
It's finally cleaned up. The smell is dissipating. And I have a candle burning.
*sigh*
Will I ever learn?
She's lucky she's so cute... :)
Thursday, April 19, 2012
March and April
It's been busy!
We got a new swingset - there's a swing on either side. We're ALL enjoying it!
She had the ladder mastered in 2 seconds and now climbs the rock wall with no help. Freaks her grandparents out, but that's okay. :)
We had a gorgeous weekend at Penn State for our fraternity's 80th chapter anniversary. We got to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, do a service project on campus, and we reminisced about all of the good times we had in the beautiful place where we met. *happy sigh*
That last picture is in front of one of the elms in front of Old Main. The other, as well as others around campus, have succumbed to elm yellows disease, for which there is no cure. Such a shame. They'll all be gone in a few years.
We got a lovely package from her birthparents that we opened in the fort.
We had a beautiful Easter day for egg hunting.
That last picture is in front of one of the elms in front of Old Main. The other, as well as others around campus, have succumbed to elm yellows disease, for which there is no cure. Such a shame. They'll all be gone in a few years.
Friday, April 6, 2012
DVDs
Why do we have toys? We have a perfectly good cabinet full of DVDs and M has made it her full time job to remove as many DVDs as possible each day. We have safety latches on the cabinets to try to keep her out, but her little skinny arms fit in there anyway.
Tonight, I have given up the fight. There are DVDs everywhere and I'm just not putting them away until she goes to bed. So there. That's my temper tantrum for the day.
We've had improvements in the behavior/reaction department. Nothing dramatic, just little bits here and there. I've tried (very hard) to keep my voice down. While it doesn't necessarily change her behavior, at least I feel good that I didn't scream at a 2-year-old. And I have not spanked at all since she spanked herself the other week when I threatened to count to 3. Got some good book recommendations - now I just have to find them. The library doesn't have any of them. Maybe I'll ask for them for Mother's Day.
The hubby is having a tough time. He's usually the happy, stress-free one in our relationship, no matter what the situation. Yesterday was the first time in over a month that he was able to just be happy and relax for a bit without thinking about work. That lasted for about an hour.
He manages a branch of a local bank and the workload has been overwhelming. He has been putting in long days at the office and then comes home and either works well into the night from home, or gets up at insane hours to get work done before he leaves for work. When he's working, he feels guilty that he's not spending time with us. When he's spending time with us, he feels guilty that he's not working. The bank closed @ 7 tonight. I called at 7:35 to see what his schedule looked like for the evening. He sounded miserable because he just got an e-mail from his boss about something that's not done and needs to be done. Now. On Friday night of a holiday weekend. And he can't come home. Any prayers you could send up for his stress level, and for some ingenious ways of getting more work done or finding more hours in the day, would be much appreciated.
Happy Easter everyone!
Tonight, I have given up the fight. There are DVDs everywhere and I'm just not putting them away until she goes to bed. So there. That's my temper tantrum for the day.
We've had improvements in the behavior/reaction department. Nothing dramatic, just little bits here and there. I've tried (very hard) to keep my voice down. While it doesn't necessarily change her behavior, at least I feel good that I didn't scream at a 2-year-old. And I have not spanked at all since she spanked herself the other week when I threatened to count to 3. Got some good book recommendations - now I just have to find them. The library doesn't have any of them. Maybe I'll ask for them for Mother's Day.
The hubby is having a tough time. He's usually the happy, stress-free one in our relationship, no matter what the situation. Yesterday was the first time in over a month that he was able to just be happy and relax for a bit without thinking about work. That lasted for about an hour.
He manages a branch of a local bank and the workload has been overwhelming. He has been putting in long days at the office and then comes home and either works well into the night from home, or gets up at insane hours to get work done before he leaves for work. When he's working, he feels guilty that he's not spending time with us. When he's spending time with us, he feels guilty that he's not working. The bank closed @ 7 tonight. I called at 7:35 to see what his schedule looked like for the evening. He sounded miserable because he just got an e-mail from his boss about something that's not done and needs to be done. Now. On Friday night of a holiday weekend. And he can't come home. Any prayers you could send up for his stress level, and for some ingenious ways of getting more work done or finding more hours in the day, would be much appreciated.
Happy Easter everyone!
Friday, March 23, 2012
So happy - might cry
Feeling very grateful right now.
Grateful to have our crazy, silly , sometimes cranky, always adorable little girl living here in this house.
Grateful for new friends - in the adoption world and elsewhere.
Grateful for M's birthmom being so willing to be a part of M's life and ours.
Grateful for 3 silly puppies that are sleeping around me as I type.
Grateful for this gorgeous weather.
Grateful for my husband having a few days off.
Grateful for our wonderful doctors and vets (lots of appointments this week).
Grateful for this house (though I'd like to rip out the carpet so the 2 out of 3 dogs that pee on it would stop).
Today, I've done a good job of putting the negative/crappy stuff aside (there's still plenty of it) and just enjoyed the things that ARE going right. And I would be grateful, also, if someone would tell me what is for dinner. I fear that since I waited this long, it may be frozen pierogies... :)
Grateful to have our crazy, silly , sometimes cranky, always adorable little girl living here in this house.
Grateful for new friends - in the adoption world and elsewhere.
Grateful for M's birthmom being so willing to be a part of M's life and ours.
Grateful for 3 silly puppies that are sleeping around me as I type.
Grateful for this gorgeous weather.
Grateful for my husband having a few days off.
Grateful for our wonderful doctors and vets (lots of appointments this week).
Grateful for this house (though I'd like to rip out the carpet so the 2 out of 3 dogs that pee on it would stop).
Today, I've done a good job of putting the negative/crappy stuff aside (there's still plenty of it) and just enjoyed the things that ARE going right. And I would be grateful, also, if someone would tell me what is for dinner. I fear that since I waited this long, it may be frozen pierogies... :)
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Parent of the Year
Having such a struggle with extending grace to M. She is, through no fault of her own, a 2-year-old. No matter how many times I ask her not to do something while offering alternatives, she will inevitably choose to do the something she shouldn't. I love her more than I ever thought possible, but some days, I just don't know what the answer to all of this is.
Mostly this is just frustrating and annoying. But when her actions and tantrums hurt herself, the dogs, or S and I, then I get mad. During these times, when timeouts have failed, I sometimes count to 3 and if she doesn't comply, I will swat her bottom (on her diaper - I want to startle her, not hurt her).
Today she was throwing things at the dogs heads. I said "M I would like you to stop that. I do not want to count to 3." She looked at me, said "One, two, three" and then smacked her own bottom.
I. Felt. This. Big.
Crap.
There are days when I want to pat myself on the back because I think I'm doing a good job. Then there are days (like today) where I wonder what the heck I'm doing and how she's ever going to grow up without needing therapy. Need to find an alternative to timeouts and counting to 3.
Mostly this is just frustrating and annoying. But when her actions and tantrums hurt herself, the dogs, or S and I, then I get mad. During these times, when timeouts have failed, I sometimes count to 3 and if she doesn't comply, I will swat her bottom (on her diaper - I want to startle her, not hurt her).
Today she was throwing things at the dogs heads. I said "M I would like you to stop that. I do not want to count to 3." She looked at me, said "One, two, three" and then smacked her own bottom.
I. Felt. This. Big.
Crap.
There are days when I want to pat myself on the back because I think I'm doing a good job. Then there are days (like today) where I wonder what the heck I'm doing and how she's ever going to grow up without needing therapy. Need to find an alternative to timeouts and counting to 3.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
