Joey has become so sassy these last few weeks since I spent those few days in the hospital with chest pains. He won't leave my side for a minute, which is cool, except he's gotten a little confused with who's the boss. I ask him to pick up the toys and his usual response is that its too much and he needs help. So I usually get down on my knees to help him pick them up and before I know it I'm the only one in the room and when I call him back to help me, what is his response - "You're doing a good job Momma, you don't need my help". I think I've explained about a thousand times now that I did not make the mess, he did, and therefore it's his responsibility to clean it up.
Dinner time is another battle. He never wants to eat what's on the menu but wants something specific for dinner, usually chicken nuggets. He's pretty much ruled out vegetables and when I force him to eat them he just chews and chews until it's the consistency of juice and then refuses to swallow. I'm really getting frustrated. Take tonight for instance. We had red beans and rice with beef in it and canteloupe. He ate the melon right away and started on the rice and beans and actually told me it was good after 2-3 bites. However that's where it ended. I keep telling him he needs to finish it, especially as I'd only given him a small amount to begin with. His response, "I only like the beef". I told him I didn't care that he was to eat it all and he tells me, "I don't want to". When I responded back, crankily I admit, that I didn't care and I was the boss so he had to do what I said he just smiled at me and says "No your not Momma, I'm the boss". It took everything in me not to just let him have it. So I've taken a stand and I don't care if he has to sit at the table until bedtime, he's going to eat every bite of what Larry made for dinner and if he doesn't he can darn well go to bed hungry. If that makes me mean, so be it. I've had about enough of this.
He's also gotten to speaking so sassy not only to me, but every other adult too. My sister, grandparents, etc. It's really becoming quite embarrasing. I'm trying to discipline without spanking but timeouts aren't working, neither is talking it out. What's a mom to do when her child refuses to use good manners and thinks its funny when we get upset with him. I was raised that you respect your elders and don't talk back. I wanted Joey to grow up where he felt free to express himself but in a polite and respectful way. If any of you out there reading this has any ideas please let me know because I've run out of options here, at least any that are working.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Housework - Emphasis on WORK
Why is it that no matter how many loads of laundry you do, or how often you scrub your toilets and pick up toys that every time you turn around there are more dirty clothes on the floor and toys to trip over.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
I love my hubby - the Tech GENIUS
My hubby is so great, after almost a month of trying to post on my blog he's finally worked out the kinks for me where I can actually publish them.
He's the best. I bow down to my Tech GENIUS ;p
He's the best. I bow down to my Tech GENIUS ;p
Summertime
We've had the best summer this year. Had lots of playdates with Joey's pals, went camping with the Monson clan, a lot of swimming in our pool and at our local lake. My boy is growing up so fast into a little man that I just wish I could freeze time.
We planted our first garden this year - tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, zuchinni, canteloupe and two kinds of watermelon. So far we've harvested exactly one tomato which was very flavorful and juicy, but their has been only the one so far. We've had lots of blossoms and Larry has faithfully been watering them on a nightly basis. Joey asks me daily when we're going to get to pick some more and I have no idea how to answer since I'm beginning to doubt that we'll produce anything. It's been fun watching them grow though. Still a little hope lives on that we'll have something to harvest before summer is officially over.
Joey had his first sleepover party here at the house - four of his pals equalled a house full of fun and laughter. They played cars and superheroes, swam and swam again, went to the park, rode bikes and scooters and skateboards. The energy they created never waned and Larry and I loved every minute of it. We're so happy that Joey has such great friends to play and learn with.
We really do have such a blessed life - what more could we ask for? Nothing, absolutely nothing.
We planted our first garden this year - tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, zuchinni, canteloupe and two kinds of watermelon. So far we've harvested exactly one tomato which was very flavorful and juicy, but their has been only the one so far. We've had lots of blossoms and Larry has faithfully been watering them on a nightly basis. Joey asks me daily when we're going to get to pick some more and I have no idea how to answer since I'm beginning to doubt that we'll produce anything. It's been fun watching them grow though. Still a little hope lives on that we'll have something to harvest before summer is officially over.
Joey had his first sleepover party here at the house - four of his pals equalled a house full of fun and laughter. They played cars and superheroes, swam and swam again, went to the park, rode bikes and scooters and skateboards. The energy they created never waned and Larry and I loved every minute of it. We're so happy that Joey has such great friends to play and learn with.
We really do have such a blessed life - what more could we ask for? Nothing, absolutely nothing.
Friday, August 5, 2011
4 + 1 = FUN
Joey hosted his first sleepover last weekend. We had Joey and Julian Williams and Trevor and Garrett Hill over. These are some of Joey's best friends and range in age from 5 to 7 years old. Even though they're a few years older than Joey, he doesn't seem to have any problem keeping up with them and their antics, and believe me there were a lot of antics going on.
We started the party off with a trip to the park for the boys and Larry. They took a ton of cars and trucks to play with, race with, play demolition derby with. However it was hot out, really hot, and so they only lasted a little over an hour at the park and then came trudging home with their little red faces and sweaty bodies. Our solution - pool time. They all changed and jumped right in and spent the next few hours playing, splashing, shooting each other with water guns and having sword fights with the pool noodles. It was a lot of fun to watch their creative minds at work.
For dinner we cooked up hot dogs and macaroni and cheese with some nice cool watermelon on the side. They all ate really well since we'd promised s'mores if they finished their plates.
After dinner the kids played dress up - we had Batman, Spiderman, Captain America, GI Joe, and Superman. I tried to talk them into changing into normal clothes before we did s'mores but they weren't having any of it so I guess you could say we had superhero s'mores. They all looked so darn cute out there in their costumes toasting marshmallows.
Then it was into PJ's for movie time. We watched some Scooby, some Batman, and then Rango. I made the kids popcorn with maltballs and licorice and they all settled down into their sleeping bags and blankets. Joey 1, Joey 2 and Julian fell asleep about 10 minutes into Rango and Trevor and Garrett weren't to far behind. Larry was glad to see them crash so soon as he was exhausted from the day's activities.
In the morning Joey 2 and Julian were the first up and being the awesome boys that they are they just went into Joe's room and put on cartoons and played until the rest of us got up. Then Joey woke up and joined them followed by Trevor. Garrett just slumbered on peacefully until the boys yelled at him to get up that "sleeping time was over". Such a rude awakening for my sweet little G man.
I fixed french toast for breakfast with some sweet melon on the side and copious glasses of milk all the way around. Let me tell you, these boys can eat. It reminded me so much of when Kenneth lived with me and all his friends used to hang out at our house and chow down. I imagine it will be the same with Joe and his friends as he's growing up.
After breakfast we again headed to the park, this time on bikes, scooters, and skateboards. The boys raced each other at the park, we had a couple of tumbles that required kissing and cuddles to soothe the hurt away, but all in all it was a fun time. Since it was morning time it wasn't near as hot and so we lasted a couple of hours there before the boys were ready to head back.
The minute we got back in the door they began their campaign for swimming, looking at me with their big blue and brown eyes, pulling on my heart strings, so of course I said yes. At this point JoAnna called to see if I was ready to have her come pick them up but it was only 10 and I wasn't ready to give them up so I asked if I could keep them til 1 and she said yes. So swimming we did, followed by a lunch of PB&J sandwiches, chips and juice boxes. I learned that Joey #2 doesn't like peanuts in his peanut butter so I'll have to remember that for the next time.
When they were done swimming they moved on to legos, video games, and playdoh play. I loved watching them interact and have fun. I loved getting to spend time with them all. I so wish they could all be mine as I already love them all as if they were my own and I know Joey would love having them all for brothers.
When it came time for them to go home they begged to stay another night, making me laugh at their enthusiasm and begging techniques. I promised them another one soon so I'm sure we'll be having the same kind of fun this month at some point in time. Joey is blessed to have such great little friends, and I'm blessed to have the friendship of their moms.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Lifes Ups and Downs
So much going on and I've been so lax in updating my blog. I'm going to try to do a post at least once a week beginning now.
Joey is getting so big, at our last measurements he was 42 inches tall and weighing in at 40 lbs. He seems taller to me now so we already need to measure him again. I think he's going to pass me up in height before he gets out of elementary school at the pace he's going now.
We've been doing all kinds of things lately - swimming, playdates with friends, library each week. He loves to have stories read to him each evening and I've found some great pre-readers that combine words along with pictures so that he can participate in reading with Larry and I. Now I just need to work on getting him to recognize his letters. We've mastered colors and shapes and he can count to 20 (although he always skips 13 and 16 for some odd reason). I was going to enroll him in preschool this year but it's just not in the budget, so I'm going to be teaching him at home. Another of my friends, Jessica, has a boy who is one year older than Joe and we're going to try to get together 2x a week to have our own "preschool".
Joey is back to swimming like a fish and has even begun to swim under water this year. We have him wear a Speedo life vest most of the time but it seems that every time he's in the pool he starts with it on, then has us take it off so he can swim on his own for a little while and when he gets tired, he has us put the vest back on. He's taken to doing cannon balls off the side of the pool with Daddy, and loves to have Aunt Crystal come play with him in the pool. She lets him dive off her shoulders and spins him around in the water. He just loves it. I don't get to play as much with him in the pool because ours is not heated and even though we have a solar cover, it rarely gets above 82 and I need it to be a little warmer or else I get flare ups with my fibromyalgia. I'm so thankful that he has others folks in his life who can participate in this aspect of his life while I sit on the sidelines watching and taking pictures.
I've been having a bad time lately with my health. A lot of flare ups and if that wasn't enough now I've begun having intense symptoms with regard to my pseudo tumor ceribri. In fact it's gotten so bad that I've had to go back on Diamox (which I hate as it has horrible side affects) and am scheduled to have a lumbar puncture (formerly called a spinal tap) next week. None of these things are fun and this situation with my health is really starting to get me down. Thank goodness for Larry who has been so supportive and helpful throughout it all.
Mom is back with us and Joey is so happy (most of the time) to have her back. He's gotten a little sassy lately and it doesn't always sit well with her, or me for that fact. He loves to spend time with her in the backyard and will just sit at the table with her and have conversations. I have no idea what they talk about but they always seem very engrossed in their talks.
Larry is doing great in his job and with his schooling. He's past the halfway point in achieving his AA degree and is on the deans honor list. I'm so proud of him and think he's setting a wondering example for Joey.
Larry's Uncle Brian passed away recently and we're all feeling the loss. He was probably the kindest and gentlest soul I've ever met. And he was so wonderful with Joey and his cousin Elsa, always making time for them. He will be truly missed by all of us.
Well that's about it for now. Will post more next week.
Joey is getting so big, at our last measurements he was 42 inches tall and weighing in at 40 lbs. He seems taller to me now so we already need to measure him again. I think he's going to pass me up in height before he gets out of elementary school at the pace he's going now.
We've been doing all kinds of things lately - swimming, playdates with friends, library each week. He loves to have stories read to him each evening and I've found some great pre-readers that combine words along with pictures so that he can participate in reading with Larry and I. Now I just need to work on getting him to recognize his letters. We've mastered colors and shapes and he can count to 20 (although he always skips 13 and 16 for some odd reason). I was going to enroll him in preschool this year but it's just not in the budget, so I'm going to be teaching him at home. Another of my friends, Jessica, has a boy who is one year older than Joe and we're going to try to get together 2x a week to have our own "preschool".
Joey is back to swimming like a fish and has even begun to swim under water this year. We have him wear a Speedo life vest most of the time but it seems that every time he's in the pool he starts with it on, then has us take it off so he can swim on his own for a little while and when he gets tired, he has us put the vest back on. He's taken to doing cannon balls off the side of the pool with Daddy, and loves to have Aunt Crystal come play with him in the pool. She lets him dive off her shoulders and spins him around in the water. He just loves it. I don't get to play as much with him in the pool because ours is not heated and even though we have a solar cover, it rarely gets above 82 and I need it to be a little warmer or else I get flare ups with my fibromyalgia. I'm so thankful that he has others folks in his life who can participate in this aspect of his life while I sit on the sidelines watching and taking pictures.
I've been having a bad time lately with my health. A lot of flare ups and if that wasn't enough now I've begun having intense symptoms with regard to my pseudo tumor ceribri. In fact it's gotten so bad that I've had to go back on Diamox (which I hate as it has horrible side affects) and am scheduled to have a lumbar puncture (formerly called a spinal tap) next week. None of these things are fun and this situation with my health is really starting to get me down. Thank goodness for Larry who has been so supportive and helpful throughout it all.
Mom is back with us and Joey is so happy (most of the time) to have her back. He's gotten a little sassy lately and it doesn't always sit well with her, or me for that fact. He loves to spend time with her in the backyard and will just sit at the table with her and have conversations. I have no idea what they talk about but they always seem very engrossed in their talks.
Larry is doing great in his job and with his schooling. He's past the halfway point in achieving his AA degree and is on the deans honor list. I'm so proud of him and think he's setting a wondering example for Joey.
Larry's Uncle Brian passed away recently and we're all feeling the loss. He was probably the kindest and gentlest soul I've ever met. And he was so wonderful with Joey and his cousin Elsa, always making time for them. He will be truly missed by all of us.
Well that's about it for now. Will post more next week.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Joey's World
I just can't believe how fast my boy is growing. It seems like everyday when I get him dressed something doesn't fit - the pants are to short or the waist is to tight, the shirts show his belly, shoes are to small. I wish I had a magic wand to just slow it all down as it's going by way to fast for me. Larry is already talking about when he's 4 we'll do this or that and I'm wishing we could go back to 2 so I could enjoy each moment even more.
This year he's big enough to play soccer, T-ball, and dodge ball with the Pee Wee league at Rancho Cordova Parks and Rec. Each is a four week series and is aimed at fun so I'm sure he'll enjoy it, as will we who get to watch him learning all these new skills. I'll have to take lots of pictures so that all of you who read this can see how much he's enjoying it as well.
Lately he's been in to costumes - each day it's a different character; Spiderman, Darth Vader (his favorite now that we got him a light saber to go with it), GI Joe, Captain America, etc. He looks so cute in each of them and really gets into character. He and Larry watch Star Wars Clone Wars most nights and then have light saber wars of their own, or at least they did until Joey conquered his Daddy last night by wacking his saber so hard that he broke it. That's my boy, a chip off the ol' block.
This year he's big enough to play soccer, T-ball, and dodge ball with the Pee Wee league at Rancho Cordova Parks and Rec. Each is a four week series and is aimed at fun so I'm sure he'll enjoy it, as will we who get to watch him learning all these new skills. I'll have to take lots of pictures so that all of you who read this can see how much he's enjoying it as well.
Lately he's been in to costumes - each day it's a different character; Spiderman, Darth Vader (his favorite now that we got him a light saber to go with it), GI Joe, Captain America, etc. He looks so cute in each of them and really gets into character. He and Larry watch Star Wars Clone Wars most nights and then have light saber wars of their own, or at least they did until Joey conquered his Daddy last night by wacking his saber so hard that he broke it. That's my boy, a chip off the ol' block.
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