Learning the letter P- Day in the life of a Mom

Lil' Mr. V is closing in really fast on the big number 2. He's picking up words at an alarming rate. And I was worried earlier because we were lucky to hear Mama and Daddy from him. Now he's saying "dinner" "goober" and speaking in small sentences, like "Mine chair!". I've been trying to teach him his ABC's. Not visual recognition. I think we should learn how to say them first. It started out he could say "b" and "d". Now he can say A-F. Yay....and he can say P. He's been following us to the bathroom and when I tell him that I'm going to potty he instantly says "Mama pee!". Yesterday was a band competition at a local high school and my niece is the only middle school kid in the high school marching band and we went to see her perform. Afterward I took her and Lil Mr. V out for chinese. Goob (my niece) had to go to the restroom, and lil man was hollering for her to not go, so I explained to him that she had to go potty. Suddenly in the loud and clear voices that only children get when they say something when and/or where they shouldn't, he pipes up with "Ooober go PEE!" Yup...that caused some looks...


And later, I was having a moment and posting how awesome I thought my family was on facebook. JUST as I was finishing it up with just how great and wonderful I thought my son was, how much he made me laugh and how much awe he fills my life...he hands me his diaper and says "DONE!"....then takes off running as naked as he arrived into this world, giggling all the way. 

Yup...he sure makes me giggle and fills my world with awe. *L*

A Day in the life of a Mom...

The other day my Mom was over watching my son while I was in class. After I got in from class, Lil Mr. V wanted to do something I wasn't allowing him to do, and he got mad and started to huff and stomp around. He paces angrily back and forth from his room to the coffee table. This crosses my path because I'm sitting between them. And he's angry with me and he's stomping around. Oh and did I mention before that he really has no grace. None. I am clumsy. Mr. V is clumsy. Poor Lil Mr. V hasn't a hope of being graceful. That being said, he tripped over his feet just as he got near the coffee table and he fell. His head cracked into the table. He started to cry as I ran to him. I kissed his head and cuddled him close. And within the minute he had a bluish purple mark show up on his forehead. So today, two days later, he's running crazy around the house with this purple dot between his eyes, but he slows down and walks gingerly around the coffee table.

He's growing by leaps and bounds. He's developing his own tastes. He has a favorite movie. A favorite song. A favorite book. He has favorite toys and shoes. He takes his inhaler like a big boy and counts to six with me. And he knows he has to do it twice. He doesn't like eggs and he doesn't like to take naps, though he will sometimes. He's getting so independent and he's growing up already. For someone who never wanted to have kids, I'm enjoying myself so much right now with him. :) 

Inexpensive fun times.

This being Labor Day weekend, most people like to leave town and go to Kentucky Lake or some such. Which is all good. However, I tend to not like doing that. Because before it's all over, you've spent more money than you should to get eaten by bugs and sleep in the heat. (which this year, it's been beautiful) I really want to check out our states resorts and parks and historic sites. Normally anything I want to see is several hours away. However, yesterday at the Jefferson Davis Historic Site they had a bunch of reproduction flags both Confederate and Union. Mr. V needed some "me" time, so Lil Mr. V, a friend and I took off. This place is about 30 minutes away. To view the flags was free. To view the museum and the obelisk was only $5. The obelisk is 350 feet in the air and there is an elevator that takes you to the top and you can look out a few windows. It was really interesting to go up there. Our tour guide explained that Jefferson Davis was born there, however, his birth home was sold to a church in 1880. According to her, the state had his home and Lincoln's home (another Kentucky born guy) and both historic sites wanted their own respective cabin re-assembled at their home location. The timber from both homes was in such bad shape, that combined they only had enough to rebuild one. So Lincoln's home cabin stands and Jefferson Davis is not. Now for me...I find it perversely funny that Lincoln's, the President of the United States during the Civil War, birth home is re-built with timber from Davis', the ONLY President of the Confederate States of America, birth home. Now it should be said that he came from a line of Revolutionary War heroes. His father was known in battle for his bravery.  His brothers fought in the War of 1812. And when Jefferson Davis graduated from West Point, he went out west. His uncles thought he would be better served in civil service and after having met and falling in love with Zachary Taylor's daughter, did he agree with his uncles. He settled down and eventually became a Senator of Mississippi. And though HE didn't want to secede, when the state of Mississippi as a whole decided to part ways with the United States and join the Confederate States, he followed through and left the Senate. We all know what happens next. He was elected President of the Confederacy and lost the Civil War. And though he was bad mouthed, he genuinely wanted what was best for the state he represented and he wanted to represent their wishes, even if it went against his own. If only we had more politicians that would do that.

Anyways, it was interesting, informative and fun. And it wasn't expensive at all. So check out the historic sites that are near where you live and visit them. :) You might find out something new.

Wednesday's Hearth...Cooler days are here again...

So the last time I wrote on Wednesday, I was talking about the start of summer. And boy did it come. And am I glad to see it go. We saw some days that were over 100 degrees with heat indexes over 15 degrees hotter than even that. It really stinks for it to be 100 degrees with a relative humidity of 87%. It's so hot that the air can hold so much moisture, but not enough moisture to rain. And over the summer when it would rain, it wouldn't last long and it was blistering hot again. However, it has cooled off considerably. Though we're still seeing temps over 90, the humidity isn't bad.

There is no recipe today. I promise Grace that I'll find that funnel cake recipe and I'll post it. I will tell you that I tried Alton Brown's recipe and it is GOOD, but it's a bit involved for my tastes. The one I have isn't as involved. So I'll have to find that one. Because if you're anything like me, funnel cakes are a craving thing and I don't have the patience for involved.

Today we're discussing cleaning. As I've mentioned in a previous post, we recently discovered that my son has an allergy to dust mites. And no matter how clean you are, you will always ALWAYS have dust mites. There are ways of killing them. You can freeze them. You can expose them to sunlight/UV light. The best weapon you have are removing anything that will hang on to dust. Removing cloth furniture, carpets, stuffed animals, and bulky comforters. Mini blinds need to be changed to a pull shade, that can be wiped down, not cloth. There is no dry dusting. Everything needs to be wiped down with a damp cloth.  Curtains are best removed. OR if you MUST have them, they should be washed weekly with the bed linen. All bed linens need to be washed in HOT water. And bed covers and pillow covers are a great thing because your face is closest to them than any other surface.

So, we've been washing every article of clothing. Removing curtains from his room and washing them from the rest of the rooms. Changing his blind to a shade. Wiping down his bed and covering all the pillows. This weekend since Mr. V actually has the days off (he's been pulling a LOT of overtime at work) he's going to be vacuuming out the AC vents and I'll be taking care of the floors. THEN it's a matter of wiping down the walls and all the toys in his room. Then we can start working on the rest of house. This is going to be a slow, long process of getting it down pat. But once we get it, it should run like clock work. It's just a whole new and very detailed process.

We still haven't gotten all of our donate stuff together in one spot. When we do, I'm sure a good chunk of our house will be cleared out. The less stuff you have...the less that is there to collect dust. And right now...I hate dust.