Some days

Some days, I feel that I am wadding through molasses.  I might as well be going in reverse, I am getting so little accomplished.  Today was one of those days.  I have a laundry list of things that need to get done and oddly enough I managed to get most of it accomplished. 

Last night I stayed up late wrapping presents to be sent to my family back home in Michigan.  Of course I had a hard time waking up this morning.  Followed by me scrambling to get the items boxed up to be shipped out and the second box was not quite closing properly.  I taped another piece of card board on top of it to keep all the contents together.  I am very sorry for whomever opens the box.  I think I used a half roll of tape on the darn thing.

When I take a shower, I put on Daniel Tigers Neighborhood for Pookie.  Then say a small prayer that he doesn't get into too much trouble while I'm in the shower.  At the very end of my shower, I notice one of Rob's trucks pulling into the driveway.  I can hear Pookie getting very excited that Dada is home and I can hear him climbing onto the couch.  Pookie likes to perch on the back of the couch.  Normally this isn't a problem.  However, on Sunday, we got our Christmas tree and the furniture has been a little reorganized.  Well, wouldn't you know, Pookie fell off the couch and landed behind the Christmas tree.  I hop out of the shower, throw on a towel and pull Pookie out from behind the tree.  Poor thing, I asked him if he had any boo boos on his hands.  He looked at his hands, wiggled them a little and said 'no' in this very sad voice.  I asked him if he had any boo boos on his feet.  He looked at his feet, wiggled them and said 'no.'  I asked him if he had any boo boos anywhere else, and he said, Dada home!  Dada back!  Back home!  Sorry Pookie, Dada is working.  As it turns out, it wasn't even Rob, it was one of the guys picking something up. 

So as we were running errands, I needed to stop at the 99 Restaurant to pick up a gift card.  We get out of the car and Pookie starts saying 'Eat, eat, eat!'  I figured it was around lunch time so we stopped in for lunch while we were there.  Eating out with Pookie is a little bit of a challenge.  I always have food for him with me, but I like to get something for him off the menu.  At the 99's I get Pookie a plain hot dog.  No bun, no sides, no drink.  Apparently they were having a bit of an issue with the no side concept.  The waitress asked.  The manager that came over to verify that they weren't going to use butter on the hot dog asked as well.  The lady that brought out our meal apparently took things one step further and brought out a side of broccoli just to be on the safe side.  Our waitress was walking by our table and said 'Wait, he can't have any sides! I'll take that!' then grabbed the broccoli and took off.  The lady who brought out our meal was very concerned that Pookie didn't have enough to eat.  I reassured her that I had other food for Pookie and that he had issues with all of the sides that were listed on the menu.  Honestly, I am not trying to starve my child.  I promise! 

At the end of the day, we managed to get most of our errands done AND Pookie got a nap in.  Naps are erratic at best.  I just need to go to two more stores and my Christmas shopping is DONE!  I just need to get my Christmas cards mailed out and the presents wrapped.  I actually have time to spare this year!  And, I have Pookie's birthday gifts, too!  How's that for being on top of things!  Now I just need to get his party planed. 

Crafts galore

My husband thinks I am off my rocker. I have been on a creative frenzy for the past couple of months. So far I have made a knitted baby blanket, sweater and hat set. From there I started on an Advent calendar. In the midst of making the Advent calendar, I made a Merry Christmas banner and a tacky wreath for our front door.

The baby set is for a friend of mine. I am very happy with the way everything turned out. The sweater gave me a little bit of trouble. I had to take both front panels apart a couple of times. But I think over all, I am really happy with it. Plus, it's supper soft!  

 

 

I think I have been spending a little too much time on Pinterest.  So many wonderful ideas, and so little time to do them all!  I have been on the hunt for an Advent calendar that I like.  There are similar calendars out there, but you have to fill the pockets or drawers with items on a yearly basis.  I was really excited when I stumbled upon this one here.  I really like the idea of hanging up the ornaments on the tree as you count down to Christmas.  I still have ten more ornaments to make.  Oy vey, I might actually get this done before Christmas.  "Might" is the key word in that sentence.  

 

I have been receiving an impressive amount of catalogs as of late.  It's fun to look at all the pretty things.  I ran across a similar banner in Land of Nod.  I looked at it and thought to myself, I can totally make that.  I have a ton of left over felt from my Advent calendar project and this helped use some of it up!  The rather entertaining part of making the banner was trying to starch a couple of the letters.  The "E," "C" and "S" needed a little extra help.  I started off with spray starch, and that didn't work.  So I moved on to a cooked corn starch method.  Holy Hot Mess, Batman!  Let's leave it at, it was an interesting experience and I managed to figure out how to detach them from the towel that they had adhered to with minimum damage.  

 

Once again, I was on Pinterest, and found a ribbon wreath.  It looked easy to put together and I thought it would be a fun addition to our holiday decor.  Initially I wanted to make a red wreath, but couldn't find the right color red.  I had picked up some horribly tacky blue tinsel trees that I stuck in front of the door, so I figured blue would be a good second choice.  I added some silver in to be a little more festive.  My theory is, if you are going to be tacky, you might as well go big with it. 

 

I sill have a few more projects on the back burner.  Last year I dried orange slices for ornaments, and I would like to do that again this year.  I also want to make cinnamon ornaments.  Then I want to make a felt tree to put on the wall so Pookie can put felt ornaments on it and decorate it.  Hopefully it will keep him away from the actual Christmas tree. 

A visit with Santa

Last year Pookie's visit with Santa went very smooth.  I don't think Pookie even knew what hit him.  I zoomed into the mall, wheeled the carriage to where Santa was at and plunked Pookie on Santa's lap faster than Pookie can say "Mama."  This year has been a very different experience.  At first I thought that things might go well.  Pookie has been doing really well with costume characters, like Donald Duck.  I had a small hope that this would translate to a visit with Santa.  Apparently, no such luck. 

A couple of weeks ago, my Aunt, Cousin, Pookie and I went to a craft fair.  There was a very nice Santa there.  Pookie wanted no part of saying hello to Santa.  In fact, he buried his head in my shoulder and refused to even open his eyes.  No big deal, I told myself.  There are plenty of opportunities to visit Santa.  Last Wednesday, I needed to get my glasses fixed.  We wandered around the mall for awhile to kill some time while my glasses were getting worked on.  I figured it would be a good idea for Pookie to try to see Santa again.  Once again, he had his arm over his head and he wouldn't even look at Santa.  Humm, we seem to have a trend here.  So on Friday I had errands to run, one of which was at the mall.  I figured I would try again.  Once again, no luck.  Although this time, as we are leaving the mall, Pookie announces STOP! followed by a motion to go back inside.  At this point, I have other errands to run and I figured it would be better to just cut our losses and try again another day. 

Monday was the day!  After breakfast I told Pookie that we ARE going to visit Santa and all I need is for him to sit on Santa's lap and get a few pictures.  He looked at me as if I were off my rocker.  At this point, I probably am.  Then, I had a brilliant idea.  I needed to pick up a book at the library, and Pookie loves books.  So I told him that we could get books after we saw Santa.  You would have thought that I had just told him that he had won a life time supply of blueberries.  All the way to see Santa he kept saying "Book!"  After we left Santa, all I heard was "Book! Book! Book!"  I felt so proud.  Pookie isn't quite 2 yet, and I have managed to instill a love affair with books.  Score one for Mama!  On a side note, Santa was very nice, but the photographer completely ROCKED!  He managed to get Pookie laughing and that is a good thing indeed!  I seriously thought that this would be the year of the screaming child pictures. 

Happy Halloween!

Pookie has started to move into the Terrific Two's.  *cough*cough*  I think he is in the middle of a growth spurt and getting all four of his two year molars in.  My once happy baby is having a few issues.  Yesterday did not start well.  Pookie woke up crying.  That is never a good way to start one's day.  From there we had a bit of an issue with the Cream of Wheat cereal.  I think I added too much rice milk and it ended up very runny.  There was Cream of Wheat everywhere.  Do you have any idea how challenging it is to clean Cream of Wheat off of an almost two year old?  There was little specks of wheat all over the place.  After the Cream of Wheat debacle, things were going fairly smoothly, until we tried to leave the house.  Pookie wanted my keys.  I knew that if I gave him my keys we would never leave the driveway.  So I gave him his play keys instead.  The play keys were flung to the ground, followed by Pookie belly-flopping onto the floor having a hissy fit.  He finally managed to calm down and we made it out of the house and into the truck.  (My car was under the weather and was in for repairs.)  To say that I dislike driving the truck would be an understatement.  I hate it.  I can't see anything and it takes me three tries to get into a parking spot.  Whenever I back up, I'm afraid that I'm going to run someone or something over.  Pookie, of course, loves the truck. 

We finally made it to our destination.  There is a breastfeeding mother's group that we used to belong to.  They have a Halloween party every year, and the big kids are welcomed back for a visit.  Pookie is decked out in his snazzy fish costume and is doing good.  This of course, does not last for long.  There were only a couple of big kids that were there and thank goodness, we knew some of them.  However, I spent the entire time removing Pookie from the snack table and the corner of the room where there was a stack of precariously perched yoga balls.  To top it all of, the room was hot as hades.  We did make it a full hour before heading home.

Once we got home Pookie took his version of a "nap."  Once again, he woke up crying.  At this rate, I was seriously considering calling off trick-or-treating for Pookie.  He doesn't really go trick-or-treating, but the neighbors get a real kick seeing Pookie dressed up.  Plus, Rob has a fun time bringing Pookie out.  According to Rob, Pookie had a great time trick-or-treating.  Pookie let himself in to at least one of our neighbors homes and made himself comfortable on the couch.  From the sounds of it they had a nice visit with the neighbor.  Pookie came home with quite the haul.  Rob said that Pookie helped himself to a couple of handfuls of candy at a couple locations.  It sounds like we have a few things to work on for next year.  From a day that started questionable, it ended quite well.  It was all topped of with a showing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  Seeing as Pookie loves pumpkins, he was quite enthralled with it.


Costume, check.  Pumpkin, check.  Treat bag, check.  Let's go!



Pookie practicing knocking on the door.

Growing up

My little guy is growing up.  Two rather funny things happened today.  Pookie has been letting me know when he needs his diaper changed.  (No, he is not ready for potty training quite yet.  He is recognizing that he has gone to the bathroom, not that he needs to go.)  A couple of weeks ago he learned the word "bum."  He likes to point to his and other peoples backsides, and label the body part.  Well, he has learned a new word.  "Poop."  As I was changing his diaper, he was singing the word "poop" over and over and giggling.  He is all boy. 

As the day progressed, Pookie "helped" me to clean the house.  He likes to wear his ear protectors when I vacuum.  He loves the vacuum and he likes to pretend that he is vacuuming.  When I got around to cleaning the bathroom, I didn't have time to do a full scrub.  I just wanted to give it a quick once over.  As I was wiping down the toilet, Pookie took a look what I was doing, and proceeded over to the sink cabinet.  He rummaged around for a minute and brought over the toilet bowl cleaner and handed it to me.  I proceeded to squirt it in the toilet and Pookie went over and grabbed the toilet brush.  He then stuck it in the toilet and started swishing it around.  I'm utterly astounded.  First he knew which cleaner was needed and where it was kept.  Followed by how it worked and what was needed to finish the job.  I'm thrilled that he wants to get involved, but slightly skeeved that he wants to help clean the toilet.  Germs, yuck. 

I really shouldn't be too surprised by the toilet cleaning incident.  Pookie got his hands on a wrench and has been going around to furniture "fixing" it.  He pretends to tighten the bolts.  Well, I hope he is tightening them and not trying to take it apart.  Seeing as my father-in-law took apart his mothers washing machine when he was four.  Just so he could see how it worked.  Maybe I should lock up the tools now, just to be safe.

Truck Day

So, I'm a little behind on my posting.  I've been working on a very hard on a knitting project.  Let me tell you, I've been doing so much knitting, that my carpal tunnel is flaring up.  Regardless, I'm very proud of what I have accomplished, and pictures will be posted at a later date! 

At the beginning of September was Truck Day.  Rob looks forward to this day every year.  You know how some people have count downs to Christmas?  He has a count down to Truck Day.  Truck Day lets kids get up close and personal with trucks and other equipment.  It's fun to watch all of the kids climb all over every thing and honk all of the horns!  Rob and his guys spend a lot of time getting the trucks and all of the equipment cleaned up and shinny.  He made sure that he arrived early so he could get a prime spot on the green. 

Rob was very upset that he could only bring two trucks this year.  Someone tampered with the third truck and it was in the process of getting fixed.  Instead, he decided to bring Pookie's Cozy Coup as an alternative.  After Pookie got the Cozy Coup, Rob brought it to the guy that does his lettering for the big trucks.  There are decals posted for his landscaping company, along with Pookie's name and a shamrock plastered on top.  For the occasion, Rob added a small strobe light to the top of it and created a Boss "plow" for it.  Apparently Rob and his dad are in discussions of making a more impressive plow for next year. 

Pookie's Cozy Coup was a big hit with the kids.  There was generally a couple of kids waiting to try it out.  Pookie, however, wasn't too thrilled with all of the kids getting into his car.  At one point he went over, opened the door and "helped" another child get out of the vehicle.  I'm not sure what bothered Pookie more, people climbing over Rob's equipment and trucks or the kids playing with his car. 

Pookie had a grand time checking out all of the other trucks.  I brought ear protection for him, but he wasn't interested.  I was a little surprised by that.  We're talking about the kid that wears his ear protectors when I'm vacuuming the house.  Whatever floats his boat, I guess.  The count down is now on for next year!

Fearless

I don't think Pookie has any concept of what fear is.  Granted, he is 20 months old.  His brain isn't hard wired to figure out that doing certain things might result in injury.  Also, he is all boy.  One of my younger brothers was known for jumping off of everything.  Making a flying leap from the couch to that chair that is five feet away.  No problem!  Crash!  It is astounding that none of us needed stitches due to stupidity.  Pookie seems to be following in his Uncles footsteps. 

I brought Pookie to a playground a couple of days ago, to help him get his wiggles out.  At this particular playground there were three sections.  One for toddlers, one for young kids and one for bigger kids.  Pookie makes a bee-line for the big kid section.  I can't say that I blame him.  It was the biggest structure on the playground, and it had a lot of fun things to do on it.  I attempted to steer Pookie towards the toddler structure.  He made it down the slide once before heading to more interesting things.  We did spend a good amount of time at the middle structure.  There was this tube that connected one half to the other.  Pookie had a great time scooting from one side to the other.

Of course, we made a couple trips over to the big kid structure.  Pookie needed to check everything out.  Over the summer, Pookie has developed a love for slides.  Nanny got a Little Tikes slide and swing for the back yard.  This was a very big hit with Pookie.  Apparently, when it comes to slides, in Pookie's opinion, bigger is better.  As we were wandering on the big kid structure, Pookie finds the tallest slide that spirals down to the ground.  He scooted right up to it, and down he went.  The little stinker had the nerve to look at me with this "Ha ha ha! Look what I'm doing!" face as he was going down.  I had visions of him shooting out of the slide and landing several feet away.  Pookie at least had the smarts to use his sneakers to slow his decent. That gave me enough time to get to the bottom before he landed.  He looked so proud of himself.  I redirected him to the swings.  Regardless, a good time was had by all!

MIA

On Sunday, I had the bright idea of ripping out the flower plot next to the house and to re-organize it.  No, this isn't the massive garden on the side yard.  That sucker isn't going anywhere any time soon.  There is a patch of garden next to the drive way, by the back door.  Three years ago, I put in several lily's that I transplanted from my grandparent's old house.  Of course they had the audacity to grow and were looking a little overgrown.  It didn't help that Rob re-painted that side of the house and trampled any vegetation that was living over there.  Regardless, it looked sad. 

With Pookie by my side, I went to town digging everything up.  I find it very entertaining to watch Pookie with a shovel.  He can keep himself busy for quite a while.  Then when he got sick of digging holes, he would go into the garage and "help" Rob paint the dump truck.  (On a side note, Truck Day is on Sept. 9th.  Rob loves to bring his trucks down and show them off.  Of course the trucks have to be shiny and looking spiffy.) 

As I was digging up the garden, I went in search of bulbs that I have planted over the past couple of years.  I managed to find the hyacinth and the muscari bulbs, but the tulips were no where to be found.  Mind you, I had at least a half dozen tulip bulbs, and I could not find a single one.  I really hope that somehow I just missed them and they will pop up next year.  However, I think they have disappeared.  My mother-in-law suggested that the squirrels might have gotten them.  I never saw any signs of the ground being disturbed where the bulbs were located.  I guess the waiting game is on.  It will be interesting to see what actually pops up in that garden next year. 

The case of the missing poop...

The other night Rob, Pookie and I went to a car show after Rob got home from work.  It takes about 45 minutes to get there, but it's fun to drive out, get dinner, walk around and see all the old cars.  Plus they are an ice cream stand and they happen to have a gift shop.  What could be better?  Get a little dinner, see some old cars and do a little shopping before getting dessert and heading home.  We are definitely part of a car loving family.  The older the better.  I'm talking classic old cars and if they have a big engine and can go fast, all the better. 

We had an enjoyable dinner.  It was nothing fancy.  But the food is good, none the less.  After we got all cleaned up, we went to take a stroll.  First stop was an old tractor.  Pookie loves any piece of heavy machinery.  As we were admiring the tractors large wheels, Pookie got this look of concentration on his face.  Yep, he had to go #2.  I didn't feel like schlepping back to the truck to change his diaper, and the port-a-potties looked terrifying, so I went into the gift shop to see if they had a changing table in the bathroom.  Apparently they aren't equipped with a baby changing station, but the bathroom was fairly large and I figured I could work something out. 

I haven't mastered the art of changing Pookie's diaper as he is standing up.  However, I didn't want him laying on the bathroom floor, even with a changing mat under him.  Pookie is a very wiggly kid.  I get everything situated and take off Pookie's diaper.  There is a smear of poo, but the poo itself is missing.  I check his backside.  It's not there either.  The poo managed to dislodge itself and land on the floor.  I grab a baby wipe and scooped it up.  Followed by giving the floor a good scrub with another baby wipe.  Then I topped it off with a little hand sanitizer squirted on the floor and rubbed in with a paper towel.  I managed to get Pookie's clean diaper on.  It was a little haphazard, but it was attached.  I finished up business and exited the bathroom.  By this time the line had formed around the corner. 

The rest of the car show was entertaining.  Pookie kept trying to either touch or get into the cars.  Seeing as most of the cars are show pieces, little fingerprints are not appreciated.  There was a Dodge station wagon with a third row seat in the back.  I told Rob that this is the car that I need for my next vehicle.  It has all the room I could ever need, plus it has great visibility!  He just laughed. 

Grocery shopping

Grocery shopping is not my favorite thing.  Well, I don't mind going to the store and selecting my purchases.  It's the schlepping everything into the house and putting it away that sends me over the edge.  Think about it, by the time you're done, you have basically handled everything five times.  Six, if you bag everything yourself.
1. put it in the basket
2. put it from the basket onto the conveyor belt
3. bag and put back in the cart
4. put the bag in the car
5. bring the bag from the car into the house
6. unpack and put away
That is really way too many times to touch the same item. 

To add to the yuckiness that is grocery shopping, I am having a few issues with my current store.  I was looking for blueberries and every single package had mold in it.  Yuck!  The vegetables looked sad.  It was not good.  Then to top it off, I generally re-bag my groceries when I get to the car, because the bagger feels the need to put every single heavy thing in the same bag.  If you have problems picking it up, then it is too heavy. 

To attempt to fix this problem of yucky fresh food, I have decided to try a different grocery store.  This new grocery store, let's call it MB for future reference, leaves a lot to be desired.  It is know for having really cheep prices.  MB has opened up a new, larger, store and I thought it would be a good idea to at least try it out.  MB should really provide battle gear when you enter their store.  There are more little old ladies than at a bingo convention shopping in this place!  And they have a take no prisoners attitude!  It's impressive that Pookie and I made it out alive.  I think it helped that I had Pookie with me.  The little old ladies were distracted by Pookies cuteness and I was able to do a sneak attack to get some potatoes.  When we got home, I had to take a nap with Pookie, because the shopping trip was so tumultuous.  The final verdict?  They did have good produce, but the meat was horrible.  Some of the prices were cheaper, but not cheap enough to convince me to do battle with little old ladies over blueberries.  I think I need to check out the local farmers market for the fresh fruits and veggies.  There is also another grocery store further away that I need to try out.  Hopefully that one won't be inundated with the little old ladies.

Marco Polo?

Trying to take a shower is an interesting process.  My main problem is what to do with Pookie.  Pookie is at a funny age.  Too little to be left unattended, and to big (aka mobile) to be strapped into a stationary device to keep him contained.  My current fix is to stick him in his crib with a couple of books an a toy.  The toy can't be too big, because he might use it as a launching pad to escape from his crib. 

Pookie doesn't really have a problem hanging out in his crib while I'm in the shower.  However, there is a fairly short time span before he gets a little concerned about my well being.  Projected from his room comes the shout "MAMA!"  This will continue until I respond back "Pookie!"  I feel like we are playing an odd game of Marco Polo. 

Garden, part 3

We have been moving right along with our garden.  I wanted to get as much done before I had my tonsillectomy as possible.  I was able to find a good chunk of the plants that I was looking for.  There are still several spring and early summer plants that I need.  I also wanted to be able to add in plants as time goes along.  I know that some plants aren't going to make it.  In fact, we have had to replace one of the lavender plants already.  I don't think it was quite getting enough water.  The new one is doing much better. 


A couple of days ago, Pookie and I went to a gardening center near by to pick up lilacs and a peony shrub.  We had a rather entertaining time.  Between Pookie rolling away (luckily a plant stopped the cart!) when I went to look at a shrub and walking through mud in my flip-flops, we had a great time!  I soon realized that my small cart wouldn't accommodated two good sized shrubs, so I pulled Pookie out and explained to him that he needs to stay with Mama while we look at plants.  We grabbed a near by pallet on wheels and Pookie had a grand old time helping me push the cart around. 
Towards the end of our shopping expedition, I had picked up several lily-of-the-valley plants.  Pookie would go over and pick up the plant and carry it for a few feet and then put it back with the others.  Then he would pick it up again for a few more feet and repeat the process.  At one point, he dropped the plant and dirt spilled out.  Pookie's standing there saying uh oh!  I scoop everything back together and told him the plant was okay.  He then went back to his process of holding the plant and putting it back on the cart.  I think Pookie was in 7th heaven, between all of the puddles, the trucks and the equipment! 

I'm back!

Well, dear reader, I'm back!  My tonsils are gone and we have gone on vacation.  It's been a busy month! 

My surgery went really well.  However, the hospital misplaced my mother.  Well, she wasn't lost exactly, but they forgot about her.  I get out of surgery and after a period of time in the recovery section, I got wheeled up to a room.  I was fairly well out of it at this point.  I have a really hard time waking up from anesthesia.  The two ladies that were wheeling me up to my room said that they were going to grab my mom and bring her with us.  Apparently there was a change of plans and they said that they were going to send someone for her after we get to the room.  Two hours later, after asking a couple of different people to find my mom, she finally appears in my room.  Yep, they had forgotten about her.  She was rather peeved by that point, because she had been making an effort to check in at the desk in the waiting room every hour.  Apparently there was a shift change and the information got lost in the shuffle.  Or something like that. 

Anyway, they gave me really good drugs that made me ill.  Then they gave me different really good drugs and extra acid reducers and I felt a lot better.  Let me tell you, a tonsillectomy is an interesting thing to go through.  On one hand, going though unmedicated labor for 32 hours was more painful, but I think the 9+ days of what felt like nasty strep throat and a double ear infection might take the cake. 

My mom rocks, she came out for two weeks to take care of me and Pookie.  My mom (Grandma) and Pookie had a fabulous time together.  Pookie was her little buddy.  It was a lot of fun to watch the two of them together.  Considering that I slept for the first week and a half, they had a lot of bonding time together.  Pookie would come in to check on me from time to time.  Just to make sure I hadn't disappeared again.  He would come over, say "MAMA" and pat me, then run off.  By the end of the two weeks, I was feeling well enough to help put Pookie to bed.  I told him it was time to brush his teeth and he ran past me to Grandma.  Silly Mama, apparently Grandma is the "go to" lady! 

Pookie was VERY sad when Grandma left.  I think he moped for a week.  There was one day when he was just having one melt down after another and I asked him if he missed Grandma.  He nodded his head yes, so I gave Grandma a call and the two of them had a chat.  That is to say, Grandma talked and Pookie listened.  Although, Pookie did nod at appropriate times in their conversation.  I think he felt a lot better after getting to talk to her.  Grandma also went out and got one of the recordable books from Hallmark.  Pookie has been having so much fun with it!  On a funny side note, the book knows what page it is on due to light sensors.  Sometimes the book will start reading the wrong page.  Oops!

Tonsils

I have a list of things to get done, and not enough time to finish them all!  I am getting my tonsils out next week.  Mine have been bugging me on and off for years, and it is time that they go!  Oddly enough, I am rather looking forward to it.  I am looking forward to catching up on all of my sleep that I have lost over the past year and a half.  I know, I'm off my rocker.  My Mom (Grandma) is coming for a two week visit to help take care of Pookie.  They haven't seen each other in over a year, but I think the two of them will get along great!  Grandma has started to plan out places that she wants to take Pookie.  Grandma grew up around here and there are several places that she liked to go to.  I think she is really looking forward to going out exploring.  Considering she has absolutely no sense of direction, it's a good thing I have a GPS. 

In preparation of Grandma's arrival, I've attacked the basement.  On the whole, I hate basements.  They are dark, stinky and generally have cobwebs.  Yuck.  Half of our basement was "finished" in the 70's, wood paneling, beer theme and all.  We've been using it for storage.  Well, Grandma needs a place to sleep.  Apparently she doesn't have my hangups about basements, so she is going to stay down there.  So far I have managed to donate 12 containers of stuff to the Veterans and gotten rid of at least two trash bags worth of junk.  Items have been relocated to the other half of the basement or strategically placed in an unobtrusive corner.  It's astounding the crap that we have in the basement.  It's more astounding the crap that my husband wants to save.  I shouldn't poke too much fun at him, I have my own crap that I can't get rid off.  Although, maybe if I'm labeling it "crap," it needs to go.  Anyway, to freshen the place up a little, I put down a large area rug and got two new lamps.  I also hung up two cute prints that are from It's a Small World.  That sounds cheesy, but really they are adorable.  I borrowed a blow-up bed from one of my aunts and put side tables on either side of it.  I just need to check to make sure I have enough blankets.  Grandma is perpetually cold.  She can't sleep if she's too cold.  I need to make sure that she has enough blankets if she needs them.  Last thing we need is a sleep deprived Grandma.

New BFF

On Sunday, Rob, Pookie, Nanny (Rob's mom) and I went on a plant shopping expedition!  We are one step closer to our flower bed!  There will be a post later about our pretty new plants.  This post is about Pookie's adventures at the nursery.  Seeing as Pookie can move rather quickly, I have decided to invest in a snazzy leash.  It is a very cute lion!  Please don't judge me for using a leash on my child.  My younger brother was a runner and would be gone in 5 seconds flat.  I don't want to loose my child, especially considering what an inquisitive child Pookie is. 

I figured going to the nursery was a good time to test the leash out.  It would be quiet enough that if Pookie did have a problem with it, we could just keep a very close eye on him.  We brought the stroller with us just in case he wanted to get wheeled around.  The stroller also makes an excellent place to put things.  Seeing as Nanny only needed to get a couple of plants, she was in charge of Pookie.  I love watching the two of them, they have this mutual love fest going on, it's very cute to watch!  Poor Nanny is very used to walking our deceased pooch, Bailey.  Pookie is not a dog, even though he tends to act like one.  At one point I looked over and saw Pookie tripping over something and Nanny yanked up the tether.  Here is Pookie, dangling off the ground, with his feet going.  It was hilarious!  Good save Nanny!  Pookie takes a lot of spills through out the day.  However, the plants at the nursery are all outside and the ground is covered in 3/4" rock.  The ground would have made quite the lasting impression on Pookie, if Nanny hadn't yanked back on the tether.  At first Nanny was keeping Pookie on a short leash, but as the day went on, she was giving him more freedom to wander around.  By the end of our shopping expedition, Nanny and Pookie found the shed in the middle of the grounds.  Pookie was having a grand time going up and down the steps and finding a good spot to sit for a few minutes. 

Pookie has decided that his leash is his new BFF.  He'll go over to it and give it hugs and kisses.  Later in the day on Sunday, he picked it up and brought it over to me.  I tucked the tether into the backpack and put it on him.  Pookie seems to think that his lion is the snazziest thing ever.  Hopefully he won't change his mind any time soon. 

Garden, part 2

Rob finally dug out my flower bed for me.  We are putting a rather large flower bed in the front yard.  All together it is about 73 feet in length.  Thirty of those feet are being taken up by a couple of lilacs and at least one hydrangea bush.  The other 40 I need to figure out what to do with!  Luckily, I have a plan.  Or at least part of a plan. 

View from the street.

A couple of days ago, Rob needed to remove several bushes from a customers yard.  Seeing as he had a bobcat, Rob figured that it would be a good idea to put in our flower bed.  Pookie had a great time watching the "guck" aka "truck."  Pookie has a great love of all things that go vroom!  After Rob was done, all that was left to do was to edge the bed.  I like to put around in the yard, and I know how busy Rob is, so I volunteered to put the edge in.  Rob left me a wheelbarrow and some tools and wished me good luck.  It took me about an hour and a half to put in about 40" of edge and truck out the grass.  Luckily, Pookie actually took a nap for me.  Pookie has been having a lot of issues with naps.  They can be somewhat nonexistent.  Poor kid, he's trying to transition down into one nap and we've been hitting a lot of road blocks.  I managed to finish up just as Pookie was waking up.  Talk about timing! 

Closer view of my beautiful edge.

Later that night, Rob took a look at the edge that I put in.  "Wow, honey!  You actually did a good job!"  Um, excuse me?  Did I hear you right?  I put in an hour and a half of hard work and I get an "actually"?  About that, you might want to try that sentence again.  Apparently, my wonderful hubby is used to "homeowner" fixes.  When someone does something that he or she think looks wonderful, just because he or she happen to watch HGTV.  In reality, whatever that person did, could use a little work.  Silly, silly man.  I wonder how much longer it will take him to realize that I'm smarter than he thinks I am?  On the flip side, if he has really low expectations, it won't take that much to knock his socks off!

My "helper"

Now we just need to remove a few roots, add in some more dirt and get some plants!  There is a section of the bed that needs to be slightly reconfigured.  Regardless, we are on our way to a finished flower garden!

Garden, part 1

Other than mowing the lawn, I think I have taken over the yard.  Our yard is okay, it's pretty bland, due to the fact that Rob is very busy taking care of other peoples yards.  Now that Pookie is a little older, I have decided that I want to spruce up the yard a little bit.  A very large flower bed is in the works.  I am still in the planning stages and I will update on how that is coming along.  For now I've been having fun in the back yard.

Growing up, we always had a vegetable garden.  As I got older and my parents were busier, the garden fell to the wayside.  However, we did have grape vines and my mom makes an awesome grape jelly!  I've been itching to have a vegetable garden in my back yard.  Rob has been telling me that he will put in raised beds.  Unfortunately, he is a little slow at getting around to it, so I took matters into my own hands.  I bought planters instead!  Of course I couldn't leave well enough alone.  I bought some spray paint and had a little fun! 

before

after

There are five large pots and one small pot. I ended up painting two of the large pots and one small one. From there I got a little more creative. I have three vine plants and to help them along, I decided to make a trellis.

 

Yes, it is a ladder.  I'm not sure if I like it or not.  This might get reorganized.  But then again, maybe not, it's starting to grow on me. 

Of course I had my little helper! 







Allergies

I love Ah Ha! moments.  When things click and all of a sudden, things make sense.  Some days I feel like I'm allergic to everything.  That isn't true, but I have a lot of little allergies to lots of different things.  It appears that Pookie is taking after me in that aspect.  Although, Rob's side of the family does have their fair share of allergies.  I went to an allergist at the beginning of college.  They did some testing, gave me some meds and sent me on my way.  Fast forward 15 years later and I take Zyrtec and hope for the best.  Well, I've had it.  I'm sick of sniveling.  Something has got to change!

So, I saw a new allergist, Dr. L., she's a nice lady.  A little hyper, but she's a good egg.  I had a scratch test done and I wasn't allergic to as many things as the last time I had it done.  That puzzles me a little, but this is only phase 1 in the testing.  One of the things I have issues with is over and under ripe fruit, random, I know.  Did you know that tree pollen can cross react and create issues with food.  For example, if you are allergic to Poplar tree pollen, you may have issues with apples.  Especially specific kinds of apples, because they have higher levels of allergenic proteins.  Apparently if you cook the food, it helps to break down these proteins and they become safer to eat.  (Ah Ha!) 

This helps to explain why Pookie can generally have blueberries, but sometimes he has issues with them.  It's all due to pollen!  I have to make an appointment for Pookie to see an allergist.  The only thing I am a little concerned about is the scratch test.  You have to lay on your stomach for 20 minutes after the scratches have been applied.  There is no way my child is going to sit still for 20 minutes.  Hopefully the doctor will have a brilliant idea on how to make it work! 

Drumlin Farm

Pookie and I met up with friends of ours to check out Drumlin Farm.  It's very cute.  I feel a little odd calling a farm cute, but really, it kind of is.  There are a couple of parts to the farm.  There is a wildlife area with rescued animals that have either been injured or have had too much contact with humans and would not be able to survive in the wild.  After that is a farm area with sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, cows and I think a donkey.  There are also hiking trails on the property.  At the entrance there is a farm stand where you can purchase items that have been grown on the farm.   

Naturalist and Owl.
They look surprisingly similar.

One of the naturalists did an Discovery Activity with an Eastern Screech Owl #3.  Apparently there is also an #4 as well.  I'm not sure about #'s 1 and 2.  The naturalist was very enthusiastic about ESO #3.  We stayed for the entire presentation.  Apparently that made quite the impression on the naturalist.  Especially considering that everyone else came and left in waves. 



After our lunch, we went to explore the farm area of the property.  I figured that I better let Pookie out of the stroller and run off some steam.  Otherwise, I don't think I would have been able to get him into the car seat for the ride home.  Pookie is definitely his father's child in many aspects.  He spent a whole 30 seconds looking at a sheep, before noticing a guy with a wheelbarrow and going to investigate.  I think Pookie spent more time looking at the farm equipment, than he did looking at the animals. 

One of the things that I thought was very adorable was the signage posted around the farm.  You can't see it in the picture, but in the chicken coop, above the door to the outside yard, reads "Flew the Coop."  Then on the goat gate, there was "Got your Goat."  There was one for the sheep gate, but I can't remember that one.  Someone has a sense of humor!

Take me with you!

Tonight, after dinner, Rob needed to run a few errands.  He got his shoes and sat down on the couch to put them on.  Pookie went over to "help" Rob.  Pookie then decided that he wanted his shoes on.  He picked up his sneakers and brought them over to Rob.  Pookie proceeded to point at his feet.  (Translation:  Hey you!  Please put on my shoes that I so thoughtfully brought over to you.  Especially considering that it looks like you're going to fly the coop, and you should take me with you.)  This was followed by a very decisive "UP!" from Pookie.  Rob did pick him up, and gave him a big hug.  Then proceeded to explain that it was Pookie's bedtime and that Pookie needed to get his pajama's on.  Pookie didn't look too happy about that explanation.  I was able to sidetrack him by making sure he looked out the front door so he could wave to Daddy.  I think it also helped that I put on America's Got Talent.  This kid has a thing for singing and dancing.   

Stairs

I had a wonderful Mother's Day.  I don't think I could have asked for anything better.  Pookie let me sleep in a little bit.  We are night owls, Pookie and I, it helps that we are on a similar schedule.  We had a nice leisurely breakfast and had a lovely chat with Pookie's Uncle R.  Rob had to work to catch up on maintenance and his brother helped him out.  So Uncle R stopped by to say hello to his favorite nephew.  Once we all got ready, we headed over to my Aunt's house for barbecue.  In addition to it being Mother's Day, it is also Auntie's birthday!  How can you beat a day with barbecue AND cake? 

We had a lazy day, sitting on the back deck, chatting about what-not.  I managed to get Pookie down for a nap.  Life is good!  After Pookie's nap, it was time for cake and presents.  I figured it would be a good idea to change Pookie's diaper before we sat down to cake.  After we sung Happy Birthday, away Pookie and I went.  We went about our business and as I was cleaning up, I put Pookie down.  Figuring he would stay with me.  Really, by now I should know better. 

Auntie's house is a split.  There are stairs to go from the front door to the main living area.  Of course Pookie is beyond interested in these stairs.  However there are two problems.  One, Pookie has not mastered the art of going down stairs.  Two, there are no railings on the stairs, so I can not put up a baby gate to keep Pookie in.  As I was cleaning things up, I heard the holler of POOKIE, STOP!  Yes, my child was at the top of the stairs and decided to take the fast way down.  Oy Vey.  It took several minutes to calm him down.  I think Pookie was more afraid of everyone yelling than falling down the stairs.  Either way, he came out fine, just a small bruise on his forehead and a red mark next to his eye.  He was back to his usual cheerful self in no time!  I'm thinking that sometime this week a very sturdy railing will be going up at Auntie's house.  Maybe one with a baby gate built in. 

Pookie's Mom

I have acquired a new name. Actually, I've had it for a little over a year at this point. My new name is now and probably will forever be, Pookie's Mom. On one hand this really irks me. I have a name, it's Marie. It took me a while to like my first name. Now that I actually like it, I would like to keep it. Thank you in advance. I fully realize that it is much easier to just refer to me as Pookie's Mom, rather than remember my first name. Just think of the horror, having to remember two names instead of just one! Eek! However, I am in no position to really complain about this. I have a horrible time remembering names. 

Recently, I was talking with another mom.  She was saying how she is always referred to as (fill-in-the-blank)'s Mom.  Now that her daughter is 19, she feels a sense of pride that her daughter likes her to be referred to as that.  Her daughter is proud that her mom is her mom.  My brain started whirling.  Back in the day, people were called the "son of", aka Erickson, Davidson... you get the point.  The Son of Eric, the Son of David.  It's a way of saying where you come from.  In an odd way, being "Pookie's Mom" is like that, only in reverse.  It's a way of saying that we belong to each other.  Frankly, that is a good thing indeed.

Oil and soap

Normally today Pookie and I would go to playgroup.  Pookie's naps have been all over the place and he is now in a trend of taking a nap when we are supposed to be going to the playgroup.  Boo.  I had purchased some pansies and wanted to get them into the ground sooner rather than later.  I decided today would be the day!  We had a bit of a rough start this morning.  Pookie was playing with the dresser drawers and managed to shut a finger in a drawer.  We moved to the kitchen, and while I was making breakfast, I hit him in the head with the refrigerator door.  Ouch.  After Pookie's nap we went out to plant some flowers. 

Pookie was an excellent helper.  He helped our neighbor to our left and to our right.  With the first one, he helped her look at her flag.  Then with the second one, he helped play with her dog.  He had fun waving at the garbage men.  Let's not forget about the hole he was trying to dig to China.  Such a pretty hole!  Of course the best place to put the dirt was on his lap.  He helped me water the flowers.  Then he decided to mosey on over to the garage.  As he was coming out of the garage, I noticed a brown liquid on his hands an face.  He got into the motor oil.  A phone call to the Poison Control Center later, and we are all good.  (Did you know that the PCC will call you back at regular intervals to make sure everything is still okay?  Talk about customer service!  They rock!)  Seeing as Pookie was covered in oil, I needed to scrub him down.  I grabbed the dish detergent, seeing as it's tough on grease.  Plus, it was the closest thing I could grab.  Wouldn't you know it, Pookie ate the soap.  I think I am officially surrendering.  This child will eat anything.  I'm just waiting for soap bubbles to be coming out one end or the other. 

The great outdoors (aka the backyard)

Pookie is not a fan of grass.  I find this remarkably funny, because Rob is a landscaper.  I don't think Pookie likes the feel of it.  I can't say that I blame the kid, it does feel a little scratchy.  For the past year, whenever I try to put Pookie on the grass, he lifts his feet up.  Pookie will go to great lengths to make sure he is touching the least amount of lawn possible. 

Last Monday, Pookie got his first pair of real shoes!  He is very proud of his new shoes and loves to show them off to people.  Later in the week, we had gone for a walk and when we got home I tried to get Pookie to walk on the lawn.  He kept making a bee line to the nearest form of pavement he could find.  Poor kid.  I finally managed to get him to walk around on the lawn.  Of course he aimed himself for the most dangerous part of the back yard.  At the end of our property is a piece of city owned land.  The edge of our backyard drops off and is covered in rocks.  At the bottom the rocks there is an area that tends to get a little swampy with wet weather.  It's full of trees, brush and an assortment of wildlife.  I'm sure Pookie is going to have a grand old time playing back there when he gets older.  For now, all I can think of is Pookie trying to walk on the rocks.  Then slipping, falling and getting cut up by the various debris. 

At the edge of the rocks there is a rather large tree.  Rob has taken an arm of it off and has left the stump behind.  Of course the stump has some very interesting splinters coming out of it.  That means that Pookie is beyond interested in this stump.  I think it helps that it's about Pookie height and the that Dada cut it down.  Nothing like having something right at eye level.  This means that every time we are in the yard, we need to go and visit the stump.  Pookie proceeds to point at it and say dada, in a quiet voice.  Yes, Dada cut down that part of the tree, I reply.  It has gotten to the point where one of our neighbors was at her window and called out, mentioning how Pookie is in his favorite spot.  We have since introduced Dada to the infamous spot.  He was appropriately impressed. 

Missing items

At night after Pookie has gone to bed, I pick up the mess that Pookie has made.  I like to match items together to make sure nothing is missing.  Some items get audited multiple times a day.  Pookie has a Leapfrog Fridge Farm magnet set.  It's one of those things that sticks to the fridge and sings.  There are five animals, and for each animal there is a front and back piece.  Ten little pieces to go missing.  One day one made its way to the trash, which is why I am hypervigilant about making sure all pieces are accounted for.

Last night Pookie woke up and was letting all of us know that he wanted to be fed.  We went through our routine and I put him back to bed.  As I was putting the bottle in the sink, I realized that there were only 4 bottles, not 5.  It's almost midnight, and I am looking for the 5th bottle.  I checked in the office, I checked the kitchen.  I went through the living room.  This included my decision to empty Pookie's toy box and sort through all of his toys.  As well as checking under all of the furniture and random places that a bottle could be tucked away.  All to no avail.

Then I had a thought.  What if the bottle is in the trash?  I started digging through, and wouldn't you know it, there it was.  It was half way down in the trash can.  Eww!  Luckily, the garbage wasn't very disgusting.  The question remains, how did it get there?  Did Pookie decided he was all done and toss his bottle away?  Or was I completely absent minded and accidently pitched it?  Considering I haven't gotten enough sleep in way too long, there is quite the possibility that I threw it away.  Which leads me to the thought of, what else have I mistakenly thrown out?  I think that I need to work on getting more sleep and being more careful about what gets thrown out!

Cue the band!

It's 11 o'clock on a Sunday evening.  A light breeze is coming through the windows.  Pookie is sound asleep.  Rob is checking Facebook and I am getting caught up on Battlestar Galactica.  Life is good. 

All of a sudden I hear a ruckus.  People yelling.  Followed by what sounds like a parade, drum line included going through our backyard.  I get Rob's attention and try to figure out what in god's green earth is going on.  Rob thinks that it is coming from one direction and I think it is coming from the back of the house.  I head to the back porch and low and behold, not only can I hear this ruckus, I can see the flashing lights of police cars.  (As a side note, our house is backed up to a piece of city owned property, and behind that is a small dead-end side street.  At the end of the street is an ice rink and storage units.  We have quiet neighbors.)  My ever nosy husband decides that he needs to investigate.  So he hops in his truck and away he goes.  Luckily he came across some very nice police officers that were willing to share some information.  Apparently Burlington managed to claim the Division 1 title (Burlington is the next town over), and the buses decided that the ice rink parking lot was an ideal place to park themselves. 

Well, I'm glad they were able to win a game.  However, if they wake up my sleeping child, heads are going to roll.  Soon after Rob came back from his scouting mission, everything quieted down.  I learned two things this evening.
1. My husband is so nosy that he is willing to leave the house to go investigate, regardless of the time.
2. We have officially become old farts.  When 11pm is officially "too late" and we will do ANYTHING to ensure that Pookie is not woken up from a sound sleep. 

Pookie's hollow leg

I am starting to think that Pookie has a hollow leg.  Or maybe he's just a bottomless pit.  Either way, he eats.  A lot.  I've gotten stuck in a rut with what to feed him.  His list of foods that he has an issue with is growing.  I kind of hesitate to call it an allergy.  Pookie turns this bright shade of red and then he gets a diaper rash.  When it's really bad, his neck and ears turn red too.  Whenever that happens, I pause for a moment.  Trying to remember where I stashed the benadryl just in case Pookie starts itching and weezing. 

My latest task is to find a form of milk that he can drink.  There is a two fold issue going on.  Not only do I have to find something that he can tolerate, it needs to be something that he likes.  Pookie can get oddly fussy about what he consumes.  I *think* vanilla rice milk will do the trick.  So far we have tried:
cow's milk - allergy
goat's milk - allergy
rice milk - didn't like
soy milk - allergy
hemp milk - didn't like
coconut milk - allergy
sun milk - didn't like
almond milk - didn't like
vanilla coconut milk - he LOVED, but then I realized that he was having an issue with it. blah.
vanilla almond milk - he also LOVED, but then I realized that he was having an issue with it.  double blah!
vanilla rice milk - the jury is still out.
I have hazelnut milk, too.  But if he's having issues with the almond milk, I think he'll have issues with the hazelnut.

My big dilemma is what to make for dinner.  To find something that all of us will eat and that has some variety to it.  Pookie has a tendency to get a little disgruntled if we're eating something different from him.  I can't say that I blame him.  Not being able to eat what everyone else is, sucks.  I really can't complain.  When I was little, I was allergic to everything but bananas, sprite and graham crackers.  I think I could also have Cream of Wheat.  My youngest brother takes the cake.  When my brother was little, he had issues with corn.  Corn is in everything.  Soy being a close second.  Pookie does have issues with soy.  However, if it's been baked and in a small quantity, it seems to go over okay. 

On the flip side Pookie loves blueberries and sweet potatoes.  I think he could eat his weight in both of those foods!  I keep waiting for the day that Pookie turns a lovely shade of blue.  As long as he doesn't blow up like Violet Beauregarde, I think Pookie will be okay. 

Snow!

There has been a remarkable lack of the white stuff referred to as "snow" around here.  Well, today, it decided to arrive!  I kind of feel like a slacker mom because I have not purchased snow pants for Pookie.  At the rate Pookie has been growing, I wasn't sure what size to buy.  So I figured I would wait until it was further along in the season.  Well, wouldn't you know it, this has been one of the driest years on record.  I think Pookie will have to wait until next year for the snow pants. 

Pookie and I were out and about today as it started snowing.  Pookie got a chuckle out of the snow flakes hitting his face and hands.  I don't think he knew what to make of it.  Once we got home, I took my time going inside.  I picked up some snow and handed it to Pookie.  He started to touch it and yanked his hand back.  I guess he wasn't too thrilled about how cold it was.  I tried to get him to touch some other snow and he just pulled back, trying to scramble away from it.  Well, at least it looks pretty.  I know Pookie will be excited about the plow trucks driving by tomorrow! 

Ghostly pictures

I have an old 35mm Nikkormat camera that used to be my fathers.  I love that camera.  It's bulky and temperamental.  Sometimes it refuses to load film properly.  I love it.  It takes the best pictures.  Mainly because I have to really think about the picture that I am taking.  Then take the time to properly focus and snap the picture.  There is a certain quality of the photos that I love.  Generally I can only use it outdoors or in a place that has really good light.  I do have a flash attachment, but it's kind of wobbly and I feel that it will hit me in the head at any moment.  Considering that it's a good 4 inches tall and fairly weighty, the fact that I might get bashed in the head is a legitimate concern. 

I haven't used my camera in a few years.  I decided to dust it off and start using it again.  When I pulled out my camera bag, I realized that there was film in the Nikkormat, as well as a 35mm point and shoot camera and two disposables.  I decided to finish off the rolls of film and have them developed.  The photos, as I have come to find out, were taken between 2006 and 2009.  It feels like they were from a life time ago.  In the past four years my extended family has changed.  People got mad at other people, lines were drawn and war was declared. 

It was odd going through the photos I just had developed.  I felt like I was seeing ghosts.  To help matters along, I had double exposed a roll of film.  The first exposure of pictures were from visiting a cemetery where some of my relatives were buried.  Then on top of that was my cousins birthday party.  Those pictures had a very distinct ghostly quality to them.  Nothing like little girls faces semi imposed over gravestones.  There were a few pictures that I wish had turned out better.  The light was bad and the photos are very dark.  Regardless, the photos will get sorted and put away.  I am off on a mission to find black and white film to use with my Nikkormat.  My goal is to take some quality photos of Pookie.  Wish me luck!

And they all rolled over...

Pookie is working on two more teeth. He's getting his 3rd bottom tooth and a molar. This will bring the teeth count to eight! Teeth are good, however the process of getting them could be improved upon. I can deal with the drool and the clogged/runny nose. It's the lack of sleep that's getting to me. Generally there is one night that is really bad. In which Pookie wakes up several times, and wants to be fed each time.


Last night as I was getting into bed, Pookie woke up crying. It was the whinny cry, in which he is more pissed at being awake, than wanting to be feed. I laid in bed for twenty minutes listening to him. Finally, I decided Pookie wasn't going back to sleep any time soon, so I went in to feed him. We sat in his rocker while I fed him. Once he finished, I plunked him back in his crib and made a pit stop to the bathroom. I made it into the bathroom before Pookie decided that he was NOT amused that I had left him there and started shrieking. I stood in the hallway trying to make a decision. Leave him and hope that he falls back to sleep, only to be awakened in two hours because he's feeling miserable again. Or do I just take the easy way out and bring Pookie into bed with Rob and me. Sleep was calling, and Rob had an early morning, so the easy way won out. I picked up Pookie and we piled into the big bed. Pookie snuggled in, took one look at me and one look at Rob and fell asleep.


Pookie had a great night's sleep. Rob and I, however, did not. Rob ended up tossing and turning all night, which made me toss and turn. Plus, Rob puts out a lot of heat to begin with and Pookie is just as bad. One half of me was boiling, while the other half was freezing. When Rob got up a little before 7am, so did Pookie. Normally Pookie sleeps to sometime around 9am. Give or take a half hour or so. 7am, is just a little too early. Luckily for me, I was able to feed Pookie and put him in his crib and he slept for another hour and a half. Of course Pookie woke up all chipper. Rob and I dragged through the day. Needless to say, it's going to be an early bed time for Rob and I. Pookie, however, will probably be up partying.

Vroom?

At some point this year, I will be getting a new car.  I don't know how I feel about this.  I love my little PT Cruiser.  It has always gotten me to where I need to go.  The only problem is, it is getting too small.  Considering that Rob and I are planning on adding to the family at some point, we are going to need something bigger.  We went to the Auto Show in January.  I was convinced that I needed a Suburban.  A huge car that would fit everything that I would possibly need to put in it.  However, I was really impressed with the GMC Acadia.  The car companies have realized that there are some parents out there, that don't want a minivan.  They have taken the concept of the minivan and swished it around and turned it into a crossover SUV.  This way it is family friendly, while still appealing to a broader market. 

A couple of Sundays ago, Rob and I started test driving cars.  I want to get a good feel for everything out there.  We started with the Toyota Highlander.  The ride was really smooth, but there isn't enough room for my stroller if the 3rd row seat is up.  I have a massive stroller.  It's an UppaBaby Vista.  I love my stroller!  The only bad thing about it, is how big it is.  After ruling out the Highlander, Rob and I went to a GMC dealership were we drove the Acadia, as well as the Buick Enclave.  I really liked how the Acadia drove.  The only bad thing was that the inside dash lit up red.  That didn't make me very happy.  The Enclave however, lit up blue!  At the moment I am really leaning towards the Enclave. 

I still want to take the Ford Flex and Explorer out for a test drive.  I'm also thinking about the Volvo XC 90.  I really want to take my time and make sure that I get the right car for me.  It would help if the car had a sun roof, an entertainment system for the kid(s), and be a very pretty color.  We shall see!

Pookie's 1st Birthday



Happy Birthday!





Things have been a little hectic lately.  I've been meaning to post this for almost a week!  Oops.

Pookie's birthday party went well, all things considered!  Surprise, surprise, it was snowing!  Rob had to go out to plow.  Luckily he was able to pit-stop in for a few minutes to see everyone and say hello.  For Pookie's party, I decided to go with bright colors.  I found some fun plates and napkins that just said "Happy Birthday" in bright colors and pulled everything else off of that.  I did get a little creative and made a few banners for around the house and I had way too much fun with crepe paper.

Pookie's highchair.  The hat was not a hit, in Pookie's estimation.

I managed to squeeze slightly over a dozen people in my house!  We had quite the pile of boots going on!  It's a good thing that everyone likes each other.  Pookie had a great time with everyone.  He loves visiting with people. 

When it came time for cake, Pookie had no idea what to do with it.  He kept sticking his finger in the blue gel and smearing it around.  Finally I broke off a piece and gave it to him.  He did start to dig in, but I switched it out for a banana muffin because it was lunch time.  Poor kid.  I took away his cake.  His grandparents fed Pookie cupcakes after he was done with the muffin.  So, I don't feel to bad about taking the cake away.

Pookie got a lot of fun toys, but I think the tent that my mom sent him, might take the cake.  It's not that big, but Rob, Pookie and I can fit in it.  It's a bit of a squish, but we can fit!

Pookie having a ton of fun with a balloon

Pookie peeking out of the tent

One

My baby has turned one today.  I can't believe that it has been one whole year already.  You know the old saying, the days are long, but the nights are short.  Well, some nights didn't feel so short, but time really flew!  Pookie has gone from being this little baby to becoming a toddler.  Some things haven't changed one bit.  He is constantly hungry.  I can't say that I blame him.  He's constantly on the move.  He burns off a lot of calories!  Pookie has gone from not being able to do anything to feeding himself, talking (well, at least getting his point across) and trying to walk.  All in the span of one year.  It is astounding how much he has grown.  There are some days that I feel that I can literally see him growing.  Pookie is my funny, happy little boy.  May he grow up to be a funny, happy, caring man.

Click

Pookie has a love affair with all things electrical.  He loves lights, ceiling fans, outlets and switches.  One thing that always calms him down is to stand under a ceiling fan.  Better yet, turn on a fan and he is enthralled.  Pookie has recently found the light switches.  He will go to great lengths to turn switches on and off.  Our house is inundated with light switches.  Rob feels that you should be able to turn on a light from multiple points.  This is useful in someways.  However when you're trying to turn on the light in the hallway and you end up turning the light in the living room off, that creates a few problems.  Either way, our house does not lack in light switches.

In Pookie's room there is a switch that goes to an outlet on the wall.  This particular switch is on the wall that his crib is on.  In fact, it is within reaching distance of the crib.  The other night, I had put Pookie to bed and all of a sudden I heard click....click....click.  Rob and I looked at each other and started laughing.  Our little Pookie had found the switch and decided to start turning it on and off.  Luckily there is nothing plugged into that outlet and Pookie always remembers to turn the switch to 'off' before stopping.  I am convinced that he is actually sending a morse code signal.  Something to the effect of 'stuck in my crib, need to be rescued'.  At the very least, he's keeping himself entertained.

Birthday Battle Plan (or lack thereof)

Pookie will be turning 1 next week.  I am woefully unprepared.  I kept thinking to myself that I would deal with Pookie's birthday after Christmas.  Well, now it's after Christmas and I need to pull a rabbit out of thin air.  Good thing I work well under pressure.  The problem really boils down to, where to put people.  We have a small ranch style house.  I can only fit so many people in it.  It doesn't help that there are a lot of people that I would like to invite.  Now, some would say, just stick to immediate family.  Slight problem though.  My family is in Michigan.  I have grown very close to two of my aunts and their families, and they have filled in the gaps missing from having my family far away.  Even if we are talking about close family, that's still a lot of people.  Where am I going to stick them?  My original thought was the garage.  After all, it is almost the same size as the house, with an open floor plan to boot!  Rob vetoed that idea very quickly.  Back to square one.

In addition to my housing dilemma, I need decorations.  This is, after all, a first birthday.  First birthdays are a special event.  Pookie has made it one whole year!  Yay!  This is a reason to celebrate!  I would also like it to look good!  Yes, I fully realize that Pookie will never remember this.  But I still want it to be special.  I googled 1st birthday parties.  Some people really go all out.  I really felt like a slacker.  After a little bit of sticker shock with a few of the parties tid-bits to fancy them up, I realized that I didn't have to be fancy to create a good day for Pookie.  Followed by the realization that next year I really need to be on my A-game to do some DIY to make things look good.  I get a little irked when I look at something and think, "Oh ya, I can make that!", followed by "Do I have the time and inclination to pull it off?"  I have a few things bouncing around in my head for Pookie's birthday.  Now to form a battle plan!