birthday girl

someone tell me she's ONLY three?

career goals

have i told this one already? i can't remember...well, really i can't remember sh*t... ;)

mommy: jameson, what do you want to be for halloween?
jameson: a fireman!
mommy: cool! is that what you want to be when you grow up?
j: NO!
m: oh. well, what do you want to be when you grow up?
j: nuffin.
m: uh. well, you don't want to be a truck driver? drive an excavator? be a policeman?
j: no.
m: well, where will you get your money?
j: you got money.
m: what if i won't give you my money?
j: daddy has money.
m: well, where will you LIVE when you grow up.
j: here. (as in, DUH!?)

so, i guess my future couch had better be big enough to accomodate a 40 year old bachelor who is unemployed. :P

babies

i'm angry at myself for not remembering exactly how this cute conversation started, but here's the tail-end:

jameson: how do babies get in mommy's tummies?
me: uh. um. ah. mommies and daddies put them there.
jameson: yeah, but...how do they open up the bellies to put them in?

:D

jameson's perspective on mommy's work day...

each evening at bedtime, jameson and i do a "let's talk about the day" routine. which consists mostly of me asking what he did all day with him giving one word answers in response. but, today, he said, "mommy, tell me about YOUR day."

so, i told him i had sort of a crappy day and that some of the big-boss-mans at work were probably not going to give in to something i asked for. (i'm paraphrasing, of course, to protect the innocent.) ;)

jameson's reply?

"what, mommy? is he some kinda dup-us?"

made me laugh. brought perspective. love that kid.

natalia-isms

before i forget again...natalia speaks really, really well.  but, she doesn't pronounce the "s" sound much when words begin with s.  instead, she uses the "f" sound.  

bug smacker (aka: fly swatter) = bug fwacker

slippery = fwippery

spoon = foon

taylor swift = taylor fwift

you get the picture...

august

yeeeeeaaaaaah, i know, i know!  it's august. 

we've been really just "having summer" around here.  we've camped a few times, went "up north" a couple times, went to a couple county fairs (washington and ozaukee), and experienced our first family outing to a major league baseball game (they stink - and lost).

all of that stuff has been pretty fun. yay!

jameson's been having an emotional summer, though.  he went through a phase (shhhhhh, he doesn't know he's been doing better!)...where he'd have TERRIBLE temper tantrums.  all-out hysterics.  and, unfortunately for me, i was usually the enemy...the hated one.  THAT was NOT fun!  i think it all started after we spent about 10 days "up north" at our family's place over the 4th of july.  we were all off schedule - staying up late, getting up late, getting REALLY dirty, and not eating well.  **what?  s'mores aren't full of vitamins and minerals?!**  

to make up for the time off work, the week we got home i was going in pretty early...usually before the kids woke up from their new late schedule.  by the time i got home, jameson was a basket case...and didn't want me around.  one night it was so bad, i decided he just needed to go to bed.  i took him up, crying, and said goodnight - did the bedtime routine as usual - just a little louder so as to be heard over the tears.  i went back down - he carried on from his room.  about 15 minutes later, no sign of letting up, i went back up to give him a little drink, tell him to relax ...  came back downstairs and let 15 more minutes ensue.  

then, over the monitor i hear, "someone help me!  someone help me!" between his gasps.  

i go up, he's coughing - on the verge of puking.  i tell him, "jameson you need to relax, calm down", and i sit on his bed to hug him.  

"i can't, i can't", he says.  :(

so, i lay with him for a few minutes and stroke his hair and forehead.  he literally passes out.  poor little man.  i still don't know what that was about or what may have triggered it.

he tried a few less violent tantrums after that and then, either came out of whatever phase he was in...or finally realized the tantrums were getting him nowhere.  (or a combo of both, i dunno.)  that was a phase i hope we don't relive anytime soon - better yet, not at all.  

now, he's just in this "i don't want to live here"; "i don't want my toys" phase.  which isn't any fun either, but certainly easier to ignore.  and, he really only says that stuff when we've told him he can't do something.  other than that, he's a very sweet and loving boy.  he'll start school again in a couple weeks and as much as i know it's good for him, i'm not looking forward to it.  he just doesn't *love* school.  he'd much rather hang out at home and play with his own toys.  and i struggle with the fact that this is just preschool and he doesn't really *have* to go.  

natalia, on the other hand, has been ready to go to school since last year!  she doesn't meet the age cut off - need to be three by september 1st.  she won't be til october 10th.  we're looking to get her into gymnastics or swimming or the like instead.  she's amazingly quick and has advanced reasoning and rationale.  i'm afraid of what i'm in for when she's a teen.  

she's also a brute.  she's only about 2lbs less than jameson.  but, she could take him...and has.  she's super cute and has a heartwarming belly laugh that makes me smile every.time.  she LOVES to have her hair done...but don't be fooled that's the ONLY girly thing about her! :)

Father's Day camping...

gotta love it!

yikes!

here i was just thinking about how i was miffed that my friends have been lax at updating their blogs...then i come and look at the date on my last post.  whooooooops! :)

jameson finished up his first year of "school" on may 20th.  they had a cute little picnic at the park.  it was fun...and REALLY warm that day.  he hasn't asked about it since.  doesn't care that there's no school.  not even a flinch.  we always talk about the day when we do our night time routine.  part of that conversation is to talk about "what tomorrow is".  "tomorrow is tuesday, jameson!"  "what's tuesday mean?", he asks, knowing full well what the answer is.  "tuesday is garbage day!", we answer.  it used to be, "monday is school day!"  now, we say, "tomorrow is monday, jameson!"  he could care less...and doesn't seem to remember that we said, "tomorrow is school day" to him twice a week for the last 9 months.  he's a homebody, that kid.

two new baby cousins were born since my last update.  baby kira was born to big sister bailey and to my sister, alana and husband dave.  baby zachary was born to big sister elizabeth and to my brother jon and wife amy.  jameson and natalia LOOOOOOOOVE to "pet" the babies.  we've also been talking a lot about how those babies are their cousins..and that jon is my brother...and alana is my sister.  then we get into how grandma is my mommy and uncle jr is daddy's brother, uncle john is daddy's brother, jack, isaac, morgan, mitchell, etc are also their cousins, etc.  jameson seems to get it.  natalia just keeps saying, "jack and isaac are my FRIENDS, right mommy?!"  i guess that's right too! :)

that's all i can think of right now...how's that for 6 weeks of life gone? :P

beautiful day...

it was a gorgeous day for pictures...i felt a bit inspired. :)

nothing much

i really don't have much to say in the way of things new, but realize that i haven't posted in about a month.  so, i wanted to at least get something out here so you all know we're still alive and kickin'. :)

here are a couple things from the past month in bullet form:

• natalia IS fully potty trained - including night time!  yeehaw!
• jameson is also potty trained - but not including night time...which is ok :)
• jameson had a great birthday.  the morning of his bday we had a cupcake (yes, for breakfast - i'm the world's worst mommy...i'm over it) complete with a candle for singing "happy birthday" and practicing his blowing.  also that morning i got to go with him to school...he was thrilled.
• jameson's birthday party was also great.  he got many nice gifts that he really loves.  he's a blessed little boy.
• easter has come and gone as well (as you probably know)...i was trying to prepare jameson and natalia for the easter bunny.  i was describing how he was going to come and hide some treats for them.  jameson got a very panicked look on his face and said, "is he pretend!?  mommy, he's not real, right?!"  well, geez.  i hadn't expected to be admitting to the easter bunny being a farce quite so soon.  but, whatever. :)

so, that's that.  maybe i'll be better at this in may. ;)

good news

jameson's final, yes - i said FINAL, appointment at the neurology clinic at children's hospital was friday afternoon. yippee! he's been seizure free since coming off his meds in october 2008! dr. sprinkles (really, dr. o'connor - wonderful lady) says that most seizures will recur within 6 months of discontinuing medication. since it's been about that long, she feels he's "in the clear". we still need to keep emergency meds on hand for another 6-8 months or so, but she said she feels he's "graduated".

i can't express the relief i feel. phew.

we need to watch him closely, obviously, but this was really, really good news!

natalia-isms

random word translation:

"memenaide" = lemonade
"hop-a-roo" = kangaroo
"bite-a-mims" = vitamins

and, a cute story:

the kids and i were putting together a puzzle the other day and i said to natalia, "boy, jameson is pretty good at puzzles, huh natalia?"

she replied, "yeah, mommy, and i'm pretty too!"

burning ring of fire...

this wasn't the best take of her singing...she'd had just about enough of it. but, still cute, nonetheless. enjoy!

potty training

i'm going to say this very, very quietly so as not to jinx the situation...so, listen very carefully! :)

natalia has been in "big girl undies" during the day for two days - without any accidents! :)

we've tried on a few occasions to get her to potty train...she just wasn't interested at all. and, she didn't seem to get it. so, we waited.

on saturday morning, on a whim, i asked her if she wanted to wear her big-girl-dora-undies. she didn't scream and stomp in protest, so we tried it. we did what a friend suggested when we were potty training jameson and set the timer for every couple of minutes to "try" to go. she didn't pee for a couple hours of that...but then eventually did on the potty with no problems. then, she was playing in the living room while i was in the kitchen (jim and jameson were having guy-time outside)...suddenly she says, "i have to go poopies." and, marches her little self right to the bathroom. as i get there she's ready for me to put her on the throne. she squeezed out those little turds and was SO proud of herself! i was darn proud as well! :)

today went much the same (minus the poo...seems today was an off day?). no accidents or incidents to speak of. of course, we were quarantined to the house because i dare not take her out in public yet. i don't trust that she'll tell me when it really matters - like in the laundry detergent aisle of walmart. i'm sure not complaining, though! (it's cold out there again, anyway.)

man, i sure hope it's really this easy! ok, now shhhhhhhhh...and i'm going to knock on wood...

but, i have...

it's been so blasted cold here for the past two weeks. we all have cabin fever...and *i* get out of the house at least 5 days a week! the poor kids are going berzerk.

on saturday we needed to run some errands and shop for a few things. jim and i decided to separate the crack-monkeys - i took natalia with me.

she talks non.stop. so, on the way to the store, she's babbling about random nothingness and i say (mostly to myself), "MAN! it's COLD!"

she stops mid word and replies, "but MOMMY! i have my toat on! i NOT cold!"

me: "ok, i'm glad you're not cold. but we're in the car, when we get out it'll be very cold."

natalia: "but MOMMY! i have my hat on!"

me: "yes, and it's a very cute dora hat. good thing you have it!"

natalia: "but MOMMY! i have my mitzens on!"

i should know better, really. toat + hat + mitzens = NOT cold. brilliant!

bedtime?

me: natalia, are you almost ready for night-night?

natalia: um, no sank you.

hmmmm....this story doesn't bode well for mommy...