halloween festivities

we all went to a trunk or treat event at the church down the road yesterday. it was so fun! there were lots of decorated trunks, friendly people, and free food. some highlights for mosey were: a fake bat flapping its wings, a giant toy spider going up and down, and games! shane got a snow cone to split between the three of us, and mosey decided that he wanted to drink water instead. ha! oh, and mosey's cow costume scored us 3 free chicken sandwiches from a person that works for chik-fil-a! :)  we walked away with a bag full of candy and felt super satisfied with our evening.

tonight, we went good-old-fashioned trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. by the second house, he got pretty good at knocking and whispering, "trick or treat." it was cute! he also loved to go into the houses when they opened the door. also cute! :) i am thankful that for now, mo doesn't know much about candy. he was actually more interested in picking up rocks from people's driveways than getting candy from people.

we trick or treated our hearts out and we still got home in time for a regular bath and bedtime. what a great night. the last thing he said to us as i closed the door to his bedroom was, "trick or treat."

lovelove,
hula girl

PS: we went to the Georgia A-scare-ium as well. for future reference, this is not the place to go for candy. it IS the place to go for advertisements. meh. we had a good time anyway, watching our cow watch the fish. he cried throughout the octopus section, but then referred to it later on in the evening. go figure--they might be listening even when they're having out and out tantrums!

missing people

i've been missing my grandmother lately. it really came to a head today when i started to miss my late sister-in-law, kylee. she would have been 35 today. i didn't know her nearly as well as i wish i had, and maybe that's true of anyone who passes away too young.

my grandmother, on the other hand, had been looking forward to dying for about a decade before she actually did. she felt she had completely finished living and she was ready to go home. i liked that. i liked a lot of qualities about her. i miss her bashful smile and contagious laugh. i miss her dimples. i miss holding her warm hands. i miss how she used to neatly tuck her hair into bobby pins and i miss how she ceremoniously took all the wrinkles out of all of our clothes in one long ironing session once a week. she was slow and steady, content, and gentle. she cried for the wrestlers when she watched WWF on TV, but always quietly requested that we watch it when it was on. she prayed for two hours every morning and wore down the pink carpet in her room where she did it. that patch is still there.

i often wish she could be here to meet little mosey.

lovelove,
little me

why, pampers, why?

after two long years of brand loyalty, i might need to go my own way, Pampers. it's the end of a long lovely relationship. i know, Pampers are more expensive and they're probably not that different from many other diapers. but still. i love them... correction: i loved them. i thought i'd use them until the end of the need for diapers. but they've done it to me again. they've changed.

Pampers cruisers were the most wonderful diaper on the market. thin, ultra absorbent, cute, quality. but for some very strange reason, they've decided to redesign these gems. i think... ugh, now i'm poking around online and it looks like they might actually redesign stuff often. weirdos.

anyway, i think three times this month, mosey has woken up with wet PJs, wet sheets, wet blanket, and/or wet pillow! last night was the worst, where he woke up at 5:30am crying, "blanket!! blanket!! mommy, blaaaaannnnkeeeet!!!" it was so sad. i had to get up and change his sheets and blanket (during which he thanked me several times--i love that little guy!), and i'm quite sure that neither of us had any quality sleep for that last hour or so before we really got up.

well. now that i'm thinking about things, maybe i should go back to pampers and give their size 6 a try. maybe mosey is growing... i have noticed that he's been eating like crazy. maybe he's going through a growth spurt and his diapers are suddenly too small to hold all his pee.

hm. not sure what i'm going to do. all's i know is that i hate waking up to a child who is cold and wet with urine.

in other news, mosey loves sour cream. he ate tonight's white chili like no one's business, including cilantro, avocado, rice, cheese, crackers, and grapes for dessert, but the sour cream... that was his favorite part. :)

also, tonight, when i turned the light on in the bathroom for him to go to the potty, he said, "oh! thank you!" it was too cute.

also, when do kids start saying please? we have coached him to, probably several times a day, everyday, for over a year now, but it's not really sinking in. he learns Goofy's name after i tell him one time, but the powerful word please? seems like millions.

lovelove,
tired me :)

he calls me sweetheart sometimes

see, we have this cow costume for halloween. mosey tried it on at home, and he loves it... i mean, LOVES it! he danced around in front of the mirror for a good long while and loved having the cow face kiss the mirror above his head. when it came time to take it off, it was a really challenging time in his life.

we put it on him this weekend at the pumpkin carving party, because, well, it seemed like an appropriate time to let him have some time wearing it. and he stood there for a couple of minutes outside, looking around at all the other people there. i think he realized that they were not dressed like cows. and he quietly told me, "off, mama," as he tugged softly at the cow costume. i guess even 2-year olds get self-conscious about not fitting in. it made shane and me both a bit sad for him, and we decided together that he'll have to have some experiences enjoying that costume around other kids that are dressed up to make up for it.

in other news, last night, while i mosey was taking a bath, i took a moment to pluck a few of my stray eyebrows. at that very moment, mosey started saying repeatedly, in very clear and deliberate speech, "thank you, sweetheart." haha! i couldn't decide if he was just practicing/repeating what shane must have said earlier, or if he was genuinely thanking me for taking care of those stray hairs. :)

also, mosey has had really disrupted sleep for over a week now. what the heck, edgar? he's been up past 9pm a lot, just talking to himself in bed. several nights, also he's woken up in the middle of the night crying (which is really unusual for mo). i wonder if he's going through some growth spurt or milestone thing. *sigh* i guess only mosey knows the answer to that.

lovelove,
me

slow mo

this evening was delightful with slow mo. he just took his sweet time doing things today. and this entry will probably only be interesting to me, but i'm recording all my lovely details here because... i do what i WANT. ha.

i have to say, after about a week straight of meltdown tantrums in the evening, i'd been doing some deep thinking about how to respond to our son. i have to admit that i have felt myself starting to react more aggressively (like with a louder voice and with more oomph), and i wondered whether that was making things more of a power struggle between us. i wasn't enjoying our precious time together; we were spending way too much of it in disciplinary/rule-enforcing mode.

well, i'm glad i had a break tonight. we had a nice long (lllloooooooonnnggg) dinner (mostly just the two of us), where slow mo decided he wanted to hold and eat a whole apple by himself for dessert. he did a great job, and actually did finish the entire thing. it took him about an hour. before that, he ate two toddler servings of korean curry, string beans, tofu, mushrooms, and several refills of milk. it was a really long, but really enjoyable meal. i watched him throw so much into his mouth and actually eat it all. it was impressive. even his daycare teachers have noticed  and mentioned to me that he opens his mouth extra wide when he's eating, and when he's using his hands, he gets all his fingers in there. i had been awarded the "good eater" award in college by a friend of mine, and i'm rather hopeful that our child is following in my footsteps.

we went straight to the bath after dinner, because by that time, it was already past due. but then, i sat him on the potty (and also placed the stool at his feet because he wanted it that way, little prince that he is), and he sat there for a long while, contentedly reading a book and pooping a great deal (for which he scored two PB M&Ms). i guess his little body needed some space after his enormous dinner. i can't contain how precious that boy is.

we had fun in the bath, talking about soap, shampoo, and cups. and then he handed his toys to me and said he was done. i got him dried off, sang Old McDonald while i brushed his teeth, and i actually went through five rounds of the song while brushing with NO FUSS! it was probably the most thorough job i've ever done brushing his teeth.

we read a story, we sang 'God is so Good' and i tucked him in. he told me he loved me, and i think he really meant it. my heart is so full that it just might burst.

45 minutes after that, he finished singing his own songs and fell asleep. ha.

lovelove,
momma slow mo

my little heart is breaking

i know only a few people read this blog, so i feel that i can safely confess here. i spanked mosey for the first time this week. i realize that it's a very controversial topic, and that the issue is very much slanted toward the side of "spanking will ruin your child for life." unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on what side you fall on), both shane and i were spanked as kids, and we are both thankful that we were. so, we have decided that there are times when it will be necessary to spank mosey. 

up until this week, we have been able to discipline our regularly easy-going child by giving him time outs. however, this week, moses has transitioned into having some really tremendous tantrums. he has started to hit us during them, and has also become completely unwilling to stand in time out. so, we decided it's come time to implement spanking. there are a few things that we have discussed and agreed to, such as giving him ample warning, moving into a private room, making sure we are controlled (we are not hitting from anger), telling him before how many times we'll spank him, explaining afterward what has happened, and asking him to apologize and forgiving him. 

well, i did all these things. during bath time afterward, he told me so sadly, "mommy, boo boo bottom." i got him dressed and sat with him to make sure he was okay (he, of course, had fully recovered by then--young children are really so forgiving)...

and i held that sweet boy and bawled my little eyes out. 

i remember a wise counselor friend of ours said that a parent's job is to teach two things: (1) the child is deeply and wholly loved, and (2) the child will never win. he explained that it's a simple reflection of what they will ultimately need to know about God. i don't want to get all theological here, so i'll leave it at that, and also say that i pretty much agree. it makes it simultaneously easy and painfully hard.

lovelove,

little me

of COURSE our child is gifted!

haha... i'm thinking that every parent probably thinks their child is gifted in some way, right? :)

today was my first parent-teacher conference, which basically means that the teacher told me all about their activities/curriculum, purpose, rating system (to keep track of milestones in a long list of different categories), photos, etc. i really believe the staff works hard to get all these kids to develop all kinds of skills, and i am super impressed by them. they seem to really balance teaching the kids independence and obedience in this classroom. and they notice each individual kid and their quirks! i LOVE this daycare, like with little crayon-drawn hearts coming from my eyes. also, it's a chain, if you'd like to check them out (and i think i get a referral discount, so let me know if you do).

anyway, so back to the special-ness part. let's see, mosey is only 26 months, but the teacher was saying that he has already caught on to a lot of the activities. like sorting colors and shapes--they ask mosey to do his last because he is so eager and quick to finish that it doesn't give other kids the chance to figure it out! they will soon put his cubby on the bottom shelf so that he can get pull out his own box and blanket for naptime (only a handful of kids get this privilege). he basically understands what he needs to do in any activity after one or two times of explanation (he doesn't follow instructions every time because he is known to be a bit of a rebel). he is one of the rare few (the only other kid is michael, who they say is like mosey's partner in crime), that spends a good amount of time in each station in the classroom. she said each station has a different focus and teaches different developmental skills, and he is really interested in everything. also, he pooped in the potty after naptime without anyone asking him to!

i'm so proud i could just explode.

lovelove,
moses mom

habits of a toddler boy

the other day, we had his little suitcase out, and of course, he loves to roll it around the house. well, this time, he examined it, found the wheels, and said with great revelation and excitement, "it's a car!!!" he believes anything that has wheels belongs in the 'car' category. i love it. :)

this week, mosey has been tacking on "mommy" at the end of his sentences. sometimes even after a long pause, "what's that... mommy?" he has been doing it so often that he also calls shane mommy and has to correct himself. it's really adorable.

last night, we had him in footie pj's (he calls them "jamas") for the first time in a long time. he really really loved them until he realized he couldn't feel his belly button (he likes to suck his thumb and play with his belly button to soothe himself). after a bit of trying, he asked me nicely, "off, mommy." i unzipped them a bit, to see if access to the belly button was what he wanted, but he just wanted to change completely. he was happy to wait around for a different set of pj's. no fussing, just a calm costume change.

lastly, mosey refers to daddy's convertible as "da buh buh."

lovelove,
me

potty updates

1. this week, moses peed in the potty standing up at daycare! he really is a big boy.
2. yesterday, after daycare, we had gotten all the way home. mo was playing, and a half moon was peeking out from the back of his pants. i thought maybe the substitute teacher didn't get his diaper all the way tight and it was sagging. nope! to my great surprise, he actually didn't have a diaper on at all! i don't know how long he was going commando, but his pants were completely clean and dry! ha!
3. this morning, i pooped on the potty, with mosey as my audience, and he cheered me on, "you did it!!!" "poo poo potty!!" "yay, mommy!!!" he clapped and cheered. it was pretty motivating, honestly.
4. this afternoon, mosey woke up from his nap crying! i went in and found him with his pants pushed down to his ankles, his diaper completely off, and a giant pool of pee pee covering his sheets, pillow, pants, and stuffed animal. his new found power to take off his diaper might be good, or it might be bad. it's a bit early to tell. and... did he take off the diaper and pee before his nap or after? only mosey knows. 

lovelove,

poo poo potty mommy

the end of the third day

i dropped off mosey at nana and grandpa's house on friday afternoon. while it's been a glorious weekend (a wedding, a group of visitors staying overnight, a group of visitors hanging out all day, a day of real rest, an extended date, and a large amount of uninterrupted cleaning), i am sick with missing our little baby. a number of phone calls, pictures, and videos have shown that Mosey is pleased as punch to be hanging out up there with Nana... and i am starting to wonder when he'll start missing me! :) oh well. we are definitely glad to know that he is able to spend time away from us and still feel secure.

as for me, i have to mention this. while mopping, i used the mop to clean old milk splatter off the lower parts of furniture in the dining area (i.e. table, chairs, and bookshelf). i think that deserves at least an honorable mention for mom/wife-of-the-year. haha...

lovelove,
me

a (slightly irritating) favorite phrase and a responsible child

so. i generally have a long patience for our sweet son. there are certainly some things that we won't tolerate, such as tantrums and throwing and such, but there is a new phrase in Mo's repertoire. and it slightly irritates me. he uses it anytime he wants something (treat, food, drink, jacket, i.e. seven million times a day), and it's always said with a bit of urgency: "GET it, mommy!"

i try to coach him to say 'please' every time he says it, but so far, it's not catching on. and i think it's that sense of demand that sort of gets under my skin.

however, yesterday during story time, our upstairs neighbor was vacuuming, and i guess Mosey had never really heard it quite so clearly above his room before. his eyes were wide with both curiosity and worry (what a cutie). after listening for a while, he looked into my eyes and whispered, "get it, mommy." i think he was telling me he wanted it to stop. his trusting gaze and simple request just made my heart melt. i told him it was almost over, and luckily, i was right. all was well and he went to sleep in peace. :)

in other news, tonight, as Mo was getting undressed for bath time, he forgot to take off his shirt. he ran out of his room, and i said, "Mosey, come back, you forgot your shirt." he came back, thinking i was telling him to put his shirt in the laundry basket (common at this time of day). he picked up his socks and shorts to put them in his laundry basket, and he said to me, "where da shirt go?"

i have to admit, i took advantage of this moment to just laugh at our son, standing there with his little bare bottom hanging out of his shirt, looking around confused. it was like someone looking around for their glasses while they were on their head, but, of course, infinitely cuter.

love that little guy.

lovelove,
GETitmommy

flu shots

so, of course, i've read dozens of PSAs about how important it is to get a flu shot. especially for young children, older adults, and pregnant women. i've researched now for about... 45 minutes now, without luck on where i can find a place to give a flu shot to a 2 year old! CVS gave me the run around, and each location gave me the number of another location, saying they think the other gives them for 2-year olds (apparently, you have to be 13 years old to get them at any old pharmacy). same with Walgreens. i'm on hold with the health department now, which is where i have gotten nearly all of Mosey's shots.

you'd really think that (with how important it seems) lots of places would offer it for cheap, particularly for young kids. dear public health community, this has made me rather sad.

ah... success! for 2-year olds, they give the flu mist for $8!! score!

i heart the health department! well, sort of.

lovelove,
me

a few things that set mosey apart

so, Mo missed 4 days of daycare last week, and when we got back to our routine on Monday, one of the daycare teachers was super excited to see that he was back. she was so happy to see him and gave him extra hugs. she mentioned to me that she missed Mo because she didn't have anything to laugh at last week. it admittedly sounded slightly awkward/insulting, but it made me feel proud. i think what she meant was that Mo is special and entertaining (is that parental-wishful thinking?). she mentioned later that day when i picked Mosey up that he made her laugh by talking to her with his cheeks all full of food. apparently, he is like a squirrel at daycare, storing up food in his cheeks for those lean times between meals and snacks.

yesterday, another daycare lady told us that Mosey is a daredevil! he pushed a little car up to the top of the sidewalk incline outside, stood on the back of it, and shimmied his way until the car rolled down the hill! WHAT? he's definitely not a baby anymore. i would like to slow time down. just a little bit.

tonight, while reading a book, he told me, "cow's eating grass." (it was unrelated to the text i was reading--he was just observing.) amazing, folks.

lovelove,
me